The first (Iyengar) yoga studio opened in the city in 1969. Since then, the yoga community has grown and grown. But who started it? Who were the early teachers in the city? How did it become so big that “everyone in Brighton knows someone who does yoga”?
The Brighton Yoga Foundation has begun to document the history of yoga in Brighton and Hove from its early beginnings to the present day, exploring how the evolution of the city itself has interacted with the history of the yoga and well-being movements. We are attempting to capture the personal stories of teachers and people involved along the way, offering multiple perspectives and voices on yoga and its connection to the city. We still have lots more ideas and interviews to undertake.
First of all, you may wish to listen to this podcast where we interview Davy Jones (BYF Chair) about the project. This was recorded in 2018 and we aim to update it shortly.
Below we have attached two transcribed interviews with two participants in the early development of yoga in Brighton & Hove, looking at the influence of Iyengar and Ashtanga Yoga.
Jenny Deadman outlines the way in which yoga arrived in Brighton. B.K.S Iyengar, a regular visitor to Brighton, dedicated the first Iyengar yoga centre which was opened by Helena Thomas in Bristol Gardens, Kemptown in 1969. A talk recorded at the Brighton Yoga Festival in 2017 describes these early days:
Derek Ireland was a legendary Ashtanga teacher who pioneered the style in Brighton before his untimely death 20 years ago. His partner, Kristina Karitinou-Ireland, was interviewed about Derek and the early days of Ashtanga yoga in Brighton at Brighton Yoga Festival in 2018. You can read the interview and access more resources here.
More recently, we have recorded some fascinating interviews on zoom or on audio with a range of people who have played important roles in developing the yoga community in the city – either as teachers or studio owners. Below are interviews with:
An internationally known expert on fascia who ran the local Natural Bodies studio
An osteopath and yoga teacher who set up the local Unit 4 studio
Taught at Brighton Natural Health Centre and then set up Brahmani Yoga in India
Jim has been an integral part of the yoga scene in Brighton since the 1990s, founding the influential Vajrasati Yoga teacher training course in 2000.
Sevanti has been teaching in Brighton, Hove & Lewes for 20 years and in 2012 set up the Unity Centre in Brighton’s Lewes Road and its successor Unity Centre in Lewes in 2019.
Mick Dawson skippered the first—and still only—rowing boat to successfully cross the North Pacific Ocean. He is also a dedicated yogi - listen to this fascinating story.
If you have a story to tell, then please contact us: davyjones@bnhf.