Jacqueline Ivory and Syed Ali aka Jax&Sy

Jacqueline has been teaching yoga since 2002. She originally trained in General Hatha Yoga via the Shadow Yoga method in London and then moved on to study Ashtanga Yoga in India and later Yoga Nidra in Cape Town. She teaches Ashtanga Yoga, Ashtanga Mysore Style, Hot Vinyasa Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Pregnancy Yoga and Private Yoga Tuition.
Jacqueline first practiced yoga at age 19 and knew it was her calling from age 25 but realised what yoga in action was when she gave birth to her son Jai in 2009. She practiced pregnancy yoga all the way through her pregnancy and Ashtanga Yoga helped a speedy post birth recovery.
Jacqueline’s classes are challenging and fun, focusing on internal connection, alignment and integrity. She loves practicing and teaching Yoga Nidra as a form of meditation.

Sy was born in Bangladesh and lived in London until he moved to Cape Town in 2007. He was a personal trainer and sports therapist for 10 years and began practicing Bikram Yoga in 2000. He completed his teacher training with Bikram Choudry in Hawaii in 2007 and started to teach that same year. He began practicing Ashtanga Yoga and Hot Vinyasa Yoga in Cape Town in 2007. Sy teaches Bikram Yoga and Hot Vinyasa Yoga – his emphasis is on breathing and technical detail. An extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology plays an important role in Sy’s teaching and is evident in his attention to the finer points of the physical practice. Sy is a patient teacher with a passion for helping others to heal themselves, particularly those dealing with chronic conditions in the muscular and skeletal systems as well as the rehabilitation of injuries.

His faith and knowledge were put to the test when he was involved a motor bike accident a few weeks before he was due to begin his Bikram teacher training. Sustaining ruptures to the discs in his neck in between the 5th, 6th and 7th vertebrae he was offered spinal surgery including a spinal fusion as a solution by orthopedic surgeons. There prognosis was after surgery he would have at best 60% mobility in his upper spine and the possibility of a lifetime of pain killers. Without the surgery he was warned there was a high chance of paralysis if the injury was not treated and there was a subsequent “knock to the head”.

In consultation with Bikram Choudry , Sy opted out of surgery and instead pursued a strict regime of  two Bikram Yoga practices a day. Spending the first 3 months practicing with a neck brace and having virtually no movement in his neck it developed his practice and teaching in a way that enabled him to empathize with his students who had injuries. Four years later Sy has better than 98% mobility in his neck and can be seen regularly doing headstands.