Who we are
Rachel Savage — Founding Director, Yoga & Drama Teacher
Hello I’m Rachel Savage and I created River Bear Yoga – Lovely to digitally meet you!
I am a qualified 200hr yoga teacher and I have taught yoga to children for eight years and drama for over fourteen. I’m also a mama of two. River Bear Yoga is in many ways the culmination of all my life’s experience.
Alongside teaching children I also wear the hat of actress, improviser and writer.
After my degree in Performance Arts Studies in 2005 I began a career in acting and comedy. Like a lot of creative paths the road diverged a little and when I discovered yoga and meditation in 2009 it felt like a whole new world had opened up for me. Here was a place where I felt so well, peaceful and present. So after exploring many forms of yoga I trained to be a yoga teacher in 2012 and here we are.
Alongside my performing years and yoga journey I also taught drama and improvising to children, in London, Brighton and Devon. Nothing has given me more joy than seeing how the children I worked with blossomed and grew in confidence, creativity and pride. Having witnessed the profound effect that expressing oneself creatively through drama has upon children, I feel very passionate about continuing sharing it. So when creating River Bear Yoga I just had to weave the two together. As I believe both deeply nourish and offer holistic well-being for children.
I am also a mother to a curious toddler, and a very energetic five year old — who has been the main inspiration behind creating River Bear Yoga and The River Bears novel. I want to build a future for them where being kind and connected to oneself, others and the natural world is as natural as climbing a tree. Through my work I want to bring children joy and offer them ways to find peace within themselves.
It is my personal mission to make yoga, play and mindfulness incredibly accessible in mainstream education. It should not be a luxury or just for those who seek, I believe it’s presence in the classroom is imperative for our times.
Mark Savage — Director, Mindfulness Psychotherapist
Hello! I’m Mark and I’m a clinical psychotherapist and director of River Bear Yoga. For the past seven years I’ve specialised in mindfulness-based psychotherapy, counselling and well-being.
River Bear Yoga was created by my wife, Rachel, as a response to the growing mental health issues faced by children today. It is a wonderful holistic approach to well-being — weaving together yoga poses, therapeutic drama games, and mindfulness practices.
It’s very rewarding for me to be able to take what I’ve learnt, as a mindfulness psychotherapist, and help to weave that into River Bear Yoga’s programmes for the benefit of children and young adults. Mindfulness practices have such powerful potentials to cultivate joy and resilience, so I’m passionate about trying to give as many children and young people the opportunity to learn and see for themselves.
Hannah Broadway — Illustrator
Hannah is an illustrator and designer, and the talent behind River Bear Yoga’s wonderful artwork!
She has been working as an illustrator for over a decade, and alongside River Bear Yoga has worked with a range of clients from NHS to Nike, Bristol University to Bloomsbury Publishing. She’s illustrated 5 picture books, designed t-shirts for Mild West Heroes, done a big old 75 metre mural for Bristol harbourside, she sells a range of print and cards which celebrate her love of the little things in life, and knows just how lucky she is to do a job she loves!
Hannah lives in Bristol with her husband, cat & little girl- who thinks she is a cat. In between learning to grow vegetables and cycling up hills, she is busy conjuring up new artwork for River Bear Yoga’s latest projects.
