WHO AM I?

My name is Deidré and I am a whole-hearted advocate of holistic wellness.

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I was born and raised in Cape Town and lived abroad for 16 years, serving and studying in heart-centered spiritual communities in Latin America between 2012 and 2019.

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My purpose is to anchor Light and to help others discover theirs, while supporting them along their process of heart awakening. I fulfill this purpose by advocating compassionate ways of living, teaching non-dual and yogic philosophy, meditation techniques, breathing practices and yogic asanas.

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I have a deep passion for compassion, and I also feel very strongly about making the benefits of yoga accessible to "every body" regardless of that body's age, shape, size, income, colour, gender, sexual orientation and ability.

 

I am the primary caregiver to my octogenarian parents, and I serve as a board member of the Earth Child Project NPO.

I attended my first yoga class at a gym in the year 2000. Back then, yoga was only about stretching and relaxing. It wasn't until backpacking through Guatemala in 2012 that the deeper meaning of yoga started to reveal itself, and the journey took an unexpected turn… inwards! That was the start of my heart awakening.

During my first silent retreat at the Pyramids Meditation Centre, I happened upon a painting on a wall right next to the temple where we studied. It was an image I had seen vividly in a dream 18 months prior while living in London. I later realised that the significance of the dream wasn't its content. It was more of a wake-up call that completely flipped my perception of the default reality on its head. 

 

I felt inspired to start teaching yoga later that year, mainly because I wanted to shout the benefits from the rooftops! It was a bit rogue, teaching without training, but my heart was open, my intention pure and my classes grew...

 

I ended up living at magical Lake Atitlan and studying at The Pyramids for 4 years of absolute wonder, diving deeper into yogic and metaphysical studies with increasingly longer periods of silence and various initiations. I also served as Guardian of Silence, a support on practical matters.

In 2013 I discovered Hridaya Yoga, a profound yoga school in Mazunte, an undeveloped beach village on the tropical southwest coast of Mexico. It was, and continues to be, an ever-deepening journey of remembrance of one’s True Nature. After my first Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreat I clearly recall feeling "like a kid in a spiritual candy store". I knew then from the singing of my heart, from the deep recognition of its Truth, that I would one day be sharing these beautiful teachings.

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Two years later I qualified as a Hridaya Yoga & Meditation teacher (600 hour) and later served as General Manager while also teaching asana, philosophy and meditation classes as part of Modules 1 and 2.

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After my mum's heart attack on Mother's Day 2019, the decision to settle back in Cape Town became clear. My first priority continues to be caring for my elderly parents and thankfully my mum’s condition is now stable. It is a labour of love and very much a deepening in the practice of seva (selfless service) and karma yoga, defined by Hridaya Yoga as "conscious love in action".

In Cape Town, I have offered two Hridaya Silent Meditation Retreats, and taught yoga classes under the umbrellas of the Heart Sanctuary, Revolutionary Yoga, Holding Space, Sport Science Institute & Leading Edge.

In January 2020, I had the honour of joining the training team that presented a 100% scholarship-based yoga TTC to previously disadvantaged young adults of Cape Town. This offering that was a partnership between Yoga Without Borders (Spain), Health Warriors NPO (South Africa) & Sampoorna Yoga (India) took place in the township of Langa and involves ongoing mentorship.

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In September 2021, I completed the Kundalini Yoga Level 1 (220 hour) teacher training as part of the One World, Many Cultures, No Borders program.