In this episode, I’m joined by Tanya St-Lawson, a martial artist whose journey spans continents, cultures, and decades of deep personal cultivation.

Born in the former Czechoslovakia, Tanya first began training in the martial arts as a teenager after moving to Prague, where she was introduced to Shaolin-style kung fu. What started as an interest in martial arts quickly evolved into a lifelong pursuit of discipline, self-discovery, and embodied practice.

Her path has taken her across Europe and into China, studying a wide range of systems and disciplines including Eagle Claw Kung Fu, English Martial Arts, Shaolin Temple arts, stage and screen combat, and bodywork modalities in Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Alongside her martial training, Tanya also served in the British Police from 2006 to 2011 within a Public Protection Unit, working in critical and serious incidents. That experience gave her a unique perspective on conflict, stress, and the role martial arts can play as both a stabilizing force and a practical framework for daily life.

In 2009, her martial path took a profound turn when she traveled to the Wudang Mountains of China, where she began transitioning from primarily external systems into the world of internal martial arts and Daoist cultivation. Over multiple extended stays, including six months living and training at the Five Immortals Temple, she immersed herself in the traditions of the Dragon Gate, Chun Yang lineage under Abbot Xing De.

Today, Tanya lives in the south of England, where she continues her training while teaching movement, embodiment, internal martial arts, and practical strategies for personal evolution and everyday living.

Please enjoy my interview with Tanya St-Lawson!

(1) Instagram

(1) Tanya St-Lawson – Personal Evolution Unlimited – YouTube