Our Good Folk
Aleisha Smith
AKA Leish.
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
An intuitive, up-beat flow combining moments of stillness to reflect and observe what arises when we dive within.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
Laughing Lotus Super Sequencing. This training transformed my classes. It’s gave me direction and purpose in sequencing to a theme or pose. Most importantly it taught me to always honor myself, how I’m feeling, what is arising and teach to that!
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
Society and the Seasons. I like to reflect on current local or global events as well as reflect on the weather of the current season, to acknowledge the impacts these can both have on people’s state of mind.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
Observing students learning to move mindfully from a place within. How they move their limbs through space (and then through life) can change dramatically in a short period of time. I love this!
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
Scooting around town on my Vespa or giving a Japanese Shiatsu.
Something we may not know about you:
I spent a year living and teaching Yoga in Rome, ITALY ‘la dolce vita’ .
Lauri Phyland
AKA Lauz.
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Mellow, spacious, light-hearted and inclusive :)
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
Yoke 200hr Yoga Teacher training completed in 2019. Because it completely transformed the way I live within the world ... not to mention the epic people I met who've become super close pals!
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
All of my coastal Yoga teacher friends and community continue to give me so much inspiration (Patch Thompson, Leish Smith & Ryan Mannix have all been beautiful friends and mentors). At the moment, I'm really motivated and inspired by Ancient traditions and ways of living like Buddhism, Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
The feeling of belonging to such an epic community, as well as the lifestyle that comes along with being a full time teacher - the best!
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
Exploring, creating, cooking, mountain-biking/surfing and camping.
Something we may not know about you:
I occasionally sing and play guitar in savasana :)
Oliver Holland
AKA Olly.
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
I like to keep things fairly Dynamic, plenty of options to strengthen, challenge, to play and hopefully quieten down the mind through movement and presence
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
I recently completed a 200 hr Vinyasa training with Yoke yoga in Torquay. They held a strong emphasis on self enquiry into what sings true to you, what is authentic for us as individuals and to teach from that space. The guidance and learnings were truly invaluable my Teachers Chris Wilson, Ryan Mannix and Kate Henry are amazing and I’m extremely grateful to have them as teachers, mentors and friends
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
Vulnerability inspires me.. Allowing yourself time to be vulnerable or to suck at something and to be ok with that, is a space in which we can grow and evolve immensely, I try really hard to practice this and I admire people who let themselves do that.
What I love most about teaching yoga:
I think when you’re passionate and love something so much, having the ability to share it with like minded people is double the fun
Outside of yoga what else could We find you doing:
Building things, Surfing, mountain biking, camping
Something we may not know about you:
I also work as a carpenter, carpentry and yoga are at opposite ends of the spectrum which I find really refreshing and complimentary to each other
Patch Thompson
AKA Patchy.
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Fluid, deep and slow, with little sparks of challenge
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
Shiva Rea in Greece. It was in Greece!
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I soak up inspiration from all the wonderful teachers and students that surround me. I'm also heavily inspired by Chinese Medicine and traditional teachings of ancient and holistic philosophy and healing.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
It's pretty incredible to think that one hour of space that you hold for a student can be life shifting.
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
Studying (TCM) I'm a massive Chinese Medicine nerd, surfing or gardening. I get super excited when I pull a good carrot out of the ground!
Something we may not know about you:
I'm half Thai and spent 3 year old kinda in Bangkok. I spoke fluent Thai at the age but as I got older and spent more time in Australia I've forgotten it all :(
Jess Roe
Chris Christou
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Yoga sutras of Patanjali
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
Yoga school. Vikasa. The teachers are a living example of the practise they preach.
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
My inspiration for teaching always derives from daily Self practise.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
Teaching is my Dharma. It helps bring me closer to God, it helps opening my heart.
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
I practise martial arts. Jiujitsu/Brazilian Jiujitsu.
Sabrina Reuter
AKA FabSab, Sab, Brini
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Authentic from the heart, flowy with a little bit of spice.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
Oh me, oh my. This is a hard one for me to decide on because I absolutely LOVE to learn + train. I have done a few trainings with Yoke Yoga and I absolutely loved ALL of them. One training that holds a special place in my heart is the 200 hrs teacher training with Yoke. This training felt like coming home and was the gateway into growing into the teacher that I am today.
Recently I trained online with the girls from Creature Yoga and Rose Baudin – listening + learning about the subtle body. This training was absolutely mind blowing + pure bliss: Sitting at my desk with a hot cuppa + some choccy diving deep into the philosophy of Yoga. Yum! SO GOOD!
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I actually find lots of inspiration off the mat observing my practice within my daily life, sometimes it is on a hike, while I am cooking, listening to the lyrics of a song or chatting away with friends besides that I feel pretty lucky to have a pretty inspiring crew of fellow teachers and mentors around me.
There is nothing more motivating to me than seeing a student shifting their energy while practicing.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
I have taught and trained in many different ways to move the human body but nothing has touched my heart and allowed me to connect with myself in a way that Yoga does.
Seeing this in my students’ eyes: Finding back into a state of being, becoming aware and watching them reconnecting with themselves is so special!
And is there anything better than a room full of bodies, moving and breathing together, flowing to some great tunes? – I don’t think so 😊
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
My favourite thing is spending time out in nature with friends: hiking, surfing, biking, beach walk – I’m in! Traveling + listening to music + dancing.
Something we may not know about you:
I love dancing and used to teach it.
Emma West
AKA Ems
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Mindful functional movement with a sprinkle of soul.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
I've loved all my training so far. I'm always searching for new workshops and courses to broaden my knowledge and challenge my understanding. My best experience was my first 200hour training in Bali in 2017 because everything I learnt was so mind blowing.
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I'm inspired by teachers from all over the globe. Movement for me is medicine and I love learning from other disciplines as well as diving into philosophy, meditation practices and geeking on anatomy.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
Being present. Teaching is one of the only times I can be fully in the moment.
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
Salty swims, drinking coffee, or petting dogs but mostly napping.
Something we may not know about you:
I used to be a professional dancer and have been in several Bollywood films.
What can’t you live without:
Carbs.