Meet Helen Hughes: Yoga expert, lover of cats and the sea
Yoga has got me through many life transitions. Literally grounding me back to the here and now of my mat when life has decided to create an avalanche of situations around me.
Retuning to yoga after having my son in 2012 led me to a yoga teacher with a difference and now friend, Helen.
Sticking a leg behind your head to please your ego will never be part of the process with Helen. Furtive glances at the other members of her class will only lead to warm smiles as all competition is left at the door. Your body is honoured just the way it is by Helen. No striving, no judgement, no pushing through. You are allowed to be yourself. Your body is moved into contentment not shame or feelings of inadequacy.
I admired Helen immediately due to her Cheshire cat smile and depth of real character. You know when you just know someone is exactly who they are? Authentic, passionate and grabbing life by the horns. That’s Helen and I am so thankful to have watched her journey unfold from burnt out employee to living life on her term – Helen Hughes. A blousy, bold and colourful lighthouse for others. Just like her favourite flower the pink Peony.
Helen Says…
“I recently did something rather wonderful — I got married at the tender age of 56. Life doesn’t always follow a straight path, and I’m grateful for every twist and turn that brought me here.
I was born in Manchester, spent years in Blackpool, moved on to Lancaster, and now I’m happily settled by the sea in Morecambe. Morecambe is an amazing place — the light, the space, the views across the bay — it feeds the soul in a way only the sea can.
I’m a full-time yoga teacher, and a devoted cat lover (the more feline cuddles, the better!). But I wasn’t always a full-time yoga teacher.
My work history has been varied and rich. I’ve worked with the public for years in roles as diverse as a Pontin’s Bluecoat, within criminal justice, and in the community sector.
Each job had its value, but nothing made me feel quite as alive as teaching yoga.
When COVID turned the world upside down, I finally took the leap. I stepped away from the security of full time employment and into my great part time passion, of teaching yoga.
I became a full-time yoga teacher and fell in love with Zoom. It became a lifeline for some income and a launch pad for my business.
Allowing people to do yoga in the comfort of their own homes works so well because it’s accessible for all. My clients can join from anywhere with Wi-Fi and a yoga mat. They like that there is no travel time, no parking stress, no weather worries and they can practice in their own space, in their own way. Home is where you really feel comfortable in your own body.
Yoga can sometimes be a chore to fit into a schedule but it’s easy to maintain consistency when you can fit it around other commitments and regular practice becomes doable. It's incredible how technology can connect us now in a way that was never before possible. We still share energy, even though a screen.
I also run a number of group classes in person and I know my teaching style is uniquely mine. The product of over 25 years of learning, experimenting, and growing.
I’ve developed a way of working that really listens to the body: warming up joints before postures, intelligently sequencing classes so we’re truly prepared, and always promoting strength as well as flexibility. My classes balance tradition with intuition. I blend movement, breath, awareness, philosophy and a good sense of humour too.
I haven’t always felt comfortable in my own body though, especially when I was younger. It’s something I think many people relate to. Over time, with age and practice, I’ve learned to feel more at home in myself.
Having said that, I still sometimes struggle too. Working in the fitness industry, which is so image conscious can be a challenge.
I’d love to be a bit slimmer, a bit taller. Wouldn’t we all? But I find that the practice of yoga teaches us something incredibly powerful: to accept ourselves as we are, with all our strengths and all our limitations.
If I could go back and speak to my younger self, I’d say this:
Stop focusing so much on what things look like. Focus more on what things feel like. Strive for happiness exactly the way you are.
That’s what yoga has taught me — and continues to teach me every day.
Being a yoga teacher gives me so many things that help me feel content. It gives me a deep sense of purpose and connection. The privilege of helping people feel better in their own bodies. Constant growth and learning, about anatomy, about people, about myself. I love the creative freedom I enjoy in how I design each class. It also gives me a beautiful community of students and fellow teachers and the chance to live life in tune with what matters to me.
If I were a flower? I'd be a pink peony. They're so blousy, so beautiful, and so unashamedly proud of themselves. They don’t shrink back, they bloom with full-hearted presence. That’s what I aspire to: softness and strength, fullness and ease, all in one bold blossom.
Teaching yoga isn’t just what I do — it’s who I’ve become. And I’m grateful every day to be on this path, from Zoom to seaside, cats to community, breath to movement. Finally comfortable in my own skin.
About Helen Dixon
Helen lives in Morecambe with her husband and two cats.
You can see more about Helen at www.yourkindayoga.com
Or join her mailing list on Helen@yourkindayoga.com to try a free Zoom Yoga class.
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