Lucinda Beatty
200-hour Course Leader
Luci was immersed in art from a very young age, which manifested in a range of media. Her photography took her all over the world for more than a decade and she currently is Head of the Art Department at a Central London school.
Luci is proof that yoga starts at any age. She began practicing yoga after receiving a book about natural healing on her 40th birthday that included a 12-week Iyengar based course. After a few months of self-practice, she switched to Ashtanga Vinyasa.
A couple of years after that infamous book landed in her lap, Luci travelled in India for 3 months, studying with various teachers. Following that, she taught drawing at Purple Valley as well as at Yoga Plus. After a decade of practicing yoga, she knew she had to pass on the practice that she loves. Within a week she committed to a YogaLondon 1-year course and two years after that, she did an apprenticeship under Rahoul. Sheâs now the Course Leader on the 1-year 200-hour course.
For Luci, art and yoga fit well together â she finds that drawing from the environment is a meditative process, bringing the present moment into focus. Being taught by Luci is similar to this sensation: outside distractions drop away and an inner stillness takes over.
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Francesca Sanlorenzo
200-hour Tutor & 500-hour Tutor
Francesca grew up in Milan where she studied Art and Photography before moving to London. In her mid-20âs, she was invited to the Benettonâs Centre for Communication where she worked with Oliviero Toscani and other artists from around the world. Upon returning to London, she started a multi-media company with her partner called âCacaoâ. They worked on social documentation and educational projects, including working with young people facing challenging circumstances. In 2005, Francesca was chosen to run the Art & Design department in Abbey Manor College for students outside of mainstream education. She has been teaching there ever since and was nominated as a finalist in the 2010 Teaching Award.
As yoga became a mainstay in her life, she found YogaLondon and undertook the 1-year training course. She then began teaching offering private and local classes in South East London. In Autumn 2014, she trained with TeenYoga in an effort to share yoga with her students and teach them the tools to deal with stress and self-regulation.
In 2015 she embarked on her Advanced Teacher Training journey with YogaLondon completing the Body Module, the Philosophy Module, and the Apprentice Module within two years time. Francesca trained in Yoga Nidra with Uma Dismore-Tuli in 2017 and also with the Satyananda School in 2019. During 2018, she studied yoga philosophy with the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. She is (clearly!) a keen student, enthusiastic about how much there is to learn in this life.
Francescaâs depth and expanse of knowledge make her a natural 200-hour Course Leader and she excels at teaching the 500-hour Philosophy and Asana Modules. Francescaâs openness about her journey, discoveries and philosophical inquiry appeal to students - her wicked sense of humor is the icing on the cake!
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Jonathan Thompson
200-hour Course Leader
Jonathan has a mélange of jobs that appeared on his path before he finally found his calling as a yoga teacher: civil servant, recruitment specialist, actor, the cosmetics counter at Estée Lauder, and making smoothies! His story is a testament that life can be a meandering, curvy and bump path; but no matter how many detours life takes, if you pay attention to the signs and listen internally, you will discover your true path.
He went off to university to study Law, but became a civil service government worker, studying drama and singing on the side. After six years as a civil servant, he left and went into recruitment. The work didnât suit him, so he enroled to Drama School full-time, working part-time at the cosmetics counter at EstĂ©e Lauder.
Meanwhile, yoga became a mainstay in his life; an activity he kept returning to in the background of his life. As he contemplated finding his next job, a friend suggested he become a yoga teacher. His heart cried out âYes Yes Yesâ, but his head said âNo No Noâ. He followed his heart.
Through a friend of a friend, he found the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas and signed up for their Teacher Training Course. It was the best thing heâs ever done. When Jonathan returned to London, without work and low on funds, he couldnât see the next step.
Thereâs a gym near Jonathanâs home, and the following day, he walked in and asked if they had openings. It turned out that the yoga teacher had walked out last week, and they needed someone immediately. The manager asked him for a 15-minute demonstration. Following that, she asked him what day heâd like to start.
Jonathan began covering for other yoga teachers, and he developed a reputation as a reliable, well-rounded teacher. Through his contacts, he eventually became the lead Course Director for YMCA, a title he held from 2014 - 2017. His greatest lesson has come from learning: âwhen you let go, and allow yourself to be led, doors open.â
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