Meet the team

  • When I was 22 I was hospitalised with anorexia. I spent a long time there battling with life and death.

    My awakening began quite suddenly during this time. I had spent many years suffering at the expense of my own mind feeling like I had no choice with detrimental effect. In a poignant life moment of ‘light’, I saw I had a choice. I could choose to live or die. Equally, I could choose joy or pain.

    Boom, my journey or recovery began.

    Soon this path of healing led to me yoga, then hot yoga.

    I remember my first hot yoga class very vividly. I was working as a model in Barcelona and my model apartment was close to a Bikram studio. I was intrigued because I loved sauna (and yoga!) so I signed up for my first class. I’ll never forget it… It was bonkers but I was hooked!! I went back almost every day whilst I lived there and continued to seek out hot yoga studios wherever I was in the world for work. I loved that the class was the same, I could show up to any ‘Bikram’ class and instantly feel at home, return to my body and tend to myself. The practice gave me stability, improved my posture, strength and flexibility, helped me feel calm and most importantly it helped me keep my mind healthy.

    I found more on my mat than I did in years of therapy. It wasn’t easy but class by class I began to practice more and more self- care and gradually began to love myself again. My personal yoga practice literally saved my life and continues to nourish me every day.

    My teaching journey actually began way back when I was about 14! I had a Saturday job assisting at my dance school teaching the younger ones ballet. I went on the teach adult classes once I joined the professional company at 18. Unfortunately because of my illness I had to stop dancing and teaching.

    When I found hot yoga it reignited my desire to teach again and led me to Hot Yoga Teacher Training with Evolation in Paris in 2016 in classic hot yoga, 26 + 2 method; following that I further trained in other disciplines of yoga. I taught full-time alongside modelling and have taught all over the world. I have been blessed to meet and work with some amazingly inspiring teachers, students and humans along the way; I even met my partner Simon through the practice! I always knew I wanted to open my own studio and in 2022 we stumbled upon South Chapel - a beautiful once in a lifetime property; I had no money and a young baby BUT I had passion and trust in my dharma and I took the leap of faith; it was the best thing I ever did. Two years later we are opening our second studio. I’m so honoured and grateful to be able to welcome you all to The Hot Yoga Chapel and offer the gift of yoga to more people.

    We ALL need a little healing, yoga is for every body and every mind.

    Join us and see how yoga can heal, improve your body AND mind, restore balance and take you on your own journey to your Self.

Studio Owner and Teacher

  • I am Faustine but everyone calls me Steen, originally from France, I first discovered hot yoga a couple of years after moving to Leeds in 2018 after spending half a decade in the hot sun of Mauritius (I truly missed the heat!).

    I quickly realised that yoga became the one thing keeping me sane throughout the pandemic (physically AND mentally!). As lockdowns eased and I graduated from a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Arts and Design I felt the need to learn something new and decided that the next best step in my life and practise would be a yoga teacher training.

    Never in a million years did I ever expect to even want to teach, the training was simply theory and biomechanics for my own practice. However, as the weeks past I soon realised how much more meaningful, powerful and life changing yoga truly is as you dig deeper and could not keep it for myself (how selfish would that be?!).

    I became a certified Ashtanga-Vinyasa modified primary series and Pranayama teacher in September 2022. Due to my creative nature, I choose to teach mainly flows (strong, slow, vinyasas..) exploring movement in various ways.

    Deep down my yoga practice helped healing many of my past traumas and it became a safe heaven, a bubble in which taking care of the self is prioritised. I have struggled with depressive episodes from my early teens which then developed into an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. Yoga positively impact my hormones and, over time, definitely helped improving my episodes. I learned to be more understanding, caring and patient towards myself. Practicing regularly encourages me to listen to my body and nourish it better. In times of stress, I have developed an ability come back to my practice (which also off the mat) to not fall back into unhealthy habits.

