Yoga, practiced by the mother, can subtly affect the baby in the womb.
	Yoga can assist child development.
	Yoga can smooth the stormy transition to adulthood.
	Yoga can prepare women and men for birth and parenthood.
	Yoga can maintain fitness and suppleness and promote calm as the years go by.
	Yoga can bring insight and meaning to all the changing seasons of life.

 Julie Tortora is an experienced British Wheel of Yoga Teacher with an established Yoga Practice that has been running in the Crouch End area of North London for the last twenty years.  She runs highly successful General Classes,  Gentle Yoga Classes for Joints and Backs, Relaxation Classes and teaches Yoga for Children in a local nursery.  

Her hugely popular Pregnancy Classes have supported hundreds of local women physically and emotionally through their pregnancy and labour and her Mother and Baby Stretch Classes have continued that work into the early months of motherhood. Many women have returned to the classes in one, two or even three subsequent pregnancies! And Julie's first "yoga babies" are now reaching adulthood. She is well known to local GPs, Midwives and National Childbirth Trust Teachers who widely recommend her classes and have in several cases attended them personally during their own pregnancies. Her work has been covered in the local and national press.

Qualifications and Teaching Style

Julie holds a general Certificate of Education teaching qualification in addition to her British Wheel of Yoga Teaching Diploma  (the BWT is the governing body for Yoga in the UK).  She also holds a Diploma in the teachings of Swami Gitananda including Yoga Therapies such as Head and Foot massage and has completed  a rigorous  Pranayama Training with Phillip Xerri. Her qualifications are officially recognised and she is fully insured.

Julie has gained expertise in a wide range of Yoga practices from many different schools over the years and seeks to apply them appropriately to her students' personal needs. She offers a variety of different classes for every stage of life. Her general approach is an holistic one where Yoga addresses every aspect of the person: physical, emotional and mental.  As well as suitable physical postures, her classes  include breathing exercises, relaxation and simple meditation techniques.

The classes are friendly and informal and are held in a calm and comfortable home environment.  The maximum number in a class is ten.  This is small enough to allow the the needs of the individual to be met but large enough to leave space for inner experience and reflection without intrusion. It is also a good size for forming a cohesive, supportive group and for students to get to know one another, which is especially important for new mothers-to-be.