At whatever age, mindful movement be it yoga, somatics or exercise to music, offers us inspiring and creative ways to look after our bodies and minds, helping us to feel settled and calm, strong and supple.
If we experience back or joint pain, arthritis or sciatica or if we are recovering from trauma, illness or injury; somatics and yoga can help to rehabilitate us, gradually restoring our body’s unique way of healing itself as well as regaining stamina, strength and flexibility.
Exercise to music lifts our spirits and helps to increase our metabolism, mobilise our circulatory system and burn calories. It also challenges our brain power and coordination skills as we learn to remember different steps or choreography while moving to a beat.
For over thirty years, Lovely Yoga Cornwall founder, Emma Mansfield has offered a wide and varied programme of movement classes throughout Plymouth and South East Cornwall and she also teaches one-to-one sessions, a group classes for adult education providers, the NHS and mental health services.
She has qualifications in Exercise To Music, Hatha Yoga, Somatic Movement Education and spent three years training in advanced Anatomy and Physiology with Gary Carter and his Natural Bodies organisation. She is insured and accredited with The British Wheel of Yoga and holds a first aid certificate and an up-to-date DBS certificate.
Emma’s journey into yoga, mindfulness and somatics began in 2006 after a nervous breakdown, which led to depression, anxiety and panic attacks. As part of her recovery, Emma took yoga, relaxation and meditation classes and while in therapy herself, she studied counselling and communications skills, CBT and psychodynamic approaches to therapy.
Although she decided not to qualify as a talking therapist, her studies and personal experiences led to her writing The Little Book of the Mind, which she self-published in 2008. Her healing journey through trauma and mental illness and her therapeutic experienced inspired her to train as a yoga teacher, then somatic educator, so she could share her learning in a group environment.
Emma began her two-year yoga teacher training qualification in 2011 with Simon Low at the Yoga Academy in Kent. There she had the privileged tutorage of Simon, Julie Gudmansted and Gary Carter. In 2015, after qualifying in the Hatha tradition of yoga and a year of study with Lisa Peterson of Living Yoga Ireland, she qualified as a Somatic Movement Educator.
In 2019, inspired by Gary Carter’s formidable understanding of anatomy and physiology and his myo-facial approaches to movement, she embarked upon his year-long course in Anatomy and Physiology for Movement Teachers.
To develop her understanding of the voice and to support her singing students and projects, she has also studied voicing and the anatomy of singing with Anne-Marie Speed and the Voice Explained organisation.
Emma is always looking for courses and retreats to update her learning, which she loves to share with all of her students and she feels priviledge to have such a loyal student body and the support of Lostwithiel Community Centre and Cornwall College St Austell.
Alongside her teaching practise, Emma has had an extensive career as a writer and publisher and producer within the arts, media and cultural industries. Author of the Little Book of the Mind and the best-selling Little Book of Cornwall, began her professional life in the film and television industry as a production manager.
Her love of Cornwall grew during her degree course in Plymouth and while working on Rick Stein’s first international cookery series. Leaving the media industry in 2002, she moved to Cornwall to become part of the creative team at The Eden Project. As Eden’s first Creative Producer, she led many of the sites large scale event projects including The Eden Sessions and the launch of A Time of Gifts with the first installation of Eden’s ice rink and winter experience.
She wrote the best-selling Little Book of Cornwall in 2006, which led to her setting up a small publishing company, Lovely Little Books, and started a new freelance career as a writer, content developer and community arts producer.
In 2007, she began her community choir, Lost in Song, where she was able to share her love of music and singing. She continues to run that group and other choirs including Rodeohead, a country choir and band and The Keay Side Singers at St Austell College.
In 2011 she set up Really Lovely Projects, with Michelle Nineham, an expert fundraiser and educationalist. The organisation, which is a Community Interest Company devises and delivers community arts and music projects for schools and communities local to Lostwithiel, with partners and collaboration across Cornwall.
Really Lovely Projects produced the Truro Cathedral Debut of Diaspora Carols in 2018 and its tour in 2019. We continue to produce Sing Along the River, a much-loved showcase and celebration of singing groups in Cornwall and our ongoing work supports a range of artists, community collaborations and live events and theatre in Lostwithiel and throughout Cornwall.
Equipment & Studio facilities
Yoga Mats
Yoga Belts
Yoga bolsters
Yoga chairs
Yoga wedges, bricks and blocks
Yoga blankets
Yoga eye pillows and weight sandbags
Core and pilates balls
Reebok Steps
1kg and 2kg free hand weights
A range of kettlebells
Resistance bands
Changing room area with a tap for water
Toilets