2021 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

An accomplished actor, art consultant and a Kundalini Yoga teacher, Bijay J. Anand lives a full and fascinating life. After spending his entire life within ‘The Matrix” and indulging in all the exigencies and excesses related to it, in the year 2013 Bijay J. Anand discovered Kundalini Yoga.

A single session of this ancient practice gave him a deep sense of bliss and a feeling of having finally ‘returned home”. He immediately signed up for a 45-day intense Teachers Training session with the world’s best known Kundalini Yoga Guru, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa.

The profound impact that the teachings of Kundalini Yoga had upon his mind, body and soul made him vow to spread these teachings for the remainder of his life.

Manchester feels extremely privileged to be the dwelling place of this uplifting, passionate, beautiful yogini. The founder of One Yoga Manchester, Andrea’s personal yoga story is a powerful one & her devotion & faith shine through in her teachings. The last 25 years have seen Andrea studying Integrative Yoga Therapy in California, becoming a certified 500hr Senior Yoga Teacher & training in New York with the original founders of Jivamukti yoga. With the most incredible holistic knowledge of the human body, Andrea’s yoga practice is simply awe-inspiring.

A Doctorate in Spiritual Science & a world renowned Transformation Coach, Meenaa Mahaajjan is the founder of a unique holistic wellness program called SIDDHI. In these fast paced times with often surface-level emphasis we have lost the essence of living our lives with joy and happiness; the specially designed Siddhi program works on our Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual quotient to create a balanced life full of abundance and peace. Meenaa is internationally recognised for her achievements in the Spiritual Sciences sector, presented with Woman of Substance, Global Achievers and Great Nationalist Awards. She has spent years studying the spiritual texts in depth in order to relate their messages to the quantum universe. Her mission is to help create a world that is driven by a higher purpose, with a common vision shared by all.

With over 30 years experience as a vegetarian chef Keith was voted Veganlife’s 2017 Chef of the Year. His expertise in Ayurveda & Yoga is boundless & his knowledge & wisdom are very much grounded in science. As executive chef at Dru Yoga, Keith takes workshops, retreats & certified courses all over the world as well as making TV appearances & authoring both a blog Keith on Food & his latest book Cooking With Love.

Mick is an award-winning Architect, Artist, and a Senior Yoga Professional with the Yoga Alliance. He has designed new communities all over the world, teaches design at university level and led successful design businesses. Mick is CEO and founder of beanddo and owner of YogaLife Project, a social Enterprise teaching real yoga, for real people who live real lives.

As well as individuals, Mick works with business and education to help reveal previously hidden potential. This in turn improves productivity and reduces stress and pressure. The intention is to strengthen resilience, creativity that in-turn opens up innate joy and happiness.

A renowned Omotenashi expert, Christoph Spiessens was born in Temse, Belgium, and now lives in Manchester, UK. When he’s not writing or coaching, Christoph enjoys developing inspirational training programmes that help conscious organizations dramatically improve employee engagement. Christoph is a sough-after coach who works with clients worldwide.

He believes that each person has a motivation story; understanding this and working with them individually and at the group level improves not only their performance, but the overall company performance.

Mr & Mrs Brilliants SoundWave to transform and heal on a cellular and soul level. Wielding the magical world of word and sound, we invite you into a powerful and unique journey of the soul.

Open to all from the newcomer (cautiously exploring new ways of being), to the skilled practitioner and those more familiar with the holistic approach to well-being and being well.

Using sacred instruments from across the globe we are as a conduit for the divine for you. Revealing and encouraging you to allow the healing you desire in this moment.

Comfort yourself in the warm embrace of Mr & Mrs Brilliants SoundWave.

We curate space for people to ‘real-eyes’ the unconscious life loops they create and therefore an opportunity for change. Only you can save yourself from yourself, and though your choices do affect those around you, it is ultimately your life and you must live it and live with it. “When you think everything is someone else’s fault you will suffer. When you realise that everything springs from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy”. Dalia Lama.

In March 2015 she was taken into A&E with a life threatening illness - Subarachnoid Brain Haemorrhage. She was treated by The Salford Royal Hospital with 4 brain operations leading to a Shunt inside. This condition is 50% survival and the remaining have serious disabilities like hearing, unable to walk , partially paralyzed and brain damage.

She counts herself very lucky to be here today with little side effects, and is now trying to do her best to give something back to be able to help others. She has created video blogs, delivers regular motivational talks at schools and for charity including the Royal College of Surgeons London. She is also Ambassador for the Brain and Spine Foundation Charity that have been a great support network for people and families like hers. This unfortunate situation has also given her focus and direction in her work - she is a VP in a multi-global fashion company, which has helped her to be able make a difference on how she is now approaches any situation.

Iyengar yoga seeks the harmonious balance of mind, body and inner self. At its core is a robust focus on achieving the correct postural alignment within asanas. Emphasis on lengthening, extension and balance whilst working with the breath ensures practitioners receive maximum benefit out of each pose, increasing one's strength and flexibility.

The detail of Iyengar yoga and my teaching ensures students can progress safely and effectively, gaining a greater understanding of their mind and body. This attention to positioning, alignment and the breath enables me to learn something new each time I come to the mat, with many commenting that this extends into their daily life also.

