My Yoga Place
Our Team
Vhairi
Vhairi discovered yoga in her twenties to stretch while at the gym and discovered a way to feel stronger, calmer and a little less tangled up by life. She studied Hatha Yoga with the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta in 2017 and has since trained in Vinyasa, Adaptive and Yin Yoga. She also undertook gym instructor training and delivers strength training classes.
After studying Adaptive Yoga with Fredee Sardais, she found a new perspective on who could practice yoga and how. She's passionate about helping people reach their own unique potential by finding creative ways to adapt and find ease in challenging positions. Whether you're naturally flexible, can't touch your toes, or have never tried yoga before, you'll be welcome.
When she's not teaching, you'll find her strength training, writing, playing taiko, walking, hiking, travelling, playing with cats and singing, and when she is sitting on her bum, coming up with new ideas that might involve a spreadsheet.
Having taking over ownership of My Yoga Place in 2025, she is committed to ensuring it is a friendly, down-to-earth space where people can move, breathe, and laugh. Likes to constantly change things and can be found moving things around a lot.
Carlo
Carlo grew up in Florence and has long since made his home in Scotland. He found his way to yoga and mindfulness during his own recovery from alcohol and drink addiction, and has been practising both since 2008.
His classes are not necessarily gentle, but they are welcoming, with room for everyone to work at their own pace. He is especially drawn to making the practice accessible to people who might not think of themselves as the yoga type, something that also shapes the yoga and mindfulness sessions he runs for people in addiction recovery.
When he is not on the mat, Carlo runs a small sourdough microbakery, walks, cycle, reads more or less constantly and is happiest with a pour-over coffee to hand. He has been vegan since 2011. He lives in Mauchline with his wife Sophie and their cats, Croquette and Lua, with Sophie's horse Apache not quite rounding off the household, but in a field nearby ever-ready for a stroll.
Ruth
Ruth qualified as a yoga teacher in 2007, training in classical Hatha Yoga at the Sivananda Woodbourne, New York. Rooted in ancient yogic wisdom and offering a holistic approach to wellbeing.
Over the years, Ruth has taught to all ages, backgrounds, abilities and circumstances. She firmly believes that yoga is for everyone. Her philosophy is simple: focus on what your body can do, rather than what it can't. Ruth's classes incorporate intention setting, poetry, breathwork, positive thinking, meditation, and deep relaxation. Also having some fun and laughs along the way!
In her current My Yoga Place studio class, Sanctuary Sundays students are encouraged to pause, reflect, and consider why they have chosen to be in that space at that moment, setting a personal intention for their practice. Gentle stretching and mindful breathing create openness and release tension before moving into a restorative iRest Yoga Nidra practice that supports a state of balance and equanimity.
Ruth is a mum to two beautiful teenage daughters who continue to teach her a great deal about life. Her home is also shared with her husband of over 30 years, two bunnies, Daisy and Willow, and Bailey, her wonderfully crazy rescue dog. She is also an Adult Instructor with the Army Cadets, supporting and mentoring young people as they develop confidence, resilience, and life skills.
Alongside her yoga teaching and cadet work, Ruth has spent more than 30 years working in caring and support roles across homelessness services, disability support, youth work with disadvantaged and care-experienced young people, and community care.
Nancy
Nancy blends a deep passion for holistic approaches with a lifelong commitment to social impact, bringing a grounded, empathetic approach to the mat.
For Nancy, yoga began as a personal sanctuary back in student days in 1996. Recognising the powerful connection between physical movement and mental resilience, she finally fulfilled her long held ambition of formal teacher training in 2025. Her journey into teaching is deeply informed by her own lived experiences navigating health issues, including surgery for severe ulcerative colitis and mental health challenges due to unrecognised neurodivergence. This has given Nancy a deep understanding of how yoga can be used as a tool for healing, stress management, and bodily autonomy.
Nancy’s classes are welcoming, inclusive, and meet people where they are. They make yoga approachable but challenging for all bodies, ages, and backgrounds, using breath, mindful movement and restorative practices.
