by Lucinda Staniland This week we started a conversation that explores the very foundations of a yoga practice. We selected a handful of influential people in the New Zealand and Australian yoga community and asked them, Who has had the greatest influence on your yoga practice? Their answers are as varied and vibrant as the yogis themselves, and they showcase both the diversity and the surprising unity of the yoga community. Enjoy! Persephone Singfield I am the one who has the … [Read more...]
Here you'll find the collected wisdom of a wide range of yoga teachers, who have been generous enough to share the many things they have learned from teaching yoga.
The Unexpected Discoveries I Made on Yoga Teacher Training
by Bhavani Davies, Sivananda Yoga Centre and one of our Best Up-and-Coming Yoga Teachers for 2016 I enrolled to take my first yoga teacher training in 2008, in an ashram situated in the lush greenery of Val Morin, Canada. The ashram was founded in 1962 and is located on 350 acres in the beautiful Laurentian Mountains. In the first couple of days I struggled not only with the early starts and lack of communication with the outside world, but also with myself. On more than one occasion I … [Read more...]
Jase Te Patu on Embracing Vulnerability & Power Living’s 200Hr Yoga Teacher Training
by Kara-Leah Grant I adore Jase Te Patu - he's a man with so much heart, and so in love with New Zealand and his Māori culture. Plus he's passionate about yoga - both the practice and the teaching of it. When he and I sat down to have a chat about Power Living's Yoga Teacher Training here in New Zealand, it was immediately apparent how Jase has grown since we last spoke two years ago. The passionate boyishness has matured into grounded strength, tempered with an open vulnerability. And, … [Read more...]
A Review of Anatomy & Yoga: A Guide for Teachers and Students
by Nikki Ralston, The Ralston Method At school I had no interest in the sciences whatsoever, let alone in anatomy. At that age, it was boring and irrelevant! However my attitude to anatomy changed in my second to last year at high school when I was on the verge of failing my exams. A great teacher stepped in and finally made science interesting, and what a transformation occurred from that moment. This forever highlighted for me that the art of teaching is to make the content relevant and … [Read more...]
The Humbling Experience of Ditching Music While Teaching Yoga
by Kara-Leah Grant Facilitating retreat is always a powerful experience, not just for the retreatees, but also for myself and the other facilitators. I know that I'm going to get triggered, that my ideas and beliefs will be challenged, and my unconsciousness revealed. This is the process of retreat, and it is immensely rewarding. In the middle of the fire though, it's damned hard work. Case in point: The Heart of Joy, Bali. I’m co-facilitating with Ben Ralston. It's only the second retreat … [Read more...]
The Inside Story on Golden Flow Yoga’s 200Hr Yoga Teacher Training
When you’re contemplating which Yoga Teacher Training is right for you, one of the best resources can be speaking to someone who has already done that training. Of course, it can be hard to track down former trainees, so we’ve done that hard work for you. Golden Flow Yoga is based on Golden Bay, at the top of New Zealand's South Island. It's facilitated by Aeven Kelly, an advocate for teaching people, not asana. We spoke to three women - Breanna, Rachael and Amy - who made the decision to … [Read more...]
Who is Responsible When Someone Gets Triggered in Yoga Class?
by Kara-Leah Grant I recently read a well-articulated and thoughtful open letter to Tiffany Cruikshank by Nikki Cook of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition. In the article, and the comments, Nikki suggested that it is our responsibility as yoga teachers to be mindful of our language and not use language which may be triggering*. My initial response to this was to think: No! That's not true. If we're triggered by something external, it's our responsibility and an opportunity to release a layer … [Read more...]
The Inside Story on Nadi Yoga’s 200Hr Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training
By Kara-Leah Grant When you're contemplating which Yoga Teacher Training is right for you, one of the best resources can be speaking to someone who has already done that training. Of course, it can be hard to track down former trainees, so we've done that hard work for you. We spoke to Helen Thomas, a Napier-based yoga teacher who did her teacher training with Nadi Yoga nearly two years ago. Helen had been practicing yoga for over ten years before finally making the decision to train as a … [Read more...]
The Ethics of Sharing Another Yoga Teacher’s Work
by Kara-Leah Grant Recently I received an email from a woman I have mentored through my Forty Day Process. She asked: Ok, ethics! I have a question for you and I have never thought of asking this of any of my other teachers in the past! I have a student who was just here practicing with me in Mexico. Here is where I don't know what is right from what is wrong. I intend to support her and take her through the home practice and also to get her on the 1 Giant Mind app so she will have two … [Read more...]
Who are the Best Up-and-Coming Yoga Teachers in New Zealand & Australia?
by Kara-Leah Grant Nominations now closed. Stay tuned for the winner of a three-day double pass to Wanderlust Sunshine Coast 2016, and the list of successful nominees. We want to identify yoga teachers in Australasia that are flying under the wire. These teachers don't have a huge presence on social media, they're not getting booked for festivals, AND they are doing great work. They have a committed yoga practice, they are dedicated to their students, they have an intimate understanding of … [Read more...]