Practicing and teaching Iyengar yoga for many years, I have recently returned from a trip to India for BKS Iyengar’s Centenary Celebrations overseen by Prashant and the late Geeta Iyengar. I hope to disseminate the Iyengar family’s teachings to both new and experienced practitioners of yoga.

Nanna is an advanced yoga and meditation teacher trainer, yoga therapy trainer and teacher of advanced Sri Vidya sadhana.

Co-founder of the European School of Dru Yoga, Nanna is an expert in tantric yoga practices that combine mudras, mantra and kriyas into a transformative experience. She is highly skilled in making yogic practices accessible for all, weaving in both mythological and personal stories, taking yoga off the mat and into daily life. She can help you advance your spiritual journey with a sense of realism, self-reflection and the necessary humour.

As a children, family & adult yoga, mindfulness & healing trauma yoga teacher, I am passionate to help equip our children and teens with techniques that can serve them through life's difficulties. For those that have experienced difficult or adverse life situations already my books and classes help their natural bodily healing in a safe and supported way.

Stuart’s individual style of Yoga fuses the philosophy of Tantra with modern Vinyasa flow to create a ritualistic practice. Having originally studied to be a sports therapist & personal trainer Stuart stumbled upon Yoga as a means to help heal his insomnia. For this reason, breathing techniques and meditation are the foundations of his classes and personal practice. He first studied yoga, not to be a teacher, but rather to learn more about this ancient practice that had changed his life. A twist of fate meant he stepped in to cover for his teacher & from that point his teaching journey began. His training has taken him all over the UK, US & the homeland of Yoga, India. He credits his knowledge & style to his teacher Swami Vidyanand, a Tantric & Kundalini Yoga Master. His great respect & admiration for Swami Vidyanand is evident in his classes, which always build from a foundation of breath work.

"The breath is our connection to the mind & our emotion. The physical body is a manifestation of our minds & emotions and so to transform we need to first look to the breath" - Stuart Pilkington

Swami has become a great inspiration to Stuart & their relationship means they still practiced together via video link connecting Manchester to India. His guidance & encouragement helps progress Stuart’s personal journey which he draws on for all his classes.

Yoga has had an immense effect on Stuart’s life both personally & professionally. Yoga is part of daily family life which you can see by following Stuart & the children on his social media pages. @stupilkington

After opening the first Yogalife studio in 2013, Yogalife has progressed to open 4 additional studios throughout Cheshire, created a Yoga Teacher Training program, led numerous retreats & raised over 20,000 in aid of local charities.

Stuart contributes to numerous health, fitness & lifestyle magazines in the UK & has filmed over 300 hours of Yoga tuition (DVD & streaming) both asana practice & philosophy for multimedia fitness organization Sochal & Make Your Switch.

"A Yoga class can be many things but for me its a celebration. If yoga is a practice of liberation, then it should surly make us feel liberated. When we feel free we move, we sing, we dance and we connect. Step onto the mat to celebrate your body, mind & spirit." - Stuart Pilkington

Dr. Poonam Kakkar is working as a General Practitioner in NHS. She is a true believer and a keen practitioner of Yoga and Naturopathy. She has been practicing Laughter yoga for many years and taught at various places. She was invited to teach at the Armed Forces Centre Amport and her session at Holistic in last 2 years has been very popular. Happiness lies in a healthy body, mind and soul and Laughter yoga helps at all levels. She is here to share her experience and knowledge and spread laughter and well being within the wider community.

Dylan initially found yoga in his quest for balance from the daily grind of a fast-paced corporate career. When he realized that yoga not only helped to heal his body of old injuries sustained from training towards the 2000 Olympic games; but also centered his mind and spirit, the rest as they say, is history.

A decade of teaching globally, founding the Hot Power Yoga studio in London where he led life transforming yoga teacher training programs, mentoring programs, workshops and classes in London as well as the ongoing commitment to his own personal and professional growth has culminated in Dylan becoming a leading yoga name in London. Dylan is a world class trainer of trainers who has mentored and trained several hundred teachers globally to bring out the best in their students, by beginning the transformation with themselves first. National gym chains and premier league football clubs in the UK also seek Dylan out to train, teach and motivate their best

Dana's yoga journey began in 2001, when she was taken by a friend to an Iyengar yoga class and never looked back. Over the years, she has explored other styles and methods of practice, but settled mainly with Ashtanga Vinyasa which she still regularly practises and deeply loves.

In the last few years, Dana began to practise with Andrea Everingham, and was blown away by her energy and creative sequencing. She became inspired to follow her dream and become a teacher, and graduated from the Yogacampus Teacher Training Diploma course in 2015.

Dana’s warmth, creativity and passion show through in her classes which, through attention to breath, movement and alignment, build up around a focus (parts of the body, working towards a peak pose or yoga philosophy) developing gradually, from a slower warm up, to more dynamic and flowing sequences, before finishing with deep relaxation.

After discovering yoga not long ago and realising instantly that this was the “thing” she had been waiting for 30 years to ignite her life, Kayleigh made it her mission to try to walk the yogic path and further her understanding. Her journey through disordered eating, depression, anxiety, low self esteem and not-enough-ness showed her that yoga is both healer and teacher. At an ashram in the Himalayas Kayleigh studied Classical Hatha and Ayurveda. Today her own style of teaching reflects the need for yoga to be all-inclusive and not just a practice for the physically able; yoga that nurtures and nourishes through the breath and through connection; yoga to acknowledge that we are master of our self and that we already have everything we need.