Welcome to Hartford Yoga, I’m Pippa Francis, an established and experienced Hartford based yoga teacher, previously known as ‘Purple Padma Yoga.
I teach yoga classes both locally at the Hartford Yoga studio in Cheshire and run international yoga retreats and have over 1000’s hours of various teacher training qualifications.
My first experience of yoga was in 2001, when I was pregnant with my first child – I am now the proud mother of three young men! – it was from here that my yoga journey began. The way a yoga class left me feeling was a combination of feeling blissful, strong, stretched, more flexible in not just the body but the mind too and ultimately made me feel relaxed and calm.
For many years I’d suffered with mild anxiety and depression and found that yoga helped massively with calming the anxiety and easing some of the discomfort from the battles in my mind. I also used to struggle with chronic and debilitating migraines but thanks to yoga, and some lifestyle changes, I now only suffer from them occasionally.
For over a decade I practiced under the guidance of some truly inspirational teachers from different yoga traditions and after at least 10 years of regular practice and workshops I decided that the natural progression for me was to train to teach and share the benefits of such a sacred practice.
I began the BWY Foundation Course with Jackie Quayle which led me to be accepted to study under Sarah Beck for the BWY 500 hour Level 4 teacher training diploma. I spent over three years studying with Sarah, which was an amazing experience providing not only an excellent standard of teacher training but in- depth teachings of meditation, pranayama and yoga philosophy too. I have been teaching regularly now since 2013.
As a registered Yoga Elder with Yoga Teachers Together my teaching style is constantly evolving with over 1000 hours of training and over 6000 teaching hours, I strive to create a safe space to enable students to develop self enquiry, to observe how they respond to the practice as it unfolds, to heal and provide a sanctuary for self reflection and time for peace. I like to bring to my classes and retreats what can so often be lost in the modern yoga classes today, and combine the asana practice with nuggets of philosophy, pranayama, meditation and mindfulness. Basically our mat yoga classes are not exercise but a practice that prepares us for the events that we experience off the mat! Yoga is not for ‘sport’, ‘backs’, ‘menopause’, ‘runners’ etc etc, it for the whole body, unlimited and extends to the mind and soul, the side effects of the asana practice will benefit and aid many physical and mental conditions. Yoga is a way of life, it is practiced to be felt, experienced, it might ‘look’ like a fitness class, especially when taught by unqualified or poorly trained ‘fitness instructors’ who might have done a module on yoga so please always ask, how qualified is my yoga teacher and do they actually know what yoga is?
My studies have been continuous since my initial 500 hour British Wheel of Yoga certification with Sarah Beck to include the Yin and Yin/Yang yoga teacher training with IYN, 200 hour Kirtan training with world renowned Radhika Das, a 150 hrs level 3 diploma in traditional Tantra with distinction and Sound Healing level 3 diploma with distinction. I have been a keen student of Swami Nishchalananda and his teachings of the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra belonging to the Kashmir Shaivism Tantra written around 800AD and based on Tantric beliefs that are thousands of years old.
My personal practice is very much invested in the Bhakti Yoga path of the Hindu Vaishnava path and I take spiritual pilgrimages to Mother India with devotees, monks, Kirtan musicians and teachers whenever possible.
l trust to share and spread my love and the benefits of the practice of yoga with you at the Hartford Yoga studio or on one of our retreats. Please get in touch if you would like to be added to the class waiting list.
Hari Om
