meet the team

Founder and Senior Trainer

Jackie Heffer

“Hello, I’m Jackie and I’m founder of the award winning ZenMuma, ZenKids, ZenTeens and the CIC Freedom Wellbeing Projects. I’m also a social analyst currently engaged in a MA in Global Social Development, I’m a Senior Yoga Teacher Trainer in Hatha Yoga, Pregnancy Yoga, Baby and Post-Natal Yoga, a Master in Massage Therapy, a Senior Hypnobirthing Trainer and a Children and Teen Yoga Teacher Trainer.

My interest is in change in wellbeing, equality, resilience and development within local and global arenas.

I’m particularly interested in the stories we tell each other about health and wellness, and how, as part of a global conversation, we can learn teachings like yoga from ‘The East’, and absorb them into our culture in ‘The West’. There is a lot we can learn, through ideas about the ecosystem of community, collaboration, ancestral wisdom, storytelling, philosophy and yoking connection. Ideas that may be fading in our cultures in ‘The West’ as we develop an absorption in technology and turn ourselves away from the natural world and everyday connection to others.

I am also a business woman having set-up and ran the The Orange Grove Clinic and ZenMuma, ZenKids and ZenTeens and I hold retreats in countries across the world with Freedom Retreats.

We have recently launched our Social Enterprise Company Freedom Wellbeing Project CIC, where we aim to deliver workshops for free in our local area to teachers in schools to pass onto their pupils. With our international connections we are also moving towards understanding international social development.

I’m also a writer and producer, having written for such publications as Mother & Baby Magazine, BabyCentre and OM Magazine, I’m a regular columnist in newspapers, an expert guest for BBC Radio and before kids worked as a TV Executive for 11 years! 

ZenMuma is inspired by my extensive training with the thought leaders in hypnobirthing and yoga, such as Marie Mongan, Birthlight, Suzanne Yates, MTI, CamYoga, and by incredible local teachers Swami Atma Gyanam Saraswati, Kate Coulson, and numerous others, as well as my own experiences as a pregnant and new mum. I also spent some time working as Chair of our local Maternity Voice Partnership at The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, in which I learnt a great deal about Maternity Services and helped provoke and promote change within the systems.

The other major area of my current work is in schools, educating teachers in wellbeing, and training them in proprioceptive exercise based on yoga, breathwork and bodywork, with the intention of passing this on to children and young people. MIND reports that one in six children aged 5 to 16 were identified as having a mental health issue in July 2021, one in nine children were identified with mental health issues in 2017. One in six children equates to five children in every classroom. The next generation needs to be taught mental health awareness in schools with a solid understanding of what it means to be human in this society, how they can help themselves forge more resilient, calmer and healthier futures. I am particularly interested in which global societies are getting this ‘right’, what we can learn from them, what we can teach, and how we can do this ethically, with respect.

Personally, I am inspired by listening to my thousands of mums, babies and children I have taught over the last fourteen years. And, of course, by my own children.

Megan, Sam and Scher this is dedicated to you and how much you have taught me since the moment of realisation that I was to be a mum.”

ZenKids Education Consultant

Hannah Betts

Hannah is a trained primary school teacher and children’s yoga teacher that specialises in Early Years teaching. She was drawn to teaching children’s yoga through ZenMuma owing to her blossoming interest for wellbeing and mindfulness in children after having her own daughter, Violet. As a mother, and also a teacher, Hannah believes equipping children with the tools to practice mindfulness is essential for growth both inside and outside of the classroom.

We are incredibly grateful to Hannah for bringing her knowledge to the writing of the ZenKids yoga teacher training companion from the viewpoint of a teacher and her expertise in the curriculum.

ZenKids Children’s Occupational Therapy Consultant

Nicola Albert-Worman

Nicola is a qualified Occupational Therapist, who has worked as a Specialist Children’s OT for the past 10 years. After gaining her degree, Nicola went on to work within hospitals for several years before specialising in Paediatrics and subsequently working in a wide range of different settings within the NHS, Education and in private practise. Over time Nicola has developed a particular interest in the development of motor skills in children and the relationship these have with a child’s ability to be independent with day to day activities and life skills.  

Nicola’s interest in a child’s physical development was further encouraged by enjoying Baby Yoga with both of her own children, Ted and Rose.

We are thankful to Nicola for bringing her expertise to the writing of the ZenKids yoga teacher training companion from the professional perspective of an occupational therapist and her expertise in working with children in schools.