Bio – Mara Musso

Mara’s interest in yoga began in her teens and truly flourished during her twenties after relocating to London. Mara qualified as a yoga teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) in 1996. Driven by an enduring curiosity, Mara also explored Buddhist meditation and undertook further study into the philosophy of yoga. Throughout her career, Mara has delivered numerous BWY Foundation Courses, which have helped hundreds of students deepen their practice and understanding of yoga. Mara has also taught a BWY Teacher’s Diploma Course in Central London, In-Service Training (IST) days – specialist workshops designed for ongoing professional development for yoga teachers – yoga retreats, and has mentored trainee yoga teachers for Yoga Campus.

Mara’s expertise has been recognised through invitations to teach at the BWY London Yoga Festival, for International Yoga Day, and through her role representing the BWY at the OM Yoga show in London.

In 2024, Mara marked an impressive milestone – 30 years of teaching yoga – having led her very first yoga class in central London in November 1994! Her trauma-sensitive yoga classes have received enthusiastic feedback from both participants and healthcare professionals, especially in settings such as secure mental health hospitals, where her compassionate approach has made a real difference.

Mara’s passion in teaching yoga is deeply rooted in her own transformative experiences. She often shares with students the story of her first yoga class, where she discovered a sense of calm and clarity she had never known before – an experience that continues to inspire her teaching today. One student remarked, “Her classes have had a huge impact on my physical health and overall wellbeing.” This testimonial, alongside countless others,  reflects Mara’s dedication to fostering positive change in her students’ lives.

If you are curious to find out more about how yoga can support students suffering from PTSD, please read this blog.

Mara is married to London artist and sculptor Cornelius Guiste, whose striking figurative and abstract wood carvings can be admired at The Haven. Together, they have a teenage son.

Mara is DBS checked.

QUALIFICATIONS RELATIVE TO TEACHING YOGA:
  • 1994-96 BWY Teacher Training. Qualification: ‘BWY Teaching Diploma’
  • 1996 C&G 7307 ‘Teaching adults’ – Qualification: Certificate
  • 1996-97 ‘Remedial Training Course’ (stage 1) at ‘The Yoga for Health Foundation’ – Qualification: ‘Remedial Training Course Certificate’
  • 1998 BTEC Stress Management Course – Qualification: Certificate
  • 1998-99 BWY Yoga for Pregnancy Training Module – Qualification: ‘Yoga for Pregnancy Teaching Module’
  • 2000-01 ITEC Anatomy & Physiology – Qualification: ‘Diploma in Anatomy & physiology theory’
  • 2001-03 BWY DCT Training Course – Qualification: ‘Licence to train yoga teachers’
  • 2005 BWY Philosophy Module ‘The spiritual heritage of yoga’. Qualification: Certificate.
  • 2011 Yoga Birth Postnatal yoga. Qualification: Certificate
  • 2016 PTSD Training – The Minded Institute. Qualification: Certificate
  • 2018 Teen Yoga & Mindfulness with TeenYoga. Qualification: Certificate
  • 2023 Yoga for the Stages of the Menopause with Yininstinct Yoga – Qualification: Certificate
Nextdoor Neighbourhood Fave

I am very proud to have received this award and would like to thank all my neighbours who voted for me – your support means so much. Neighbourhood Fave is Nextdoor’s brand-new award recognising outstanding local businesses, and I am honoured to be among its first receipients.

‘And when the body is in silent steadiness, breathe rhythmically through the nostrils with a peaceful ebbing and flowing of breath. The chariot of the mind is drawn by wild horses, and those wild horses have to be tamed.’ (from the Svetasvatara Upanishad, trans by Mascaro)

Foundation Course students graduating, 2015, YBC, London

Foundation Course students , 2014, Central London

Yoga retreats at Florence House in Seaford, East Sussex, 2015-18

International Yoga Day, Central London, 21st June 2016

The British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) -a charity founded in 1965 – offers a range of courses including Teacher Training courses, Foundation courses, In-service training and Teaching Modules. In 1995 the BWY was awarded National Governing Body status by the then Sports Council (now Sports England). The BWY is committed to promoting a greater understanding of yoga and its safe practice through experience, education, study and training.