Lisa Whitehouse

Outdoor Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher
& Forest Bathing Guide in Kent and Sussex

I am a qualified yoga teacher with a full British Wheel of Yoga Teaching diploma (500hrs) since 2011. I am fully insured, trained in first aid and enjoy teaching people of all ages, abilities and experience.

I am also a Mindfulness Teacher registered with the British Association of Mindfulness Based Approaches (BAMBA), having trained with The Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at Bangor University.I teach courses and classes in accordance with the UK Network Good Practice Guidelines for Mindfulness Teachers.

I have always been inspired by nature and have been offering outdoor classes at Bedgebury Pinetum and Forest amongst 12,000 beautiful trees in 240 acres green space since 2018 and loved it. So much so that in 2023, I decided to teach outdoors only, all year round, in all weathers by adapting sessions to suit the environment. This is where I see the greatest benefit as an antidote to our busy, technology driven lives, where the average person spends 80% of their time indoors. We simply take the benefits of practicing yoga and meditation and boost them with nature to support physical and mental health in ways that are long lasting and difficult to define.

In 2024 I piloted a bespoke 8-week Forest Yoga and Mindfulness course for people with long term mental and physical health conditions. Working with Forestry England, I hope that this support in the community, known as “Green Social Prescribing”, can be offered to more people in the future.

My love of trees and training in nature continued in 2024 when I attended the Mindful in Nature CPD training with https://www.sharphamtrust.org and I began training to be a forest bathing guide with https://natureandtherapy.co.uk . I now offer forest bathing walks that allow people to learn the practice of Shinrin-yoku, which is the Japanese art of taking a slow, mindful walk immersed in natural surroundings for the benefit of health and wellbeing.

In 2023 I became volunteer Ramblers Wellbeing Walk Leader because I want to support as many people as possible to access the benefits of being outdoors with a friendly group of people. https://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/wellbeing-walks-groups

I have always had an interest supporting mental health in schools, hence my training with The Mindfulness in Schools Project and Teenyoga Foundation. I have experience in running yoga classes and mindfulness courses in schools for pupils aged 11−18, staff and parents.

Training & Qualifications