CV and Biography.
Qualifications.
Humanities BA Hons 2/1 -University of Brighton. 1991.
Yoga Teacher – British Wheel of Yoga Teacher Training Course and numerous post graduate qualifications from 1996.
Thai massage -numerous qualifications both UK and Thailand from 1997.
Travel Writing and Journalism – The London School of Journalism 2011.
Sports/Remedial Massage – London School of Sports Massage B Tech 5. 2017.
Chiang Mai University (of life) – No official qualification as such but I love this place and have been there 10 times, originally to study massage , but whilst there also Yoga , Buddhism, photography, table tennis, culture and people. I chose it as my Anthropology field site and have spent much time reading up on Northern Thai culture, attempting to learn Thai language and observing and getting to know people. As an additional positive the place soothes my soul and inspires me so when I get the chance this is my bolt hole (I wish it were nearer).
Anthropology – I’ve been an informal but serious DIY student of Social/Cultural , Biological and Medical Anthropology , partly as a way of better understanding the place and dynamics of the Asian traditions that I became involved with, but equally as a helpful lens through which to look at many issues. So I’m perhaps an ‘Outsider Anthropologist’ which according to some professional Anthropologists can be a good thing! On top of that, whilst not a scientist, I read a lot of biology, evolutionary science and psychology books.
Other Interests.
Outside of writing, Yoga and Thai massage I play table tennis in the South Devon and Torbay League, national and international tournaments and enjoy travelling to table tennis training camps in the UK and abroad to develop my game. I was a late starter at 50 so have had to really work at it to improve. If I was 10 years old again , I would maybe attempt to be a professional table tennis player! But that ship has sailed so I enjoy improving as much as I can. I love taking long cycling trips in the UK and continental Europe, and have long believed in cycling to be a solution to many environmental and health problems.
Early life
I grew up in Manchester. After an uncomfortable time at school, and due to the lack of interesting (or much of any) employment opportunities in the North West UK in the 1980’s I set off worked my way around Europe in various jobs. I did this for three years including packing bulbs in Holland , picking grapes in France, tomatoes in Greece and cotton on a Kibbutz in Israel . Not the most illustrious employment, but I saw, experienced and learned a lot .
Before such things as gap years and the internet, a chance conversation with an old hippy on Crete motivated me to save enough money to spend six months in India and Nepal. Whilst there, unencumbered by work, as well as enjoying the eye opening cultural adventure, I started devouring books for the first time since childhood and journaling on my experiences. All of this gave me the confidence on my return to take a Humanities degree as a mature student at the University of Brighton, UK where I mostly took courses on Asian religions and culture.
After graduating , I spent five years working in social care and mental health services in Brighton and then a further 18 months travelling in South Asia, South East Asia and China. I was planning to train as a Psychiatric Nurse on my return but this trip to Asia changed my direction and further deepened my curiosity around the cultures of these regions and led to me immersing myself in Asian healing arts, practices and ideas.
Yoga Teaching and Thai Massage.
From 1995 I trained in Thai massage, Buddhist meditation and Yoga all of which have been formative in my personal and working life. In particular I have returned to Northern Thailand around 10 times to further study these practices. I’ve learned much from Thai people and culture and other people there who share similar interests. Thai massage and teaching Yoga was my full time work for more than 20 years, now more part-time in order to create space for my writing and photographic work. Further information on this side of my work is at www.nevyogamassage.co.uk
Writing.
I’ve been writing most of my life informally through notebooks, diaries and blogs . In 2011 I took a travel writing and journalism course and then an online journalism course with the London School of Journalism. I’ve written a few articles for yoga magazines, written a comprehensive introductory course on yoga history and philosophy which I use as a core text for teaching at yoga schools, and penned training manuals for yoga schools and HFE fitness. I also worked part time for a year at Big Star Copywriting and learned something of the arts of commercial writing and search engine optimisation . My writing interests now are primarily around the intertwined biological, psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of health and wellbeing, society, culture and travel.
Reading
My reading is wide and varied, though more non-fiction than fiction overall. I enjoy books on popular science, travel writing, social science, psychology and anthropology. I like reading people who I suspect I may disagree with and am pleasantly surprised that sometimes I am mistaken. Same goes for social media where I follow people from a full spectrum of disciplines and political standpoints.