    The main reason I teach yoga today is to help you prioritise your wellbeing and connect with your inner self. Life can sometimes take over and it can become hard to choose ourselves over other priorities and responsibilities, through yoga we can essentially take a moment to: breathe, heal and take care of us.

Studio Manager / Vinyasa and Restorative Teacher

  • My journey into yoga began in 2009 whilst training as a contemporary dancer. The yoga mat became my sanctuary, a place where I could take the plug out of the ego. It was a chance for me to rewire my brain and prioritise my mental & physical well-being.

    I eventually realised that dance was my stepping stone into becoming a yoga teacher. Since 2018 this has mainly been my focus alongside Ayurvedic yoga massage, which is a rich blend between deep tissue, assisted stretches and remedial touch. I hold these massages in our treatment room at THYC (Ilkley site).

    My classes have a desire to move, to feel free and empowered. I want to create an environment where people can take little bites of bravery. I’m still very much influenced by my background in contemporary dance, making my classes dynamic, creative and playful. I strive to hold a space for everybody to cultivate the patience to persist, to believe in themselves and to be tenderly fierce.

    As well as teaching yoga, I now also teach our Chapel Hot HIIT class. Adding more cardio to our fitness life, and to further our endurance levels.

Vinyasa and HIIT Teacher

  • I am so excited to be teaching Yoga at the Hot Yoga Chapel Ilkley. I want to shout from the rooftops how Yoga keeps you healthy, fitter, happier and younger.

    I teach Hot Yoga, Yin Yoga, meditation, and Sound Therapy.

    I vividly remember being asked many years ago (by my now husband) what my dream job would be. I found myself replying “a yoga teacher!” – never believing it could really happen. In 2018, at a studio by a beautiful beach in California - through the world renowned “Evolation” Hot Yoga teacher training - I made my dream reality. I am very grateful to be walking this path and look forward to guiding you along it too - body and mind. For the past four years I have taught in premier Hot Yoga studios.

    I love the combination of the vigorous higher energy workout that Hot Yoga can give you with the balance of Yin Yoga - slowing down with healing stretches to explore a beautiful introspective meditative practice. I run Gong Baths helping people experience deep rejuvenating relaxation – they can nurture a therapeutic response to stress, lower blood pressure, improve memory & focus, bring calm and wellbeing.

    You will come away from my classes feeling fresh, uplifted, and energised. I pride myself in teaching with a kind and nurturing style to help you get the best out of your own abilities. It brings me great joy to guide people with Yoga to live a life more enriched, full, and happy.

    If you have any injuries, please talk to me as I can help you see how they need not be a barrier to you practising under my teaching. Teaching Yoga, along with my medical experience & knowledge of anatomy working as an Intensive Care nurse, has helped me gain a deep understanding in assisting students with any injuries they might have. I know very well the importance of this after coming to Yoga myself many years ago with a recurrent injury. I can teach you any modifications you need, explain why they work, and can help you to understand how to move your body in the way that works best for you.

    Yoga has changed my life so much for the better. I have transformed my body and can guide you in doing so too. I will help you find calm and what you learn in my classes you will carry with you to the outside world.

Hot Yoga, Yin & HIIT Teacher

  • I first found Hot Yoga in 2001 while living in Australia; I instantly loved it!

    I remember it being fun, challenging and I loved the fact that I felt stronger and more flexible with every class…I was hooked!

    Returning home to the UK, with no hot studio nearby as the years passed by I could feel my strength and flexibility slipping away.

    After years of sitting hunched over a desk I knew I needed to do something to fix my chronic lower back pain and I finally made my way to a newly opened hot yoga studio nearby…that first class was SO tough, but my body and my mind thanked me for it and I never looked back.

    Class after class, year after year I could feel myself healing not just physically but emotionally too. ​

    It wasn’t just in class that I saw the benefits; my back pain all but disappeared, my posture improved, I had more energy and felt calmer and more focused.

    Over time I felt more settled, learning patience and acceptance of myself, lessening my attachment to perfection, both in postures and in life!

