kay louise smith
Meet Kay, a real estate pro, turned yoga teacher based in West London. When she’s not leading Vinyasa classes, she’s hustling as a prime property broker in some of London’s most sought-after postcodes.
I first met Kay at Sampoorna Yoga during our 200-hour YTT, in the paradise of South Goa. Here, jungle meets the beach, and I still can't quite believe that’s where we got to spend a whole month!
From the moment we met, her outgoing, playful spirit had me hooked. She was the girl who befriended every dog on Agonda Beach and ran into the sea in a white linen dress at graduation. I have the most mischievous memories of us enjoying drinks on the beach before our final Yoga Nidra session—very un-yogi, but we thought it might help us drift off into peaceful dreamland (spoiler alert: it didn’t!).
We bonded over terrible bosses and corporate chaos, which led us on our journey to India. As someone once told me on my first visit, “Everyone who travels to India is searching for something.”
Big trips are often synonymous with huge life decisions. After a whirlwind of self-discovery, Kay took a bold leap and quit her corporate job at Sotheby’s. Now, she balances her passion for yoga with freelance real estate, aiming to merge the two worlds through networking events and wellness series. “After India, I felt so stressed and anxious just going to the office,” she says. “But since quitting, I have managed to find a balance between working independently in property and teaching yoga. I have genuinely built a life I love and that aligns with my values.”
Kay started practising over a decade ago, but her practice took off during lockdown when she found her mentor, Heather Hearts. “I’m naturally impatient and working in sales does not help, but yoga has taught me to slow down and be present,” she shares. Yoga kept Kay grounded and focused during the crazy years of lockdown and navigating life at high-pressure, real estate brokerages. “I really fell in love with the sequences and the consistency of the practice,” she says. “Heather creates amazing flows for 6 weeks at a time. Poses feel hard at the beginning, but over the course, I see such amazing growth and find it fascinating the ability to teach the body new things.”
Deciding to join the Sampoorna 200-hour YTT was a step out of the comfort zone for Kay. “I initially went just to deepen my yoga knowledge, but I’ve fallen head over heels for teaching,” she expresses. “Sampoorna turned out to be the best decision of my life,” and as a fellow Sampoorna student, I couldn’t agree more!
Kay teaching at Cadogan Pier on a boat listed for sale. Just one way she combines her Property and Yoga business.
On return from India, Kay began to teach her weekly beginner classes. What was nerve-wracking at first soon became her favourite time of the week.
Kay’s classes are spicy Vinyasa flows, paired to house music that fits perfectly with the rhythm. Expect arm balances, twists and hip opening galore, though she also does a brilliant beginner’s adaptation. As an ex-dancer, Kay loves the connection to music, how the music cues the transition and the flow. “To me, it’s important to teach what I love to practise, I would love to also slow it down and teach Yin or Nidra,” she reveals.
“It is important to me to teach what I love to practise”
When I asked her what yoga means to her, her answer hit home: “Everything. It transformed me, helped me find my peace, and connect my mind and body. Watching how much my body can learn and achieve with regular practice is something I love. I am beyond grateful to have yoga and I love teaching it more than I ever imagined.”
You can catch Kay, alongside her adorable Pomchi Bella, at her House of Koko residency this summer or join one of her retreats in Ibiza this October. Plus, she’s crafting wellness newsletters, leading yoga classes at prestigious open houses for OB Private, serving as a Technogym ambassador and creating wellness suites in luxury properties. I for one cannot wait to see what she does next.