David is of Russian descent, the son of a scientist mother and an international Artiste/Performer father, Frankie Vaughan.
He began his practice of Yoga as a direct result of suffering from ulcerative colitis and a spastic colon.
He discovered Tibetan healers and worked with them, and their healing practices saw that on his return doctors were unable to find the tumours. He felt better than he could ever remember, and this completely changed the course of his life. From then on yoga and Tibetan healing techniques became his life’s focus.
In 1990 he moved to Yugoslavia to work as a Radio journalist on a non-political radio station, whilst also teaching Yoga to classes in Belgrade. Circumstances conspired to the point where he found himself caught up in the middle of the Bosnian war. This resulted in the emergence of his own unique practice….YOGABEATS, a style of Yoga, born out of an environment where the possibilities of death and (the stress of this) were always close at hand. He used music to drown out the sound of the conflict, both “overt” and “covert”.
On his return it took some perseverance before the British Yoga community started to appreciate and accept his radical approach to Yoga. Initially in the media they called him the bad boy of yoga, and that he had destroyed 5000 years of yoga tradition, these same groups now invite him to teach across the UK.
In 1997 he met his late teacher Clara Buck, and studied with her to the end of her life in 2004. She was a student of Krishnamacharya, BKS Iyengar, and a close friend of Vanda Scaravelli, some of he students include Angela Farmer and Shandor Remete.
David’s Past projects include his ground breaking “urban” Yogabeats work, notably with Glasgow street youth in the infamous Easter house district – alongside his work with the International Group ‘Youth at Risk’, an extraordinary and effective combination of Yogabeats working in tandem with psychologists and social workers.
He is also internationally known for his work with Palestinians in the West Bank which began in 2004, and was responsible for bringing together for the first time, both sides of this Middle East conflict for a Yoga class in 2006, “without which” as David says, ” a single politician or member of the U.N. was needed to be present. It was just pure humanity inspired by the ancient practice of Yoga. David’s YOGA BEATS CONFLICT fund was born in 2011, and the work continues today with further meetings between the Palestinians and Israelis, and the Yogabeats Foundation Teacher training project in Palestine, thanks to very generous donations from the public in the UK and abroad.
David is based in London though teaches across the world. His passion and excitement for his work arises out of the fact that the practise and theory behind Yogabeats is not only a model for transformation through yoga, but a system where men and women are given the tools to maintain the transformation, so they can go on to realise their life’s full potentiality taking the techniques out to their communities.
The same can be said for revealing breathing – this rebirthing technique is something David is passionate about now more than ever as this timeless unique healing is more important now than ever.
a metaphysical revolution and since meeting his partner Amanda in 2018, it evolved quite naturally into the mystical art form .,that David had envisioned for many years…
Amanda is an ordained High Priestess and David was a practising Metaphysician many years prior to becoming a Yoga Elder so Yogabeats very naturally evolved from its original form of Yogabeats into the new persona of ‘Yogabeats and Ancient Magick’.
His work in the Community at home and Internationally is developing a life of its own, and is now recognised and acknowledged by peace makers, and at governmental level. Yoga Beats Conflict is supported by His Holiness The Dhalai Lama
Amanda was born and raised in Norfolk by two wonderful parents. Though she has lived and travelled all over the world, the gentility of the English countryside always pulls her back.
As a child she had a very special relationship with the invisible realms and natures guardians, hopping between worlds often – something that despaired her mother but which her grandfather nurtured and applauded.
Always a talented writer and poet, Amanda worked as a journalist from a young age. She always knew her path was to help and heal and saw journalism as a way to give a voice to the voiceless and challenge the things wrong with the world, something she still does through art and words today.
Amanda had over a decade where she hid her spiritual nature owing to fear of rejection and being different. She moved into a high powered marketing role, managing the global marketing for one of the biggest companies in the world. Denying her truth and the constant pushing back of the metaphysics and her ‘clair’ skills resulted in two breakdowns.
After losing her father and descending into emotional chaos, a chance meeting with a mystic on a dusty road in Jamaica saw her quit her job and surrender to her true path. Amanda travelled all over the world discovering the ancient traditions of different cultures, living with tribes and remembering the lives she’d led before.
Training as an Earth Priestess and then High Priestess in the Magdalene order started a process of remembering. After years of closing them down, Amanda reopened channels to the other worlds. Now she enjoys having ‘colleagues’ that are dragons and fairies compared to the corporate bankers she suffered years ago! The latter breathe more fire.
Meeting David by chance early 2018 was the start of something very beautiful – the meeting of two souls that had always known each other and had the same goal. They waited and watched the world until the right path opened to fuse their work together – thus Yogabeats Ancient Magick was born.
From an early age I was curious about yoga in the 70s my Mum would have these magazines coming through the door ‘come alive.’
I went to my first yoga class which was Iyengar in about 1994.
Later in about 1998 I was invited by a friend to a class with David Sye when I was living in High Wycombe. I loved it so much and it was at that moment I began to realise what come alive meant from all those years ago and continued attending David’s classes when he was in the area even after moving to Windsor, it felt so freeing, empowering and fun! After a move to the USA, I stayed in touch with David following yogabeats and my own path to yoga whilst living in California. Always seeking the knowledge in myself and love of learning. Since my return to the UK completed Yogabeats foundation 1&2 and I am working towards my YTT 200hr.
