Our Teachers
Jim Pini
Jim is a true earth spirit who has grown into both an Energy Medicine Practitioner and a yoga and meditation teacher.
He has now spent years sharing his yoga offerings with the Wollondilly and Macarthur communities.
Trained in Vinyasa, Yin, Pre and Post Natal and Children’s yoga, he pulls from an abundant well of knowledge to deliver a soul guided, heart-centred yoga practice.
Meghann Fitzpatrick
I was first introduced to yoga through the practice of meditation, where it was suggested I try yoga as an alternate way to calm the mind and practice meditation through movement. I decided to give it a go and sought out a local restorative yoga class which I
enjoyed.
In the years that followed and wherever I travelled I always searched for, local classes wherever I landed. When I finally settled in Tasmania I came across a vinyasa yoga class to which the teacher invited me in. It was here that I fell in love with vinyasa yoga.
I loved the flow of the practice and found it the perfect way to cope with the many life changes that were happening at the time; It calmed my inner world. The more I practiced the more grounded and balanced I felt both on and off the mat.
I believe in yoga for all and as I delve deeper into my studies and practice I invite you all to join me on the mat to guide you towards the journey of turning inwards and connecting with our true selves.
Jessica Franke
Jessica was first introduced to yoga as a complementary modality during her professional dance career. What began as a purely a physical practice, soon grew in spiritual depth, becoming a practical guide back “home” to her true nature.
After a personal practice spanning 10 years, Jessica felt called to complete her yoga teaching qualifications and offer this remarkable healing modality in service to the community.
Jessica has particular interest in the traditional philosophies and teachings of yoga, with its origins dating back over 5000 years, and how we can practically implement these teachings in our modern world without diluting its potency.
Jessica is passionate about empowering her students with practical tools to enhance their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing, as well as drawing all facets of the self back into a unified, peaceful whole. Her classes will take you on a journey that gives you space to explore often unchartered nooks of your being in a safe and nurturing environment, and help you to return to a state of inner peace and grounded, loving consciousness.
Sabrina Hodkinson
Yoga has been a part of my life as a source of support both physically and mentally for many years now. Yet 2020’s need for grounding and self-reflection lead me to take the plunge into a 200-hr teacher training course with Body Mind Life. This experience not only deepened my love of yogic philosophy and the complexities of the human body, yet challenged myself to live as a more mindful human being.
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To me yoga is much more than movement, but a way of life. Yoga helps awaken the inner potential within us all, as we already have all the tools we need within ourselves to live a more balanced lifestyle.
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In my Hatha yoga style classes, I incorporate my love of yogic philosophy, utilise my anatomical knowledge to support your body, alongside nourishing breath work practices and meditation to calm the soul. Though I love the gentle yoga postures that help steady the mind, I also like to encourage my students to challenge themselves with my support at their side.
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My teaching style is both gentle and assertive as I strongly believe in the idea of finding ones’ balance. I cater for both the curious beginner, to the fully-fledge yogi as I hope to inspire my students that all bodies have yoga as an outlet to dive deeper into understanding ourselves. I hope you leave my classes feeling rejuvenated, grounded, and curious to learn more about the wonders of yoga with me.
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Namaste.
Naomi Chisholm
Naomi began her yoga journey for strength and flexibility for her body, only to
discover the healing powers of yoga for her mind. Yoga gave her the tools to
alleviate her anxiety through breath awareness, meditation and self-discovery.
Naomi loves teaching dynamic Vinyasa flows as well as the stillness and
softness of Yin Yoga. She teaches with compassion and interweaves intentions
of love, gratitude and self-empowerment throughout her classes.
Naomi is passionate about sharing and exploring the physical, emotional and energetic benefits of yoga with her students.
Naomi has completed 200 hours of Vinyasa/Hatha, 50 hours of Yin Yoga
teacher training and 25 hours of kids yoga training.
‘Yoga has transformed my life, teaching yoga brings me so much joy by helping others to feel empowered, supported and to discover their own yoga journey’.
Raewyn Fernandez
My intention is to educate and build community through movement, breath work and spiritual connection.
I have a passion for women's health and working with children. This is at the root of many of my practices with an emphasis on supporting women through prenatal care, birthing and beyond.
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I was fortunate to be introduced to Yoga at a very young age by my mother and have fond memories of practicing yoga with friends whilst still in primary school. I have been practicing Yoga for over 20 years. My practice has evolved through the challenges of injuries and motherhood and each of these has left me feeling grateful for and connected to my practice. The ancient philosophies and scriptures of Yoga have so much to offer in this modern world where we often feel disconnected and lacking energy and joy. I love being able to weave these ancient teachings into my classes offering students insights both on and off the mat.
