by Lucinda Staniland, Denise Payne is a big-hearted yoga teacher with more than three decades of experience on the mat. Most recently, she spent the last eight years in Bali, where she taught at Ubud's favourite yoga studio, The Yoga Barn and also at Bali's most notorious prison, Kerobokan, where she started a yoga program with Myuran Sukumaran, one of the Bali Nine. In today's yoga landscape, Denise has what I consider to be an unusually deep grounding in Yoga, including twenty years spent … [Read more...]
Vincent Bolletta on Asana, Movement & Yoga Therapy
by Lucinda Staniland, Meet Vincent Bolletta, one of New Zealand’s foremost yoga instructors and teacher trainers and the founder of hañsa Yoga, a unique style of yoga that integrates both eastern and western thought and methodologies. Vincent's been in the yoga game a long time—he's been practising yoga since 1989 and teaching since 1991—but alongside his considerable knowledge and experience in the field, he still cultivates a beautiful sense of excitement, joy and curiosity towards the … [Read more...]
Justine Hamill on The Process of Unconditioning in Yoga Teacher Training
by Lucinda Staniland Meet the delightful Justine Hamill, co-owner of Wellington's Power Living yoga studio and a Senior Facilitator of the Power Living New Zealand team. With eighteen years of Yoga practice under her belt, as well as training in Gestalt Psychotherapy, watching Justine in action makes it obvious that she brings a very deep level of experience and nurturing care to Power Living's Yoga Teacher Trainings, which she's been involved with for the last four years. Yoga Teacher … [Read more...]
Is It Good to Go Deeper in a Yoga Pose?
by Lucinda Staniland For all the years I’ve been practicing yoga, I’ve always strived to ‘go deeper’ into the poses. In fact, I thought this was the point of asana. In the name of depth, I’ve pursued an ‘open heart’, and ‘release’ in the hips. Whatever the pose—lunges, backbends, twists—I’ve had an image in my mind of precisely how the pose should look, and the depth that I need to reach to achieve the perfect alignment. I’ve stretched my hands to my toes in standing forward bends, sunk deep … [Read more...]
Connecting with the Heart of Yoga: Reflections on Yoga Teacher Training with Mark Whitwell
Editor's Note: Since this article was published, several accounts of sexual harassment and assault have been made public by Mark Whitwell's female students. We do not in any way condone Mark's behaviour. You can read more about the accounts here. by Rosalind Atkinson, “If you want to teach people, you have to love them,” said the tall figure seated near me on the floor. Shit, I thought. What am I doing here, then? I don’t love people… I hate them! I feel them frozen in fear and radiating phoney … [Read more...]
How I Finally Found the Perfect Yoga Teacher Training For Me
by Lucinda Staniland I’ve had a serious home yoga practice for over 8 years and I’ve been working at The Yoga Lunchbox for almost as long. Over that time, I’ve been exposed to a wide range of Yoga Teacher Training programmes. I’ve interviewed many of the teachers behind the programmes, promoted their trainings on social media, and created Guides to help potential yogis find the perfect Yoga Teacher Training for them in NZ and Australia. I know what’s out there when it comes to NZ Yoga Teacher … [Read more...]
The Inside Story on Yoga Nidra & Restorative Yoga Instructor Training at Anahata Yoga Retreat
by Lucinda Staniland 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. In today's world, there is a great need for restorative practices like Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga, so I was delighted to hear that Anahata Yoga Retreat is offering a Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga Instructors … [Read more...]
Sarsha & Sandi of Nadi 200 Hour Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher Training on the Incredible Intelligence of the Body
by Lucinda Staniland Sandi Murphy and Sarsha Hood are two passionate, intelligent and, most of all embodied women. These are characteristics that serve them well as co-leaders of the Nadi 200 Hour Vinyasa Flow Yoga Teacher Training, an immersive month-long training for dedicated yoga students. Watching their interview with Kara-Leah Grant, I was greatly struck by the incredible synergy and resonance between them. Sarsha and Sandi are the epitome of the saying 'on the same wave length'— … [Read more...]
The Best Guide to NZ Yoga Teacher Trainings 2020
9 Questions To Ask Before You Host a Travelling Yoga Teacher
by Kara-Leah Grant Hosting a travelling yoga teacher can be a successful and profitable venture for a yoga studio - if done right! It can use up "dead time" in the studio. It opens up an additional income stream. It can bring in students that don't usually come to the studio, some of whom may come back. It can increase the exposure and awareness of the host studio in the marketplace. It can educate and inspire the studio's student base. And it can be the beginning of an … [Read more...]