Fran Allen

Exeter born Fran, lived, studied & travelled in Asia for 12+ years & first met Buddhism in 1990, then Yoga in 1992 whilst living in Japan as an English teacher. Yoga sadhana & meditation (practice) soon began to underpin everything as a way of life. 1997 after several travel adventures & studying Thai Massage in North Thailand, Fran headed for a life in India, via Tibet crossing the Himalayas to the sacred city of Kashi where she began more intensive sadhana & philosophical studies. For the next 5 years Fran embraced life as a field anthropologist would, immersing herself in as many aspects of the daily lives of people as possible in order to study their culture & interactions, in particular the Yogic traditions & its spiritual history.

When Fran returned to Devon in 2002, passionate to build a local Yoga community as an offering to her birth place, she took on the ownership of a new fitness class space transforming it into Exeter’s first Yoga Studio – Derekthedog Yoga Centre – inviting many other Yoga teachers & trainees to join her in creating a local sanctuary of various Yogic forms to enrich the lives of people in and around Exeter through inner wellbeing.

Fran has a traditional approach in both Yoga & Buddhism, teaching a wide range of classes & adaptable structures, from the most gentle, healing, restorative forms of Upa Yoga for people living with health issues & very limited mobility, to deeply meditative practices, & playfully dynamic forms for the more athletic. Providing a safe & welcoming space for all is her top priority. Heart-centred & insightful, often humorous but most of all, safe & inclusive for everyone. Her classes focus on enriching life through exploring human potential & awareness physically, mentally, emotionally & energetically.

A Certified British Wheel of Yoga teacher, Fran has been a student of Lama Ole Nydahl since 2004 & received many direct transmissions & empowerments in Buddhism. More recently, since 2017, a devotee of Sadhguru initiated in Shambhavi Maha Mudra, also part-time Volunteer, Earth Buddy & Yoga Veera for the Isha Foundation.

Fran offers: Pregnancy, Very Gentle, Hatha, Yin flows, Seniors, Dynamic, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, 1-to-1, Park Yoga, guided meditation & Yoga talks. She’s also available for office, school, festival classes & private hire.