    I wanted to share my love of Yoga with everyone I met and so decided it was time to take the next step…

    In 2020 I completed my 26&2 Hot Yoga teacher training with Kristin Bergman Ward. To say it was a life changing experience is an understatement; gaining so much knowledge, not only about the Yoga but also about myself, and the kind of teacher I wanted to be.

    I qualified in October and taught my first class a week later! I’ve been teaching in Hot Yoga studios ever since.

    I subsequently trained in both Slow therapeutic Flow and Yoga Nidra and in 2023 I trained with Bernie Clark in Yin Yoga, the perfect complement to the more dynamic Hot Yoga practice.

    I truly believe Yoga is for everybody and every body! No matter where you’re starting from I will support you every step of the way. I want you to come away from my classes feeling challenged yet nurtured, energized yet deeply rested,

    Feeling stronger, healthier and happier with every single class.

    I’m so happy and excited to share this beautiful practice with each and every one of you, to share your yoga journey and see the incredible transformations it can bring. Yoga has changed my life for the better. I want it to change yours too.

Hot Yoga & Yin Teacher

  • As a teenager I discovered I had scoliosis, not severe but bad enough to be suffering back pain throughout my teens and adult life. I found yoga a few months after I slipped a rib out of place and had trouble breathing. After a few expensive chiropractic treatments it was suggested that doing yoga might help maintain a healthy spine. So I booked my first class.

    There is something in your first hot yoga class that makes you feel like you’re totally doing everything wrong but at the same time there’s this sense of achievement that comes with surviving the extreme heat. It’s like I was alive again! I practiced pretty much daily from then on, and not only my back strength improved (and yes, the pain was gone!), also my mental health and my breathing got better. All of a sudden I am walking taller, I am happier and healthier than I have ever been.

    I wanted to share this practice with everyone as I believe it can truly transform someone’s life! So I graduated as an Original Hot Yoga Teacher (with Kristin Bergaman, 350h) and a year later I completed my Ashtanga Vinyasa Training (with Jamie Blowers, 200h). After attending multiple intensive retreats with Jasmine Nash from E84 I decided to train in Intermediate training with her and Esak Garcia in 2023. Since then, I have been teaching and sharing my knowledge and experience in dealing with back issues through repetitive back bending. You will likely find me upside down in a wheel or doing wall-walks!

Hot Yoga & Vinyasa Teacher

  • Helena is a Senior Yoga Teacher, Barre and Fitness Instructor. After discovering Hot Yoga when living in London and finding that it supported not only her cycling, but whilst going through quite a stressful time in life, when she moved up to Leeds in 2012 she knew she had to train and bring hot yoga classes to Leeds!

    Her movement journey over the past 12 years has taken her through different styles and approaches, which these days she tends to blend into classes.

    At THYC her focus is a blend of fitness, barre and yoga, to offer a full body workout that supports the yoga body.

    ‘It feels so great to have come back to a hot yoga studio, bringing my years of different influences and experiences. I feel at home in the hot room, supporting people like me, who have found solace in the sweat’.

Hot Yoga & HIIT Teacher

  • I came to yoga tentatively eight years ago with very little in the way of a movement background but with a deep sense of curiosity. Over the years my practice has slowly shifted in emphasis from power flow and alignment focused Ashtanga and Ghosh lineages to a more embodied and intuitive way of moving, informed by my studies in non-dual Tantric philosophy. I teach vinyasa flow classes which bring in elements of all of these.

    In the past I have placed huge amounts of pressure on myself to achieve and self-improve, and as a result suffered from periods of anxiety, burnout and overwhelm. A consistent yoga practice provided an antidote to this and offered an alternative way of being. For me, Yoga is a way to recognise the innate value and perfection in all things - myself included. Yoga taught me to soften, to intentionally cultivate a sense of ease and to break away from the pattern of constant striving.

