About Tonia

I first qualified in Anatomy, Physiology and Massage in 2001. In 2004, I studied Remedial Massage at the Northern Institute of Massage in Lancashire and in 2013, I qualified in Advanced Massage and Manipulative Therapy at the Midland School of Massage in Nottingham.

I have completed many additional courses for the purposes of Continuing Professional Development. These include soft tissue release, muscle energy techniques and postural dysfunction, treatment protocols for the lumbar and thoracic spine, pregnancy massage, neurological testing, knee joint dysfunction and treatment, hip and pelvic dysfunction and kinesiology taping for athletes.

I have studied under Thomas Hendrickson, DC – an American Chiropractor and bodyworker and Oxford based Osteopath John Gibbons.

I have worked with the British Climbing Team in Leeds and have practiced both in England and Australia.

I have been practicing Yoga since the mid 1990’s with various teachers of different Yoga disciplines and traditions.

On moving to Malvern in 2011, my practice became more dedicated and purposeful.
Having enjoyed and benefited from the alignment focus of Iyengar and Anusara Yoga, I went on to develop a passion for Ashtanga Yoga and have been fortunate enough to study under David Swenson, one of the World’s foremost Ashtanga Yoga teachers, and international teacher Tina Pashumati James. Both share a direct lineage to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga through Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his son Manju Jois.

I completed my first 200 hour teacher training here in Worcestershire then went on to complete a 40 hour Ashtanga Yoga teacher training course with David Swenson in Manchester. In 2019, I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks in India at Govardhan Ecovillage, a centre for Krishna Consciousness, with teacher Tina Pashumati James. Here I completed a 200 hour Ashtanga and Yoga Therapy teacher training course.

I continue my own daily yoga and meditation practice with discipline and dedication. I find it helps me to navigate a challenging and demanding world. The more I have absorbed myself in Yoga, the more its benefits feed into my work as a Remedial Massage Therapist. Gaps I had in my understanding of the body, both physical and subtle, have been filled and the combination of Massage and Yoga have demonstrated the potential to offer a transformative combination.