Change starts with your next breath

Having struggled with chronic back pain for years, Rachel found Forrest Yoga in 2012 and has not looked back since.

Forrest Yoga's dynamic and intelligent sequencing helped Rachel move through her chronic pain in a struggle free manner helping to connect her with the passion and driving focus to helping others to walk free of pain.

In 2014 Rachel took the leap and completed Anna Forrest Teacher training in Peterbourgh. In order to continue to develop both personally and as a yoga teacher Rachel is also undertaking to Forrest yoga mentorship programme with Forrest yoga Guardian Sandra Heider.

Rachel has brought her unique blend of enthusiasm, compassion and Massage training into her teaching, creating classes where you can feel great while learning how to bring space into those areas that feel stuck and need attention.

Contact Rachel: rachel@heartspacedundee.co.uk

Andi has worked as a professional dance artist/facilitator for the last 2 years, after 4 years of dance training first at West College Scotland and then The Scottish School of Contemporary Dance. Andi stayed in Dundee after falling in love with the city during her final year of training, and has been attending classes at Heart Space since December 2022.

Andi loves promoting mind-body connection through her teaching practice, inviting clients to listen to the cues their body gives. She loves Barre classes, mindfully moving while gaining strength and power through the combination of ballet and yoga. Over 2023-24 Andi also did her Yoga Teacher Training at Heart Space with Finlay so keep an eye on classes with her in different styles.

I am from Canada and have had the privilege of living all over the world before recently finding my home in Dundee

I have been a teacher in various capacities throughout my life, from instructing skiing in the Canadian mountains, to teaching sat a primary school in Ghana and now teaching yoga wherever I can. I started practicing over 20 years ago, and was hooked immediately. I love the way this practice brings peace and balance to so many areas of my life - as an outdoor adventure enthusiast, as a partner, and as a mother. I am motivated by the physical challenge and and mental shift that yoga creates, and the community that grows as a result. I also love being upside-down as much as possible!

I practiced and trained in Ashtanga and Vinyasa with Karen Kirkness and later went on to be qualified in her Avid Yogi YTT 200 hrs. I then lived and taught yoga in Edinburgh at Meadowlark from 2013 until my recent move to Dundee.

Follow Maureen: @maureenmeade

Diva is a yoga teacher and designer creating moments and spaces for stillness. She believes in mindful living, sustainable design and movement or artistic expression as a means for wellness. 

Diva found yoga during lockdown after achieving her degree in Textile Design from her mums dining table. In her practice she likes to build strength and mobility through movement, while promoting mind-body connection. She completed her 200hrs YTT at Heart Space in 2026 with Finlay.

Leini's pilates journey, like so many, started during lockdown. With its minimal equipment and little prior knowledge needed to reap the benefits, It quickly became a way of everyday life and she undertook her Mat Pilates Certification in 2024.

Since then, she has created her own unique style of Pilates, where she practices the principles of breath work and core control, but has brought a dynamic vibe to her sessions with her famous last 20 seconds of hold and pulse. Her session content concentrates on working one side of the body through a series of moves with modifications offered to cater for all abilities.

Then moving on to the other side of the body, where this will help build long, lean muscle mass, all the while improving strength and identifying any weaknesses in your body.

Ailish is a 200hr trained yoga teacher with a PgD in contemporary dance performance. She has been teaching for 4 years and believes yoga is an exploration of the self. It brings mental clarity, boosted energy, self-acceptance and most importantly keeps us grounded in our beings.

“I'm super excited to share my practice with you all. See you on the mat!”

Farrah has been practising yoga with Heart Space for over a decade, since taking her first ever yoga class at the studio. She has always found a sense of home, community and strength at Heart Space, which has remained an important part of her journey. Alongside yoga, she is a freelance artist and contemporary dancer, having trained in London and gone on to create her own arts company, where she now creates performances combining contemporary dance, sculpture and folk music.

She completed her Foundation Teacher Training with Finlay Wilson in 2018, as part of the first cohort to come out of Heart Space, followed by Advanced Forrest Yoga and Aerial Yoga teacher training in 2026. She also completed her VTCT Level 3 qualification in Bodywork and Massage in 2023, deepening her understanding of the body further through hands on touch. Her teaching draws from these different practices, creating classes that explore strength, mobility, breath and connection, while encouraging students to move with curiosity and awareness.