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I look forward to sharing a practice with you soon.
Ruth Pirie - Studio Owner
I came to yoga as a new mum needing some time away to simply breathe, relax and revitalise. The beautiful practices of Yoga, mindfulness meditation and breathwork soon offered me the physical benefits of strengthening and balancing my body, while assisting me to gain great mental clarity. Yoga was my constant and my baseline while working through PND and grief during my first few years of motherhood.
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Today, I am guided in multiple ways through the ancient wisdom of this profound practice. Through deepening my personal practice, I began to live life with a deep sense of gratitude while experiencing the benefits of being truly present. I approach my daily life with the perspective of mindfulness and weave this into my teaching. Yoga has taken me on the path of self-awareness, guiding me to discover and connect with my true essence and authenticity each day.
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My teaching style is nonjudgmental, nurturing and inviting. I hold space for others to step into a deeper self-inquiry of their body and soul’s wisdom, encouraging the growth of students physically, mentally and spiritually whilst guiding them through nourishing conscious movement, breath work and meditation practices.
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My journey has led me to sound and vibrational healing and Reiki. I am exploring my innate wisdom I share joyfully with others to pave way for healing, openness and receptivity. I channel sound consciously to help others find stillness and deep-rooted relaxation; guiding them to access their own soul's expression and return to wholeness.
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My classes and workshops will guide you to challenge yourself through mindful movements which hold a balance between effort and ease, thus allowing you to connect with the space of calm and stillness that we all hold within. You will leave the practice feeling nourished, energised, balanced and renewed.
Jackie Ayoub
Jackie came to yoga from a traditional exercise professional background and has worked a a fitness trainer and yoga instructor now in the area for many years.
Originally seeking a practice that would complement her other work she soon fell in love with both the physical practice and the mental clarity that yoga brought.
Jackie studied yoga through Byron Bay Yoga School as well as The Yoga Institute. She is particularly interested in the anatomy and physiology of yoga as well as the intricacies of the subtle body and how these all affect mental well-being.
Kay Callaghan
As someone who has a lived experience of anxiety & depression I thought that it was something that I would have to endure for the rest of my life. I didn’t realise that there were other options other than to take the prescribed anti-depressants and have endless amounts of therapy.
I had dabbled in yoga on and off for years and had glimpsed a better way of being in the world and most importantly with myself. One day I woke up and thought I am sick of feeling like this. Anxious, depressed and disconnected from the world around me and most of all myself. I decided that I would make a commitment and begin a regular yoga practice, that’s really when I started to notice changes. I can remember being petrified of stepping out of my comfort zone and showing up to the studio each day. I fell in love with how the physical practice helped me find stillness and internal silence. It calmed the loop of negative self talk. It Silence my inner critic which had kept me small and scared. It was such a relief, from my suffering and fear. I remember showing up every day for months, I knew this was what I had been looking for, something that gave me the tools, the practices not only on the mat but in everyday life to bring me joy, fulfilment and the knowledge that I am enough.
I feel compelled to share the tools that I have found so useful and life changing. I am not saying that yoga can cure your anxiety & depression but when practiced regularly it can support you to live a more fulfilling life.
And by Yoga I don’t mean the bendy crazy Instagram Yoga. I mean authentic yoga, reconnecting through gentle postures to release tension to the body, breathing practices to enable you to self-regulate your nervous system, meditation to bring you out of the “busyness” of the external and to enable you to quite the mind chatter to reach a place of stillness and wholeness, practical exercises to enable you to understand your mind and the tricks it is playing on you and how to better manage them.
Simply put if you show up for yourself and do the simple practices, you will feel better……Physically, emotionally and psychologically.
Please Join me at one of my courses, Yoga 4 Anxiety & Depression at My Yoga Space.
With love and gratitude x
Janelle Johnson
My journey in to yoga began nearly 20 years ago when I was studying martial arts. I found yoga & martial arts training complimented each other beautifully. I soon became a personal trainer, then after a short flow yoga course with De De Daniels, I began teaching yoga. 15 years ago I completed my 200 hour certification with Power Living Yoga & I soon gave away personal training to focus purely on yoga.
Yoga has opened my eyes & heart to so many beautiful practises, including meditation, mindfulness, asana, chanting, relaxation & so much more. I love that within our own personal yoga journey, there’s no end to the learning & evolution of ourselves. I am forever grateful for the wonderful friends, mentors, teachers, peers & students that are also a witness to the amazing world of yoga.
I encourage people in my class to feel the energetic support that comes with practising in a group, yet allow their own inner teacher to guide them through their practise. To be kind, patient & loving with ourselves in our daily lives, as well as on our mats.
I hope to have the pleasure of meeting you one day.
Namaste