Board Members

Andrea is a Chartered Physiotherapist and Somatic Educator, working using an interdisciplinary model of practice to enable individuals to thrive in their physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Andrea is passionate to see equity across health and social care settings and is currently developing novel anti-racism strategies for training and development. Andrea is interested in tackling health inequalities particularly those affecting the black community. She can be also seen digging holes in her garden and occasionally striding out on stage.

Aliya is a British-born, Bristol-based writer and yoga facilitator with an ancestral connection to Uganda and Pakistan. Her background includes working in journalism, human rights communications and advocacy, environmental science writing, and both writing about and supporting mental health charities and social enterprises. She is driven by a desire to support and empower people to find their individual expression, by encouraging a sense of curiosity and careful attention to self and all others. Aliya’s experience has led her to believe in the personal and collective power of skilful action, joyful movement and clear communication to nurture, sustain and restore the relationships we have with ourselves, each other and our shared environment.

Becky is a Bristol based yoga teacher and Company Administrator with Invisible Circus. And a big lover of the sea. Becky has a deep interest in the mind-body connection, in particular the power that yoga and breath-work can have as tools for better mental health (and the neurology that surrounds that). As both a teacher and a student this tends to be her centre of gravity within the yoga realm. Her background is in arts production and fundraising and she is on the board of directors for the Ventnor Exchange and has co-produced the Ventnor Fringe Festival since 2010. Whether it's through fundraising, the arts or yoga, Becky loves to bring people together to connect, enjoy authentic experiences and create positive change.

Stephen Lightbown is a Bristol based poet and yoga enthusiast. Through his poetry Stephen writes mainly, but not exclusively, about his experiences as a wheelchair user. His first poetry collection was published in 2019 and his second will be published in June of this year. Stephen has been practising yoga for over six years and is a huge advocate of the benefits of yoga, particularly in regards to reconnecting to the body after trauma. He will also begin his yoga teacher training later this year. Stephen also has almost 20 years experience of working in senior level PR and communications roles in the NHS and is the current Chair of Candoco, a contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, as well as a Trustee at Motivation, a charity which supplies wheelchairs, training and services to disabled people in developing countries.