About Tewkesbury Yoga

Who am I?

Rachel Done – Founder of Tewkesbury Yoga for Health and Wellbeing, offering a variety of group classes, workshops, retreats, individual tuition, and much more.

Hi I`m Rachel and have lived and worked in and around Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire for over 37 years. I come from an educational background firstly in Local Youth and Community work and projects and then moving into formal education at Tewkesbury Comprehensive becoming Head of PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education).

I have been married to Alan, a local self-employed painter and decorator for 35 years and have two grown up sons George and Archie, the love of my life is my 1st Grandson Thomas.

Finding Yoga

My own personal journey with yoga began more than 37 years ago when I was a young woman plagued with anxiety, low self esteem and poor mental health and knew that this was no way to live, my own thoughts and negative internal dialogue appeared to be my own worst enemy!
As a young woman I had no confidence in my body and a skewed perception of how I looked and what I was capable off, I had never attempted to participate in sport or fitness classes, PE was my idea of hell as a young child and teen, “ I`m just not sporty” I would hear myself saying.
I also seemed to be plagued with a myriad of low level health issues, poor sleep and self limiting beliefs and seemed to be on an eternal quest to feel and think better!

I had always been interested in alternative holistic practices and decided to give Yoga a go and found a Hatha Yoga class in Worcester to begin my journey and then eventually a Viniyoga Teacher in Tewkesbury who I now am privileged to call my friend and often cover his classes!
Over the years my personal practice has helped me to understand that yoga was and is much more than making exotic shapes or being really flexible. For me it has been about equipping and accessing a means of support and stability both mentally and physically to help me face and
accept LIFE on Life`s terms.

My Yoga Journey

Once I began to attend a regular weekly class my enthusiasm and passion grew existentially and I immersed myself into books, workshops and retreats and Yoga became a way of life!

My experience deepened and in studying the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali I found a wisdom that I could refer to, and sometimes cling to when life felt challenging, the philosophy became my sextant, navigating me through the still or sometimes choppy waters of life`s ebb and flow.
In 2015 I embarked on a 500 hours training course in the ‘Art of Teaching Yoga’ with Sadhana Mala, one of the UK’s most highly regarded Yoga Teacher Training Courses and affiliated by the Association of Yoga Studies. In 2017 I pursued further training with Sadhana Mala and completed another 500 hours in the ‘Art of Individual Teaching’ so I could then expand my offerings to Individual Tuition and Therapeutic Application.

Back then I was working fulltime in school, running the family home and teaching yoga in the evenings and weekends but knew that was a pace I was struggling to maintain and didn`t really align with the Self Care philosophy I was guiding others to pursue.
In 2020 I made the decision to leave my fulltime employment and focus more on my own business which has just celebrated its 5th year anniversary (2025).

Over the last 10 years I have completed numerous CPD(Continuous Professional Development) courses, workshop and training all which can be viewed on the Qualifications and Training Page.

What is Yoga?

Yoga Sutra – YS1.2 yogah citta vrtti nirodhah Yoga is directing and containing the activities of the mind.
If you ask most people what Yoga is, they would probably mention having to be bendy or flexible, sitting in the lotus position and contemplating your navel, there are many misconceptions which can sometimes be fuelled by glossy photos in magazines or on social media maybe even Hollywood Stars posing in some advanced posture, what you see is not always Yoga!

In short Yoga is far more about the mind than it is about the body, we westerners have always been far too pre-occupied with our bodies and fail to see the impact of our minds.

The word Yoga is commonly said to derive from the Sanskrit root yuj which means to link but what exactly are we linking to……fundamentally it`s too ourselves, body, breath, mind and spirit. Yoga is an ancient and philosophical practice that originated in India thousands of years ago and could be said to be a complete system for Well-being, Self discovery and Inner freedom…. if practiced regularly and there’s the rub….you do have to do it!

The 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga are a set of core principles that serve as a compass for living a meaningful and purposeful life and to avoid unnecessary suffering, if you would like to know more about the 8 limbs, please see the Recommendations Page for a selection of books you
may like to study or contact me for an Individual Tuition Appointment where we can begin to explore this question deep question together.
For now I would like to emphasize that when you find the right practice and teacher YOU WILL KNOW!

Additional Offerings

Over the years I have expanded my training, knowledge and skills and am able to offer a variety of Themed Group Classes, Retreats and Workshops, I offer Individual Tuition for those wishing to deepen and explore their practice or have a specific issue that they want support with such as Anxiety, Stress Management, Insomnia, Physical limitations with Hip, Back etc.

Additionally I design and deliver Bespoke Corporate Wellness sessions, Yoga for Teens, special events and celebrations such as Hen Parties, Birthday Weekends, Family Events. I teach in person and online and record sessions to pass on to students who want to practice
again at home. More information on all my offerings and how to book can be found on the Classes page.

Free Lance Work

Alongside my own business I also create and deliver Wellness Courses for The Gloucestershire Adult Education Service.
I`m a Coach for Shift Art and Movement Ltd helping to assess Teachers through an Online Wellness Programme for Schools and finally help to run the Holiday Food and Activity Camps with the Calm Kids Club in the School Holidays.

Final Thoughts

It is a joy and a privilege to teach Yoga and I often have to pinch myself that I am finally doing what I always dreamed I would do. I`m not perfect with my practice by any stretch and often fall off the YOGA WAGON as it were but my practice always has a way of gently bringing me back home to my mat and to myself, no judgement just self inquiry and compassion, where there is knowledge there is the opportunity and possibility for transformation and change.
I hope to meet with you soon.

Namaste Rachel