    My teaching warmly encourages students, of all abilities and experience, to use their bodies as tools for expression and connection, whilst still developing strength and flexibility. I make space for students to engage their imaginations, cultivate their intuitions and take a playful and curious approach to movement.

Vinyasa Teacher

  • I’m deeply fascinated with the human body as a way of self expression. When I first started deepening into yogic practice and lifestyle I was astounded by how much I was able to feel that I couldn’t access before. Not only did it provide more comfort and ease in my body but also allowed me to process the world around me better and get a truer understanding of “who I was”.

    I followed the teachings and practices of non dual tantric philosophy for many years and still turn to their wisdom today. Nowadays however, my work is more entwined with the natural world and the landscapes that I teach from. I take my inspiration from the changing seasons, the cycles of the moon and folklore.

    As a facilitator my work leans more into embodiment and organic movement, guiding students into a space of freedom and autonomy of expression. Over the years I’ve trained in Vinyasa, Yin, Nidra and Somatic practices as well as being a Trauma Informed facilitator. I am also a certified Animal Flow instructor.

    As a deaf and neurodiverse person, inclusion is of vital importance to me and I always strive to provide a space where others feel brave enough to step into and be themselves without any judgement or fear.

Embodied Movement Facilitator and Vinyasa/Yin Teacher

  • I love being outdoors - I spend my free time stomping, pedalling and sometimes tumbling up and down the fells... but that hasn't always been the case. If I'm honest, I never used to look forward to exercise... until I went to a fitness class - the music, the atmosphere, the instructor, it was tough, but I wanted more. That 'ding' moment of 'hey, this can be fun' and I showed up, gradually pushed myself and started feeling so good.

    Activity added so much to my life, physically and mentally, that a bubbling passion to help others do the same lead me to be a Personal Trainer, specialising in Pilates and Cancer Rehabilitation. My passion is adding value to life as it is now, my purpose is helping you know how.

Pilates Teacher

  • I have been practicing yoga for 11 years, with the last 4 years focused on Original Hot Yoga. My journey started back in January 2020, when I stumbled upon Hot Yoga through an Open House Weekend, where Zana taught my very first class!

    Why do I love Hot Yoga? The heat and humidity of the studio assist my body allowing me to move deeper into each pose. The heat helps me detoxify through sweating, leaving me feeling revitalised. The practice encourages mindfulness and discipline. With every breath and movement, I’m reminded to be in the present, building resilience and strength. Also, the community is incredible. Sharing the experience over a cup of tea and embracing the energy in the room is contagious and motivates me to give my all.

    As “There is no better way to learn than to teach”, in 2024 I qualified as a 350 hr certified hot yoga teacher with Metta Yoga. I am very early into my career and so grateful for this opportunity. It is a pleasure and an honour to be able to share this special practice with you. 

    In my classes, I strive to create a welcoming and encouraging environment where students of all levels can explore their own practice. 

    Join me as we sweat together, build strength, and mindfully focus in a heated space. 

Hot Yoga Teacher

  • Heather’s passion for movement stems from her background in classical ballet which she studied from the age of 3, and led to her winning a place at the English National Ballet School in London at the age of 16.

    She discovered yoga during a significant transitional period of her life, and made the decision to dive deeper into the practise during a trip to Bali, where she completed the 200-hour Yoga Alliance accredited Vinyasa training at Radiantly Alive in Ubud, and subsequently facilitated daily yoga classes in Bali throughout 2018, before returning to the UK.

    Having spent many years enduring the extreme physical and technical demands of ballet, Heather has become increasingly drawn to breaking free from a restrictive and linear approach to yoga and movement. Her Vinyasa classes are deeply rooted in her passion for moving in a way that promotes freedom both on and off the mat. She's known for her creative and explorative sequences that incorporate intuitive movements and a fluid continuum of flow, offering an invitation to step out of the thinking mind and into the feeling body.

Embodied Movement Facilitator and Vinyasa Teacher