Hi, I’m Olivia Abbott and I live in Falmouth in Cornwall, where I teach a number of yoga classes. I began teacher training in 2018, and have done a number of courses and workshops, including travelling to India in 2019.
I have been practising yoga for more than 20 years, and teaching for eight, with my initial training mostly being in Ashtanga – I loved its fierce physical discipline and the strength and the stamina that it gave me, as the journey through the philosophy and spirituality of yoga brought me to a new place in my life.
But I came to yoga late, with some bad habit patterns already set into my body, and I began to realise that Ashtanga wasn’t giving me the space to discover these patterns and work them out. As I aged, I began to find that this style of yoga wasn’t serving me so well – the ageing of my body wasn’t compatible with the style of yoga I was practising. So I began to experiment with other, different styles of yoga.
Then I discovered Annie Adamson and her Primal Vinyasa® method. Backed by years of study and solid research, proven by case studies and 20 years of work, there’s impeccable science behind this yoga method. It’s curative and healing; it’s medicinal. It is accessible and available to anybody at any level, and the most important thing about it is it enables you to heal yourself, it puts you back in touch with your own body.
I fell in love with Primal as soon as I found it. As well as the ease and freedom it opens up in the body, the joy the practices evoke, and the sense of strength, flexiblity and balance it brings – it’s just such fun. I began bringing some of the principles and routines from Primal into my classes and discovered that my students, too, loved it. As a teacher I am simply guiding you into the ways that your body can move, taking you back to fundamentals – to movement that you use in everyday life, to the ways that you would have moved as a child, and that you can rediscover here.
I am currently studying for Primal Vinyasa® Yoga certification and, with Annie’s blessing, am now focusing on teaching these classes. Currently there is no one else teaching Primal Vinyasa® in the UK.
To find out more about Primal Vinyasa®, click here
My training and certification
Apr-Oct 18 250 hour YTT certificate with Inner Fire Yoga, Kendal
A general YTT, over a weekend a month for eight months, covering a variety of yoga styles, pranayama, meditation, plus a 50-hour intensive slow-flow course, and 50 hours anatomy for asana. (YAP certificated)
Jul 18 40 hour Ashtanga Intensive with David Swenson
An intensive week-long course in the foundations and teaching techniques of the Primary Series of Ashtanga yoga, with the well known ashtanga guru David Swenson.
Dec 19 200 hour Residential Ashtanga YTT with Samyak Yoga, Mysore
An intensive month-long course, covering the Primary Series of Ashtanga yoga, including modifications and adjustments. Also pranayama, meditation, anatomy and yoga philosophy. (YAP certificated)
Sep 24 40-hour Yin YTT with Limehouse Yoga
An intensive weekend, plus 12 hours of yin classes, covering the fundamentals of yin, its connection to Traditional Chinese Medicine, working with the fascia and deep tissues of the body, and developing an understanding of the meridians.
What (a few of) my students say…
‘Liv’s brilliant! Encouraging, funny, and patient – a great teacher – though I’m sure she’s counting the breathing too slowly when it comes to the shoulder stand…’
Katherin
‘I have attended various types of yoga classes taught by Olivia and they are all excellent! She is a natural teacher who is obviously passionate about yoga and its benefits for everyone, regardless of experience or perceived ability. She is very good at adapting poses to a students individual capabilities, so that, regardless of sore knees or dodgy shoulder, I always feel I’m improving and included in all aspects of the class. I’d thoroughly recommend her.’
Christine
‘Olivia’s classes are excellent, she is always very supportive and prompts you throughout the class to make small adjustments to your posture helping you to improve them. It is a very safe environment and her tips and encouragement enable you to get the most out of every class. I always feel so much better and totally relaxed at the end.’
Anne
‘Olivia is a fantastic teacher and a genuinely warm and welcoming person. Her classes are fun and energising and her one-to-one sessions are invaluable. When I joined Olivia’s ashtanga class, it was my first time doing ashtanga and I was a bit apprehensive. I found it challenging, yet Olivia teaches in a way that is accesible for everyone and it is now my favourite style of yoga!
Olivia has gently encouraged me to develop, always knowing when I am capable of going further in a pose before I have realised myself. She has given me the confidence to trust my body and develop my own personal practice.’
Angie
‘Olivia seems to understand the needs of both more experienced and less experienced (and more physically challenged) yoga learners. She has a gentle manner and her explanations are clear and helpful. I have felt the benefit of her classes and so has my husband. Highly recommended.’
Nicola