Blooming Into Purpose - Fiona’s Journey to Yoga, Nature & Free Spirit

Hi! I’m Fiona, the owner of The Berry Collective - where wellbeing and poetry meet through Bloom with Berry and Berry Poetic.

My yoga journey started 13 years ago when I started practicing as a way of coping with stress. It deepened with travels to India in 2018 and 2019, solidifying my desire to train as a teacher. I’ve been qualified for 5 years now and have proudly been part of Free Spirit Escapes since our very first trip in June 2022!  Being involved from the beginning has genuinely been one of the most magical experiences of my life. These escapes are so unique, so full of heart, and I feel privileged to help bring women together through the power of water, nature and yoga.Water has such transformative, healing energy. Watching women arrive, often tired, a bit overwhelmed, maybe carrying some heavy baggage (pun fully intended!) and seeing them soften, breathe and bloom back into themselves is the most rewarding part of what I do. My yoga style blends flow (vinyasa) with yin (longer-held postures), and I love weaving in my poetic meditations to offer deeper meaning, grounding, and connection.

For me, yoga reaches far beyond the mat. It’s not just a workout; it’s all encompassing. Yoga means “to unite,” and that’s exactly what I aim to bring into each session, a harmony of mind, body and soul, with something meaningful you can carry into everyday life. It’s also about connection to others, and that’s something our escapes provide in abundance. My classes are as much about finding inner peace as they are about sharing joy and laughter together.

Our locations - the garden at the riverside pension in Turkey and now the serene forest studio in Lithuania, offer the perfect backdrop for relaxed, nourishing morning and evening sessions. There’s no pressure, no judgement. Come exactly as you are and do what feels right for your body. I truly believe yoga is for everyone, so I always offer adaptations and alternatives to make the practice accessible and enjoyable for all.

Yoga came into my life at a really challenging time, and it changed everything for me (a cliche I know!). The sense of calm, clarity and purpose it brought was unlike anything else. After a long and fulfilling career across education, health and the charity sector, I realised that my dharma, my true purpose, was to create soul-nourishing wellbeing experiences for others. So I took a huge leap: I sold my house, left my job, moved to the Lake District, and followed my dream.

I now run Blossom Yurt, a beautiful handmade wood yurt set on my friend’s farm and glamping site, Howgills Hideaway. She arrived in September 2025 and fits perfectly alongside their gorgeous sauna, Birch. Nestled in the rolling Howgills Hills, Blossom and Birch sit quietly in nature, providing the perfect sanctuary to step away from the noise of daily life and truly breathe, move, rest and reconnect.

To bring a full wellbeing offering to Blossom, I upskilled in everything I felt would support others on their journeys. I trained as a Health and Wellbeing Coach, travelled to India for Ayurvedic Yoga Massage training, and qualified as a Sauna Master to offer traditional sauna rituals. I’m also trained in Water Safety Management, Outdoor First Aid, and have my Bronze Navigation qualification.

Nature is my happy placeI’ve completed Nature Connectedness Training and feel most myself when I’m outdoors, wandering the hills or immersing in a cool, calm lake. I adore writing poetry (usually with a glass of red wine and some cheese!), and my music taste spans everything from musicals and country to rock, pop and even happy hardcore - no judgement please! I love a dance and have recently discovered that I’m apparently a late-to-the-party raver! I have an unhealthy obsession with leopard print, I’m wildly indecisive, deeply empathetic, and, I like to think, a kind, decent human.

I can’t wait to connect with you, yoga with you, laugh with you, and Swim, Dip, Chill with you!