Nancy lives with her partner and her son in Ayr and works as a policy and public affairs manager for a mental health charity and a breast cancer charity. When she is not teaching, working and doing mum stuff, she can be found dancing in a club or her kitchen, playing records, strength training, walking on the beach, or finding quiet moments of mindfulness outdoors.
Dawn
With over 30 years of teaching experience, Dawn trained with Karen Mitchell and Margot Rennie before going on to study at the Royal Academy of Dance Headquarters in London. Over the course of her career she has taught, trained and mentored thousands of dancers and numerous RAD teachers, as well as serving as the Royal Academy of Dance Scottish Ambassador. An RAD Approved Tutor, she is the proud owner of both The Dumfries School of Dance and BalletBox School of Dance, supporting over 300 pupils between them.
Dawn has brought the same expertise and warmth to her Silver Swans® classes at My Yoga Place — ballet-inspired sessions designed for adults. Her focus has always been on building confidence and resilience through dance, and that comes through just as much with her adult students as it does with the young people she has taught throughout her career. that have quietly built into a warm and loyal community.
Outside the studio, Dawn enjoys spending time with her husband, Alex, and their three sons, Oliver, Elliot, and Marcus.
Family, friendships, and making special memories together are at the heart of her life.
Yoga has also become an important part of Dawn’s journey. Having dipped in and out of practice throughout her teaching career, she has developed a consistent routine over the past few years and loves the positive impact it has had on her physical wellbeing, mindset, and overall sense of balance.
Feeling incredibly fortunate to still love her profession, Dawn remains excited about the opportunities and adventures that the future holds.
Joanna
For almost seven years, Joanna has been dedicated to practising and studying yoga, and in the past year has had the privilege of sharing that passion through teaching. Yoga has been truly life-changing for her — strengthening her body, calming her mind, and helping her cultivate a deeper sense of presence and connection in everyday life.
Joanna is passionate about creating a supportive and inclusive environment where every student feels welcome, whether they are completely new to yoga or have been practising for years.
Beyond the mat, you'll often find her running along the beach with her cocker spaniel, creating plant-based recipes, exploring different styles of yoga and Pilates, or enjoying time with friends over a coffee — simple rituals that inspire the balanced, mindful approach she brings to her teaching.
At My Yoga Place, Joanna's Stretch & Resonance class offers a calming and grounding space designed to help you slow down, reconnect with yourself, and nourish your wellbeing alongside a community of like-minded people.
Ashley
Ashley is a Chartered Physiotherapist who spends her working life helping people understand their bodies, recover from injury, and get back to doing the things they enjoy. With years of experience in NHS musculoskeletal services, she brings a wealth of knowledge to every class, but without the complicated jargon.
Her Pilates classes focus on building practical strength, improving mobility, and helping you move with more confidence in everyday life. Whether you're returning to exercise, managing an injury, or simply looking for a class that leaves you feeling stronger and steadier, Ashley creates a supportive space where everyone is welcome.
When she's not in the clinic or teaching Pilates, Ashley can usually be found working out at the gym, spending time with friends and family, or out on an adventure with her much-loved Collie, Colt.
Expect expert guidance, a few wobbly moments, and plenty of encouragement along the way. Pilates doesn't have to be perfect, and neither do you.
Sonja
Originally from Belgium, Sonja has dipped in and out of yoga for two decades — but it became essential during her recovery from a mental‑health crisis.
As an autistic ADHDer, she teaches with a deep understanding of nervous‑system needs, blending yoga with mindfulness to help people feel safe, relaxed, and fully in their bodies.
Sonja adores arm balances (the scarier the better), and working hard at a yoga class. It's no surprise that her first choice for teaching a class was Power Yoga. There you'll find her thinking up new ways to make your muscles burn and inventive flows to prepare your body for just about anything.
She loves tattoos and new adventures, and shares her home with three kids, three cats, a dog, and her husband. When she’s not teaching, you’ll find her reading or exploring something new.