About us
A big, warm Welcome to Yogaful Studio
Hey, I'm Cat! I'm really glad you're here.
My mission is to elevate your body and mind so you can live a better life - with less stress and more energy, purpose, and joy.
So if you have a demanding job and a hectic life running miles an hour, this is the place to find rest, balance, and peace ✨
As an ambitious professional myself, I've found Yoga to be the answer to years of struggling with stress, overwhelm, and lack of energy.
Now as a teacher, I want to guide you through this transformation with authentic Yoga - Yoga Sāmkhya, a holistic practice that goes beyond the physical poses and combines 14 yogic disciplines to help you ease the load, find calm and connect to your true self - balanced and blissful.
Our Manifesto
Yoga is a lot more than the 'defying gravity' poses you see on social media. Yoga is an ancient practice and a philosophy of life that originated in India over 12,000 years ago to develop the human being physically, emotionally, energetically, and mentally so the individual can become the best version of themselves - kind, loving, healthy, and happy.
As time passed and Yoga started to become mainstream, the philosophical concepts have been lost or somewhat weakened and replaced by a mostly physical practice that fosters flexibility and strength. And whilst it's great to be more flexible and strong, we're a lot more thann our physical bodies, muscles, ligaments, and joints. We're also our internal organs, hormones, glands, emotions, and thoughts. We’re all of that and none of that. We’re more than just ‘mass’, we are energy and we are Divine.
It is our intention at Yogaful Studio to teach and share the full, complete Yoga - Yoga Sāmkhya - how it was designed originally, a truly holistic practice comprising 14 main disciplines including Āsana (the Yoga poses), Prāṇāyāma (breathwork), meditation and more in every single class.
By bringing all these powerful techniques together in a class, we work on the human being in its entirety, going beyond just the physical to develop the way you breathe, install meditation habits, influence your endocrine and nervous systems, boost your immunity and share many other exercises that will be long lasting and transformational on all levels - physically, emotionally, chemically, energetically and mentally.
Through the practice of Yoga Sāmkhya, you will reap all the benefits of a regular practice of yoga and tap into what’s beyond the physical planes of existence, exploring your profound connection with the cosmos as you expand your consciousness.
We created Yogaful Studio because we wanted to make authentic, classical yoga accessible for you, and support your physical, mental, and emotional health holistically. All our classes are hosted online for ease and our membership also offers access to an on-demand platform where you can catch-up or elevate your yoga practice.
My Story
My name is Catarina, Cat for short. I am a Portuguese native, from sunny Lisbon that decided to take a leap of faith and move to London unemployed 6 years ago 🫣
I am a passionate authentic yoga practitioner and traditional yoga teacher. I am also an ambitious and driven business consultant helping small tech businesses internationalise their products and solutions.
I first discovered yoga in 2014 after struggling with severe anxiety. The practice was so transformational that I enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training in 2016. I've been a yoga instructor ever since.
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My passion and purpose in this life is to help overwhelmed and stressed overachievers elevate their bodies, minds, and thrive personally and professionally through the practice of traditional, classical yoga.
Honouring the roots of yoga is very important to me, so in all my classes you'll go beyond the poses and be introduced to breathwork techniques, cleansing and purifying practices, relaxation exercises, meditation, and more.
We also explore yoga philosophy and mention notable Yoga Masters and the scriptures.
The yoga I offer changes lives. It doesn't just offer you a practice to keep fit and relieve stress. It offers you the opportunity to realise your full potential, liberation and Self-realisation.
You're invited to start this transformation and experience the bliss and peace that comes when you live true to yourself and as the best version of yourself.
Cat xx
My Qualifications
700HR+ Yoga Teacher Training with the Portuguese Yoga Confederation
90HR+ Yoga for Children Certification
90HR+ Yoga for Pregnancy Certification
9+ years in the wellness and yoga space
MSc Degree in Business Management
Work with me
About Yoga and Sāmkhya
Yoga - Yoga is a powerful practice that promotes exceptional health and happiness. The word ‘yoga’ derives from the root term ‘yuj’ (read ‘yudj’) and should be read yoga, (as in the word ‘yoke’); its literal meaning is ‘to join’ (or ‘to bind’).
Sāmkhya - Sāmkhya is one of the six ancient philosophies of India. Sāmkhya describes the way the Universe and the human being exist, function and relate to each other. The word Sāmkhya, originally written in Samksrta (Sanskrit), can be translated as 'number' or 'reason' and means Cosmic Wisdom.
Yoga dates back over 9,000 years with recent studies and findings pointing that it may actually be well over 12,000 years old. It is understood that Yoga originated in northern India, in the Indus Valley civilization that flourished in the basins of the Indus River around 3,000 BCE.
Together with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley civilization was one of the three early civilizations of the Near East and South Asia and by far the most widespread, covering parts of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
Mohenjo - Daro and Harappa were the two biggest cities, home to around 30,000 to 60,000 people, and recognised for their advanced urban planning and elaborate drainage and water supply systems
Back then, Yoga and Sāmkhya were one, where Yoga was the practice and Sāmkhya the theory.
Thanks to Sāmkhya, scholars studied the body, the mind and the self come together in harmony with nature and the universe and applied all these teachings to yoga - a practice that transforms and develops the human being, designed to bring out the very best that’s within you and awake your own true nature.
As time went on and Yoga became mainstream, this connection between Yoga and Sāmkhya has been lost and so has a part of Yoga's true power - the understanding of the human being as a part of the Whole.
So Yoga Sāmkhya is the authentic yoga comprising 14 disciplines per class - a wonderful mixture of techniques ranging from breath work, poses, meditation, and many more to help you...
...find balance and focus
...find peace and stillness
...elevate your body and mind
...access higher levels of consciousness and blissful meditative states & ultimately connect with your true self - aligned, healthy and peaceful.
The 14 Disciplines of Yoga Sāmkhya
A complete Yoga Sāmkhya class is called Mahā Sādhanā and is made of different parts (anga) to include the following 14 main disciplines:
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Samyama (Dhyāna / Samādhi) – Meditation / until Enlightenment, through the control of the brain waves frequency;
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Prāṇāyāma – Breathing exercises that influence our energetic and autonomic nervous systems;
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Āsana – Physical poses with psychological and biological effects;
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Yoganidrā – Techniques for physical, emotional and mental relaxation;
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Kriyā – Exercises for organic cleansing and toning;
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Mantra – Control of sound, vibration, and harmony;
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Jāpa Tala – Rhythmic and focusing sounds;
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Jāpa Shesha – Continuous and elevating sounds;
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Bandha – Techniques for muscular and neuro-endocrinal dynamisations (locks);
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Yantra – Focusing symbols with psychosomatic effects;
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Pūjā – Offering and projection of energy (expression and development of gratitude);
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Mudrā – Reflexive and energetic hand gestures;
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Nyāsa – Energetic touch and mind projection;
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Mānasika – Mentalisation /visualisation, strengthening of willpower, and mental projection.
All theses disciplines are combined, organised and taught in a way that you leave every class feeling refreshed, energised and with more peace of mind .