About Hillside
Seasonal yoga and pilates studio in a beautiful location, nestled between the Ashdown Forest and Sheffield Park, East Sussex.
Come and discover a mix of classes and workshops to suit all levels - everyone is welcome!
After class please feel free to explore beyond the grounds as we are surrounded by many wonderful walks just a stone's throw away including Sheffield Forest, Ashdown Forest and a maze of public footpaths through the woodland.
Our 2022 season begins on the 3rd of May, and with new toilet and shower facilities as well as a stunning seven metre bell tent, we can't wait to meet you on the mat!
Meet the Team

Yoga Instructor
Marcia Alice
Hi I’m Marcia!
With a 12 year background in mental health & talking therapies, I’m honoured to now have a different way to hold space for people to explore their inner worlds and let go of the shoulds and ‘to dos’. The magical world of yoga!
I love incorporating as much of an experience as I can into a class, with meditation, breath, fun intermissions, fluidity, play, strength and melting into being. As the saying goes, movement is medicine and our wonderful bodies can move in so many ways (so expect variation in tempo and intensity!)
Classes will always involve a flow of sorts…Influences include Ashtanga, Katonah Yoga and Vinyasa Flow; teamed with mindfulness and other mind-based tools.
But for me the shapes don’t matter as much as how you feel and if you’re syncing breath to movement, then you’re
yoga-ing! Blocks & modifications always welcome to help you get the most out of the shapes- the aim being to open up, work through stagnation and feel good.
As an absolute nature lover I’m so excited to teach in a beautiful outdoor space- and what a way to start your week or recover from the Monday blues than to carve out the space to breathe and find joy in movement!
Can’t wait to see you!
Marcia x

Pilates Instructor
Nicola Elgar
I am a personal trainer and class instructor, living in Uckfield. Health and wellness is at the heart of my practice. Pilates is the one pillar of my exercise regime that keeps me together. I love the balance of strength, breathing, mobility and flexibility work as well as using the breath to bring the mind into the body. Teaching it and participating in it, as well as yoga, have had a huge beneficial effect on my physical and mental health and I want to share this with others. My absolute passion is women's health, and I have qualified in Pre and postnatal exercise as well as Menopause Awareness for Pilates. Please find me at Elgar Fitness if you have any direct questions. Can't wait to see you on the platform this summer!

Yoga teacher
Elle Procter
Join me every Wednesday morning at Hillside Wellness in Nutley, East Sussex in this amazing outdoor yoga platform in the forest!
Come get energised with me with Power Flow Yoga suitable for all levels, lets challenge our bodies building strength and mobility whilst connecting to ourselves on a soul level surrounded by Mother Earth
Elles classes are dynamic and are described as 'Flow Yoga' - creative Ashtanga Vinyasa with lots of choices to modify for more or less. Her background in the music industry will be bringing the chilled out vibes you need to release stress, connect to the wisdom of your body and spend some time with your soul.
Practice in a small class with lots of space to expand the body and mind (max 10 people) on a gorgeous wooden platform surrounded by the forest, Bell tent is nearby if we need more protection from the elements (read- rain!)
Every Wednesday morning 9.30-10.30am

Owner & Instructor
Luc Best
Hi I’m Luc,
As the owner of Hillside Wellness I am so happy to share this beautiful space with you all.
What started as a picture in my head after a carpenter friend gave me some wonderful timber posts, has now come to life in the form of an outdoor studio.
I have taught fitness classes for over 10 years in studios all across East Sussex.
Pilates and yoga have been a key part of this. I love these classes as they are accessible to all.
Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to have witnessed regular clients using pilates and yoga as a successful method to a pain free life, and so this continues to motivate my teaching.
Personal training has been a great way for me to share my knowledge from all areas of fitness. I’ve worked with a wide range of people from future GB athletes to injury rehab. If you would like to join me for a session this can be done in a private gym space in Lewes, in the gym at East Sussex National or on the Hillside platform every Thursday in the summer months.
Please contact me today to find out more
07415 614872
www.thefitnessstudiolewes.co.uk
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Yoga teacher
Shelly White
I believe that we can all feel better from a little yoga practice, whether it be asana, breath awareness, relaxation, or meditation. My aim is to make every person feel relaxed and welcome, and also challenged, so that they can explore their own personal journey during practice. We don't have to take ourselves too seriously, and I hope that people feel a little more light-hearted and open, and aware of their inner strength and beauty from our classes together.

Yoga teacher
Adeline Garman
I was introduced to yoga in my early thirties following a lower back problem that left me in excruciating pain and unable to sit or stand for extended periods of time.
Up until then I’d always been sporty - I used to cycle, run, and had even dabbled in triathlon - suddenly even putting my socks on was a challenge.
I visited an osteopath who suggested yoga. I was aghast. I didn’t do yoga. I felt it was just a pretentious name for stretching. How wrong I was. I borrowed a DVD and watched as two people, one my age and one in their 70s, moved their bodies in ways I could only dream of. I immediately knew I wanted to be as flexible as that.
I hated the first class I attended. It was too slow. I felt stiff and inflexible. My body didn’t move in the way that other students’ bodies did. And I hated Savasana, hated lying still. I just wanted to fix my back and get back to some ‘proper’ exercise.
I persevered, attending classes two to three times a week. Very soon not only was my back pain free but I could touch my toes. More significantly though, I was sleeping better, and feeling happier.
Early 2020 the pandemic started and, whilst working from home, I started a daily hour long practice. It was then that I really fell in love with yoga - the enjoyment of moving my body in time with breathe, and the simplicity of stillness. I decided that I would embark on my teacher training, so that I could share the physical benefits of a regular Yoga practice, and the more subtle benefits discovered through a mind-body practice.
I undertook my Yoga Alliance certified Teacher Training in 2021 and have been teaching Yoga in Sussex since early 2022.
