Maggie & Yoga
Raised in Boston, Massachusetts, I was first introduced to yoga as a child, inspired by my mother’s practice during the 1970s. My personal journey with yoga deepened in 1993 while attending classes in West Africa during Peace Corps training—marking the beginning of a lifelong daily practice.
I later served as Chief Executive of an international children’s rights organization for ten years. Throughout this time, yoga remained a steady presence, helping me navigate the demands of professional and family life. It was this balance that eventually inspired me to share the benefits of Iyengar Yoga with others.
Today, I primarily teach Iyengar Yoga in London, UK. I have also taught in Bali (as the yoga teacher in residence at The Four Seasons Hotel) and hosted retreats in Italy, France, Thailand, Turkey, India. I offer sessions in both corporate environments—including BP, Goldman Sachs, Rothschild, Arup and JP Morgan—and private settings such as people’s homes and clubs, such as The Laboratory Spa and Health Club in Muswell Hill. A snapshot of an in-person weekly schedule includes five classes at: Arup, the Laboratory Spa, JP Morgan and an artist’s studio in Primrose Hill. I also assist in Yoga Therapy classes and am mentored by Patsy Sparksman at The Iyengar Yoga Studio in East Finchley, North London. My public online classes run on Mondays (11.30-13.00), Tuesdays (18.30-20.00), and Fridays (14.00-15.30).
For me, the yogic path is more than a practice—it's a way of life. I am a seeker—a sādhaka! I am deeply inspired by Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga, embracing the study of yogic philosophy, chanting, pranayama, present-moment awareness, and meditation. My travels to India have played a central role in my growth. I first visited the Ramamani Iyengar Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune in 2017 and had the profound experience of observing Geeta Iyengar before her passing in 2018. I returned in 2019, 2023, and again in 2025, cherishing the early morning classes with Prashant Iyengar.
Meditation has anchored me through life’s most challenging times and has been a core part of my daily practice since 2005. I initially practiced Insight (Vipassana) and other Buddhist meditation techniques before being drawn to Transcendental Meditation (TM) in 2014, due to its shared Vedic roots with Iyengar Yoga. In 2016, I became an independent teacher of TM. Yoga now means integration of playful body movement, a curious and inquiring mind, weaving of the breath, and divine stillness.
I continue to attend workshops, conventions, and classes with senior Iyengar teachers, constantly refining my understanding. In turn I share this evolving knowledge with my students, which brings me immense joy.
In 2022, I completed an MA in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation at SOAS, University of London. I see the yoga path as an unfolding dance—rich with wonder and discovery—and I aim to bring this same spirit of curiosity and joy into every class and course I teach.
Maggie’s Plea: Give it a Go!
The Way Out of Suffering is Through the Body
In the West, most of us come to ‘yoga’ through asana, the third of Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga. Here, we might catch glimpses of something deeper within ourselves. Many of us, at one time or another, thought of 'yoga' as these asanas that people do in the gym or yoga studio.
If we are curious enough, we give it a go and many of us recognise that it affects far more than our bodies! We might feel a sense of joy after a class or a sense of peace at the beginning of class if we chant three oms or bow our head to our heart or at the end of the class when we lie in Savasana and have a go at complete surrender.
For many of us, particularly those of us who overwork and overdo life, asana classes and workshops offer a reprieve from our busy lives. It is a great first step of getting out of the thinking mind and into the body.
At some point, we may realise that yoga is about more than these asanas, as gorgeous as they may be; it is a way of life, codified by the Indian sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras and many other classical Yoga texts.