Mel Howard

I never planned on being a yoga teacher. In fact, when I took over Twisting Peacock Yoga in 2014, I wasn’t even considering it. At that point, yoga was something I enjoyed, mostly in gyms and the occasional studio class, but it hadn’t yet sunk its teeth into me the way it does when you truly begin to understand its depth. I thought I was simply stepping into a business role, managing a space that brought people together doing something we all loved. But yoga, as it does, had other plans for me.

I remember when I first started visiting yoga studios in my mid 20s, I often felt a little out of place, like I didn’t quite belong. I wasn’t sure if I was “doing it right,” and sometimes the spaces felt exclusive or intimidating. When I took over Twisting Peacock Yoga, one of my biggest aims was to create a studio where everyone felt welcome, regardless of experience, background, or ability. I didn’t want it to feel elitist or unapproachable, I wanted it to feel like your yoga home. Meaning more than just a place to practice yoga, I wanted it to be a space where people could come as they are, be seen, be supported, and feel a sense of belonging.

Six months in, I felt the pull to deepen my practice, not to teach, but just to understand more. I travelled to India in 2015 for a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training, expecting to gain some insight into the practice. Instead, I fell deeply in love, not just with the movement, but with the philosophy, the way it shifts and shapes the heart and mind. That same year, I completed a 30-hour Yin Yoga training, then a 50-hour Yin Yoga training in 2016. In 2017, I undertook a 200-hour Vinyasa training, refining my understanding of dynamic movement and breath. A big pause followed as life evolved, and in 2024, I returned to a little study with another 50-hour Yin Yoga training diving more into the depths of Chinese Meridian Theory. Solidifying my passion for stillness, introspection, and the softer edges of the practice.

Over the years, my teaching has transformed. In the beginning, I thought I wanted to teach asana, to guide people through movement and breath. But quite quickly, I realised my dharma wasn’t just in the postures, it was in the teachings that free the heart and mind. My practice, once rooted in Vinyasa and Hatha, gradually slowed. Yin yoga became my home. Motherhood deepened this shift, after becoming a mum, my body craved stillness, presence, and nourishment more than ever. I no longer had the energy to burn through dynamic sequences, instead, I needed to replenish, to soften, to hold space for myself. And as my practice changed, so did my teaching. For the last six years, I have primarily taught Yin yoga, weaving philosophy, storytelling, and poetry into each class. I love sharing wisdom from ancient texts, from my own life, from the lessons love & loss have gifted me.

I’ve never followed one guru or one lineage. My greatest teachers have been my relationships with the people in my life, all of which at different times have challenged me, loved me, broken me open, and put me back together. I draw inspiration from life itself, from the messy and beautiful unfolding of it all. My classes are an offering of that, a space to unravel, to breathe, to be still in a world that moves too fast. Whether it’s through a Dharma talk, a passage of poetry, or the deep stillness of a Yin pose, my intention is always the same: to guide people home to themselves. I look forward to meeting you on the mat.

And if you ever see me in the studio, please say hello, introduce yourself, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to stop me for a chat, or send me an email if I am on my way into a class or out the door.