Amara Osei

Amara grew up in south London and worked as a primary school teacher for six years. She started yoga for her back and stayed for the breathing at the end of class, which was the only part of the day she felt properly quiet. She completed her yoga teacher training in 2015, spent two winters studying pranayama in Rishikesh and has guided breath and meditation sessions for retreat groups since 2017.

Her sessions are slow and gentle. She teaches breathing that settles the body: longer exhales, soft nasal breathing and simple counts you can remember on a train. She does not teach intense hyperventilation techniques. Before every retreat she asks each guest about asthma, pregnancy, heart conditions, panic attacks and anything else where breath practice needs care, and adapts or leaves out exercises accordingly.

Amara works across three SOLARA retreats. In Ubud she teaches the evening breathwork, yoga nidra and sound sessions on Ubud Morning Practice alongside Ketut Ariana, and co-leads Breath & Stillness with Marcus Hale. On Slow December in Portugal she shares the gentle morning classes with Inês Duarte. A typical session lasts 45 to 60 minutes: ten minutes of easy movement, a guided breathing practice lying down or seated, then a long rest, often with singing bowls and a gong played quietly in the background.

No experience is needed, and nothing she teaches requires flexibility or fitness. Most of the session happens lying down under a blanket, and she gives clear permission to stop, breathe normally or simply rest at any point. Some guests fall asleep in yoga nidra, which she considers a perfectly good outcome.

Between retreats Amara teaches weekly breath and yoga nidra classes in east London and runs workshops on rest and recovery for teachers and healthcare staff. She also mentors newer breathwork facilitators, with a particular focus on screening guests and teaching safely.