Geri's yoga guru

A FORMER Peacehaven ballet star has helped chart topper Geri Halliwell discover the physical and spiritual benefits of yoga.

Katy Appleton, whose parents own Halcombe Farm in Valley Road, was introduced to yoga as a youngster and found an instant affinity with the ancient Hindu exercise. She said: 'Yoga has been in my blood from a very early age because my mum used to do it when she was pregnant with me. Aged five, Katy went to the Harlequin Dance Studios in Peacehaven and found the yoga techniques helped her with her ballet. At 11 she left St Mary s Hall School in Brighton to train with the Royal Ballet and the English National Ballet schools. As a 17-year-old she travelled the world as a professional ballerina.

Katy used yoga breathing techniques to help calm her before and after a performance. She said: 'As a professional ballet dancer, there is a lot of pressure on you to perform. It can be a highly strung profession and by using yoga I was able to calm myself down.

Because of her interest in yoga, Katy decided to make it her profession. She went to Spain and trained as a teacher. Since then she has taught yoga full-time for four years to groups and individuals.

One client who Katy teaches on a one-to-one basis is former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. She came to Katy after hearing about her through a friend and has been taking lessons for a year.

Katy, 29, who now lives in London, said: 'I go to Geri s home to teach her yoga. I see her a lot, but obviously the lessons have to fit around her busy schedule. Sometimes I might not see her for two or three weeks, but she loves to have a class when she has just stepped off a plane.

'Geri treats yoga like a toolbox. For example, she likes to do a headstand to liven her up before an interview.

Geri has enthused about her new found fitness regime and, with the help of Katy, has released a video of yoga techniques called Geri Yoga. Katy said: 'I enjoyed making the video because it was something I hadn t done before.