ABOUT ANNE MARIE

Vibrant Vegan Yogi is the result of a lifetime of work dedicated to the search for timeless truth, deeper meaning, and purpose in life. Circumstance, cultural influence, social structures and personal choices all play such an important part in the way life unfolds for each of us. As a child, I was sensitive to the suffering of those around me, and I learned my own story for how to navigate this experience. As a witness of life's uncertainty, I vowed to seek the path that would lead to personal freedom and life fulfilment. Spiritual awareness and inquiry was a natural consequence of my early experiences and laid the cornerstone for my yogic path.

My sense of self became hardened by grief and anger early on. Seeking release and relief, I exposed myself to substance abuse and expressed my darkness through music and poetry. In 2005, while I was studying for my BA in English Literature, I was introduced to the practice of the moving meditation, Tai-Chi and began a regular practice. I also stepped into my first Hot Yoga classes with my college roommate - blown away by the profound effect it had. I started to awaken and unravel years of pain, processing emotions and feeling connected to my soul's longing for freedom from within. My Grandmother’s uniquely lush green backyard in Queens would become the sacred space and anchor for my spiritual practices in the years that followed.

By 2010, my daily practice moved to a Hot Yoga studio on Long Island. It was in the heat that the armour of self-destruction began to melt away, and the big changes in my diet, health, and lifestyle took shape. By 2011, I was enrolled for my first teacher training, ready to commit fully to a lifestyle of revolutionary awakening. It was at this time that I met Sri Dharma Mittra - the Guru that lead me back to my heart’s wisdom. Through his teachings, I devoted all of my intentions to the path of Self Realisation, and have continued to study with him with over 800hrs of training at the Dharma Yoga Center in NYC.

For me, the journey to awakening begins when we challenge our habits - often compulsive behaviours we have learned to soothe ourselves from the pain of living. If we want to relieve our own suffering, it is impossible if we continue to inflict pain and suffering on others - humans, Earth, and animals.

Becoming Vegan has been the most important and effective lifestyle choice I have made for expanding my awareness of reality and improving my relationship with myself and others. 10 years in, and there is nothing I would change about choosing a diet and lifestyle that helps my compassion for others grow. It gives me the insight, vitality, and mental stillness to experience the truth that Yoga and countless spiritual disciplines talk about.

Since battling sluggish digestion and food intolerance in my younger years, I have had a special interest in cleansing, detoxification and fasting. Along with yoga techniques, I incorporate juices and raw foods as part of a healthy diet and have developed safe and comfortable routines that help keep digestion and energy at their best. I believe that learning the tools you need to stay healthy gives you the power to listen to your own needs so you can nourish and heal in a holistic manner.

Since moving to Sheffield, UK in 2011, I have practised and taught yoga incessantly in my home and studio spaces.  Co-founder of the first Hot Yoga studio in the city, Hot Yoga Sheffield which opened in 2014, I became Managing Director of the second HYS location opened in 2017, before taking on the space as Director and rebranding in 2019. Soul Fire Studios is a large, beautiful Yoga & Wellness Centre that is uniquely positioned to offer trainings, day retreats, yoga classes, food-service events & holistic therapies. We serve and share a warm and welcoming community of holistic healers and like-minded spirits.

Here, at Vibrant Vegan Yogi, I am here to teach you how simple changes to your lifestyle choices can bring the biggest, and most transformational differences to your happiness and health, those near and dear to you, and the wider world. You will find reason and encouragement to prioritise the lasting wellness of yourself and others for years to come through the combination of yoga practice and a vibrant (healthy) vegan diet. Through my offerings, I share everything I have learned on my path. With 10 years of teaching and practice experience, over 1000 hours of training, and 7 years of studio ownership, I bring experience and enthusiasm in the fields of:

• Movements of Magic - (Tai-Chi exercises by Bob Klein, 2006)

• Poetry for Healing - (B.A. in English Literature, specializing in Poetry, 2008)

• Hot Yoga - (200hr Certification with Mary Grace Conti, 2011)

• Dharma Yoga - (1000hr Life of a Yogi Certification with Sri Dharma Mittra, 2014-2021)

• Vegan Eating - (Healthy vegan since 2011)

• Raw Food - (Programs with Karen Knowler from 2012)

• Cleansing & Fasting - (Personal experience 2008 - present & Dharma Yoga 500hr, 2014)

• Mindful Adjustments - (50hr Certifications with Abby Hoffman, 2012 & Karen Russell, 2018)

• Embodied Being - (50hr Certification with Janine Leagh, 2018)

• Pranayama (Breathwork) - (Dharma Yoga 500, 800 & 1000hr)

• Kumbhaka (Breath Retention) - (CPD with Rebecca Coales, 2022)

• Psychic Development & Yoga Nidra - (Dharma Yoga 800hr Certification, 2017)

• Yin Yoga & Traditional Chinese Medicine - (5ohr Certification with Josh Summers, 2018)

• Yogi Business Management - (Managing Director of Hot Yoga Sheffield 2013-2020, Director of Soul Fire Studios 2019-present & Business Coaching with Karen Knowler, 2019-2021)