I'm Ann-See Yeoh, and I run My Kind of Yoga here in the Chew Valley, Somerset. Alongside my partner, we have a boutique yoga studio where we teach classes, train yoga teachers around the world, and support a growing family of My Kind of Yoga Ambassadors. I'm Malaysian by nationality, and I've been in the UK since 1986 when I came over to do my A-levels. What started as a temporary stay for studies became permanent, and now I'm settled in this beautiful corner of southwest England.
People often ask what makes my approach different. Honestly, it's about simplicity. I created My Kind of Yoga as an inclusive, straightforward, lighthearted approach because I've taught all over the world and noticed a pattern. Most people come to yoga wanting the same things: to switch off, move their bodies, and leave feeling like they've hit their reset button. That's it. So I built everything around that principle.
Looking back, my route into yoga was hardly conventional. Tae Kwon Do was my main sport through my teens, and at university I carried on with that whilst also playing women's rugby. Sport and fitness were always central to my life. After completing my masters in Sport and Exercise Science, I entered the fitness industry and started looking at yoga again. But to be honest, I viewed it purely as cross training to complement everything else I was doing.
When I finally enrolled on a yoga teacher training course, teaching wasn't even on my mind. I was already a university lecturer, training fitness instructors, teaching group fitness classes in the evenings, and travelling all over the UK and overseas running workshops. The last thing I wanted was to learn to teach something else. I just wanted to deepen my own practice. But something shifted during that training. I realised yoga had far more to offer than I'd given it credit for.
The studio came first. We opened Yoga Chew Valley in what became our home base, a purpose-built space in Chew Stoke. For over a decade now, we've welcomed all sorts of people through our doors. Our ethos is simple: come as you are and reclaim your health and wellbeing. Whatever brings someone to their first class, we want them to feel at ease.
We run classes across the Chew Valley in Winford, Chew Magna and Chew Stoke. I teach our signature MYflow classes, where we focus on a new theme each month. This gives your body and mind time to really practice and grow, rather than jumping around constantly. It's suitable for all levels, which matters to me. I never want anyone to feel they're not ready for yoga or that they don't belong.
Explaining what made us different without sounding pretentious: There are so many yoga studios out there, each claiming to be transformative or authentic or whatever buzzword fits. I didn't want to add to the noise. So instead, I focused on being straightforward. We teach yoga that feels good in your body, helps you move with ease (not just on your mat but through life), and doesn't require you to be flexible or fit or young or anything else.
Trusting that slowing down could be powerful: I'd spent decades in the fitness industry where everything is high energy, performance driven, results focused. Yoga asks you to soften all that. It took me a while to trust that slowing down and simplifying could be just as powerful as the high intensity work I'd always done. Once I embraced that, everything else fell into place.
What surprised me most was how quickly people responded to the community aspect. Yes, they came for the physical practice, but they stayed for the connections they made. We've built something special here. People tell us they feel lucky to have high quality yoga taught in a purpose-built, beautiful studio right on their doorstep. That feedback means everything.
Beyond the studio, My Kind of Yoga has grown into a teacher training programme. The EVOLUTION Teacher Training is designed for qualified fitness professionals, yoga teachers, or Pilates teachers who want to diversify what they teach and, honestly, their income streams too. I'm passionate about supporting teachers because I know how isolating it can be. When you complete the programme, you become part of our tribe of My Kind of Yoga Ambassadors. We're bound together by our love of spreading yoga in a simple, accessible way.
If I were starting over, I'd focus on the teacher training side earlier because there's such a need for teachers who want ongoing support and a sense of family, not just a qualification, that ripple effect where teachers go out and create their own communities is incredibly powerful. I might also have documented the journey more since I've been teaching since 1992, speaking, training, coaching and mentoring thousands of people, there are so many stories and lessons from those early years that I didn't capture. And I probably would've worried less about what other people thought because the truth is, there's room for everyone, your job is to serve the people who resonate with your approach, not to convince everyone you're the best.
My mission is to transform, empower and inspire more lives globally through the power of yoga and healthy ageing. I want people to feel inspired to create change in their own communities, creating ripples of health and happiness around the world. That's why the teacher training programme matters so much. Every Ambassador we train goes on to touch countless other lives.
We're also continuing to grow Yoga Chew Valley as a hub where people can explore different teaching styles and approaches. We have a diverse range of classes led by experienced teachers, each with their unique expertise. Whether you're looking to build strength, improve flexibility, or find a moment of calm in your busy life, there's a class for you. From dynamic flow to gentle restorative, we cater to all levels.
I'm still actively training Group Fitness Instructors and teaching yoga classes myself. I love that mix. And alongside the studio and teacher training, my partner and I work as Independent Consultants with Arbonne, a network marketing company focused on health and wellness. Some people find that surprising, but for me it's another way to support people's wellbeing. All these interests connect back to the same core: helping people feel good in their bodies and lives.
If you're curious about classes, teacher training, or just want to know more, I'd love to hear from you. We're based in Chew Valley, Somerset, and we welcome people from across the region. Your first two classes with us are complimentary, so there's no pressure. Come and see if it feels right.
It's all about being straightforward and inclusive. The focus isn't on achieving perfect, complex poses but on helping you switch off, move your body, and leave feeling refreshed. It combines a deep understanding of sport science with a lighthearted, welcoming approach, making it perfect for real people.
Absolutely. The core belief here is 'come as you are'. Classes are designed for all levels, and the emphasis is on how the movement feels in your body, not what it looks like. You don't need any prior experience or flexibility to begin.
You can find classes across the Chew Valley in Somerset, including Winford, Chew Magna, and at the purpose-built Yoga Chew Valley studio in Chew Stoke. This makes it easy to find high-quality teaching close to home.
You can easily try it out without any commitment. Your first two classes at Yoga Chew Valley are completely complimentary. This gives you a great opportunity to experience the teaching style and the community atmosphere for yourself.
Yes, there is. The EVOLUTION Teacher Training is specifically for qualified fitness professionals, yoga teachers, or Pilates instructors. It helps you diversify your skills and income streams while joining a supportive community of ambassadors.