Hailing from Queensland, Australia, Alex moved to Scotland in 2017. An interesting change of scenery (and temperature), he appreciates all that Scotland has to offer, from Munro Peaks to Freezing Lochs. His journey with Yoga began, like most, during lockdown, when he explored practices online before transitioning to in-studio sessions post-pandemic. Alex joined the Heart Space reception team in 2024 while finishing his undergraduate and master's degrees. He decided to begin his teacher training (YTT 200) with Finlay at Heart Space in 2025-26, looking to create practices, rooted in functional movement, that challenge and uplift. Follow Alex: @alxdyle

Elise's passion for movement began with classical dance, completing vocational RAD ballet exams and becoming a dance fitness instructor. Discovering yoga, barre, and the supportive community that came with them transformed her relationship with movement - inspiring her to help others reconnect with theirs.

She completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Finlay Wilson and completed her Total Barre®️ training at Pointe Ahead Pilates.

By integrating her University studies in Psychology, she aims to create classes that nurture mental clarity alongside physical strength. She believes the mat is a space to explore how we think, feel, and move.

Elise's energetic and welcoming classes blend strength, mobility, and mindfulness to help students move with confidence and joy.

Having been practising yoga for over 2 decades, Heather embarked on her Yoga teacher Training with Finlay in 2018.

You can catch her covering Forrest classes.

When Lali first got into Yoga over 20 years ago, it resonated deeply. In Hatha Yoga, as a starting point, she found a meaningful physical practice that helped her cultivate a steadier mind, and develop a sense of presence, connection and focus.       

Over the years, curiosity led Lali to delve into other styles, including Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow, Power and Yin Yoga. After moving to Scotland, Lali discovered Forrest Yoga, and the penny dropped. Her practice then began to be less about the shapes and more about the intention behind them, the feelings, the sensations and the inner dialogue that Yoga can unfold.

After her 200hrs Teacher Training with Finlay Wilson at Heart Space in 2021, Lali completed a 30hr Yin Yoga Teacher Training with Eva Maxine in 2021, and a 20hrs Sequencing with Purpose Teacher Training with Yoga Medicine in 2023.

As a teacher, Lali will guide you through those foundations that will enable you to explore the many benefits that Yoga has to offer, and encourage you to move in a way, and at a level, that feels right for your body, whilst gaining strength, balance and flexibility.

Lali will meet you on the mat with openness and a smile, guiding you through those foundations that will enable you to explore the many benefits that Yoga has to offer, whichever they are for you and whatever they mean to you. Lali treasures the opportunity to inspire others to move in a safe and supportive space, grow stronger and reconnect with themselves.

Daria enjoys restorative and vinyasa yoga most but she is trained in Yin, Forrest Yoga as well as sports massage, myofascial release, Thai massage and Chinese medicine. Daria is a primary school teacher and a triathlete. 

I began yoga in 2014 to help manage anxiety & OCD. The effect was profound leading to a vast improvement in overall wellbeing, confidence & a passion for yoga.

I am fascinated by the way yoga creates strength, even through stillness & helps connect us to ourselves emotionally. Learning to move my body in combination with breath & feeling a change without necessarily looking for a physical change was empowering. I learnt to treat myself with compassion & respect instead of negativity & contempt.

I genuinely believe yoga has something to offer everyone, regardless of age, gender, fitness, body type or flexibility. Yoga is unique in adaptability & accessibility. As a teacher I hope to encourage people to find their own acceptance & strength in an environment that is safe & supportive through the practices of Forrest, Flow & Yin.

We are always looking to have more teachers on board at Heart Space. If you are a qualified (trained to a minimum 200hr YTT) we would love to hear from you.

Are you also skilled in teaching kids, younger years and family classes?

Email: alan@heartspacedundee.co.uk

Farana qualified as a Physiotherapist in 2010 after graduating with an MSc in Rehabilitation Science (pre-reg) from Glasgow Caledonian University. Previously, she qualified with a BSc in Anatomy & Physiology from Dundee University. She is registered with the governing body for Physiotherapists, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), and with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

She has largely worked in Private healthcare including hospitals, private clinics and sports settings. She has extensive experience in musculoskeletal, orthopaedic, hand therapy and sports physiotherapy. Additional training she has attained includes acupuncture with the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists, sports massage with the Scottish Massage School and Pilates with the world-renowned Australian Physiotherapy & Pilates Institute. With her wealth of knowledge, experience and ‘tools’ in her treatment box, Farana provides an extensive assessment and hands-on treatment, individually tailored to each client.

When Farana isn’t working, she is kept (extremely) busy with her 4 year old boy. They enjoy hiking, cycling and anything else outdoorsy.