Lara Cockayne

Hello my name is Lara and I am a tree hugging, yoga loving, barefoot walking, gong junkie!

I live, work and play in the New Forest!

I am a fully qualified gong/sound practitioner, yoga teacher, laughter yoga leader, Reiki master and reflexologist.

I have been practising yoga for over 20 years and teaching yoga for over 10 years. In 1999 I started practising yoga and loved it!  Then I reached a point where the only way to continue developing my practice was to train as a teacher. So I did in 2009 – in the Sivananda style and I have been teaching ever since! I have developed my own eclectic style influenced by hatha, Sivananda and Yin. My aim is to work with you and your body as we are all individuals and teach in an informal style.

My background is in Judo and I found the martial arts discipline and body awareness to be a good basis for Yoga.

In 2014/2015 I studied Gong Therapy with the College of Sound Healing over the period of a year. I had always been drawn to the gongs before my training and so it seemed a natural path to follow to learn more about them. I am a gong junkie and am lucky to have a beautiful family of gongs! In 2016 I had the opportunity of visit the Oetken Gong factory in Germany and made my own gong under the expert guidance of Master Gong maker Broder Oetken, giving me an insight into the making of gongs, already having learnt how to play them.

I have worked as a therapist alongside teaching yoga and the gongs never cease to amaze me! The fact that you only need to be physically present in the gong space and with no effort required on your part, the effects and benefits are amazing! The sound and vibration work on a physical, emotional and spiritual level covering all bases and leaving no stone unturned. A gong bath can leave you feeling calm, relaxed, refreshed and with a general sense of wellbeing. It is said that an hours gong bathing can be equivalent to a good night’s sleep!

My aim is to spread the awareness of gong baths and their benefits!

My favourite teas are Vitality & Energy, Harmony & Balance and Turmeric Chai.