My name is Caroline and I was born in Ireland. My husband and I moved here in 2002, following the footsteps of my family, most of whom now live in Auckland. So for me, New Zealand is like a home away from home. In fact, it’s a lot like Ireland, but the climate is a lot nicer here!
I live in Orewa with my husband and our two young children. Although I’m relatively new to yoga and only started "Yummy Yoga" in September 2013, I’m not new to teaching. I'm a qualified Secondary School Teacher and I have been teaching since 1998. I’ve taught Physical Education and English to Secondary School students, and I also spent many years teaching English at University level.
Throughout the years, I always liked the idea of doing yoga myself and I'd done it on and off for years, but never consistently. However, in 2007, I gave birth to our miracle daughter. She was born with a very rare genetic condition, which has affected her physically. It became immediately clear that a lifetime of stretching and strengthening would help reduce her aches and pains and help provide her with the ability to function as normally as possible.
Although my daughter was also benefiting from other therapies outside the home, I started doing some yoga therapy with her at home, researching and studying stretching options that seemed do-able for her. She immediately responded to the therapy. But more importantly, she enjoyed the fun element as well as the stretching and relaxing at the end. It has now become something which we consistently do together
and she looks forward to it.
So I guess I could say that my new passion or love – that of yoga – has grown more from a need, rather than me following a particular dream. However, it has turned out to be something which I’m now extremely passionate about and something which I really want to share with others. Since embarking on this yogic journey, I have studied a lot and have successfully completed many Yoga and other related courses.
These have included:
1. Byron Bay Yoga Teacher Training
2. Rainbow Kids Teacher Training
3. Yoga Therapy Teacher Training (Including Special Needs )
4. Restorative Yoga Teacher Training 1 and 2
5. Swedish Massage Course and a short Thai Massage Course
6. The Art of Breathing Course and an introduction to Buteyko Breathing
7. Child Connection Course - "Children Massaging Children"
8. Brain Gym 101 for Brain Integration
9. Butekyo Practitioner
10. Mindfulness Courses
11. Yoga For Mental Health trained
All of this learning has been incredibly useful in my day to day life and has become something which I find easily applicable and valuable in our own family life.
In fact, it’s taken me a long time to fully understand the benefits of yoga and I still discover more benefits all the time! But for our family, it has helped us enormously in many ways, and this is why I would like to bring more yoga into people’s lives. Since I started teaching Yummy Yoga in 2013, I have had numerous people tell me of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits that they experience every time they get on their mat. I feel incredibly blessed to be part of this amazing journey to self discovery and true happiness.
For me, yoga teaches me to take time for my body because otherwise, I live my whole day in my busy mind, which is mentally exhausting. It also helps me to feel less achy, more flexible and it really amplifies my emotional well-being. I feel calmer and I have learned to breathe more slowly and more correctly since I started doing yoga regularly. In fact, I’ve retrained my breathing pattern from being a full time mouth breather (which has chronic affects on health) to a nose breather. I’m currently encouraging this with my asthmatic daughter through the help of the wonderful Buteyko Breathing Courses available. After all, correct breathing is as crucial to our lives, as movement is to our bodies.
My next goal in fact, is to become a fully qualified Buteyko Instructor and so I started this training this year and hope to qualified by Christmas 2019
(Yip its 2020 and I am now qualified!).
Yoga is often defined as the integration of body, mind and breath. And for me, it is exactly that. One of my more senior teachers once defined yoga practice as a means of growing old gracefully. I love this description too because we often forget that the basic movements we need – keeping our core stable, maintaining good pelvic floor stability, having correct posture etc, are all paramount to our on-going and future health.
With all that in mind, I hope you can find yoga somewhere - you can join us in any of the weekly classes that are available to you. Alternatively, there is plenty of Yoga also available in gyms, other studios or even just following a Yoga DVD at home works really well. Whenever you decide to place you mat, I wish you peace and ease!
I live in Orewa with my husband and our two young children. Although I’m relatively new to yoga and only started "Yummy Yoga" in September 2013, I’m not new to teaching. I'm a qualified Secondary School Teacher and I have been teaching since 1998. I’ve taught Physical Education and English to Secondary School students, and I also spent many years teaching English at University level.
Throughout the years, I always liked the idea of doing yoga myself and I'd done it on and off for years, but never consistently. However, in 2007, I gave birth to our miracle daughter. She was born with a very rare genetic condition, which has affected her physically. It became immediately clear that a lifetime of stretching and strengthening would help reduce her aches and pains and help provide her with the ability to function as normally as possible.
Although my daughter was also benefiting from other therapies outside the home, I started doing some yoga therapy with her at home, researching and studying stretching options that seemed do-able for her. She immediately responded to the therapy. But more importantly, she enjoyed the fun element as well as the stretching and relaxing at the end. It has now become something which we consistently do together
and she looks forward to it.
So I guess I could say that my new passion or love – that of yoga – has grown more from a need, rather than me following a particular dream. However, it has turned out to be something which I’m now extremely passionate about and something which I really want to share with others. Since embarking on this yogic journey, I have studied a lot and have successfully completed many Yoga and other related courses.
These have included:
1. Byron Bay Yoga Teacher Training
2. Rainbow Kids Teacher Training
3. Yoga Therapy Teacher Training (Including Special Needs )
4. Restorative Yoga Teacher Training 1 and 2
5. Swedish Massage Course and a short Thai Massage Course
6. The Art of Breathing Course and an introduction to Buteyko Breathing
7. Child Connection Course - "Children Massaging Children"
8. Brain Gym 101 for Brain Integration
9. Butekyo Practitioner
10. Mindfulness Courses
11. Yoga For Mental Health trained
All of this learning has been incredibly useful in my day to day life and has become something which I find easily applicable and valuable in our own family life.
In fact, it’s taken me a long time to fully understand the benefits of yoga and I still discover more benefits all the time! But for our family, it has helped us enormously in many ways, and this is why I would like to bring more yoga into people’s lives. Since I started teaching Yummy Yoga in 2013, I have had numerous people tell me of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits that they experience every time they get on their mat. I feel incredibly blessed to be part of this amazing journey to self discovery and true happiness.
For me, yoga teaches me to take time for my body because otherwise, I live my whole day in my busy mind, which is mentally exhausting. It also helps me to feel less achy, more flexible and it really amplifies my emotional well-being. I feel calmer and I have learned to breathe more slowly and more correctly since I started doing yoga regularly. In fact, I’ve retrained my breathing pattern from being a full time mouth breather (which has chronic affects on health) to a nose breather. I’m currently encouraging this with my asthmatic daughter through the help of the wonderful Buteyko Breathing Courses available. After all, correct breathing is as crucial to our lives, as movement is to our bodies.
My next goal in fact, is to become a fully qualified Buteyko Instructor and so I started this training this year and hope to qualified by Christmas 2019
(Yip its 2020 and I am now qualified!).
Yoga is often defined as the integration of body, mind and breath. And for me, it is exactly that. One of my more senior teachers once defined yoga practice as a means of growing old gracefully. I love this description too because we often forget that the basic movements we need – keeping our core stable, maintaining good pelvic floor stability, having correct posture etc, are all paramount to our on-going and future health.
With all that in mind, I hope you can find yoga somewhere - you can join us in any of the weekly classes that are available to you. Alternatively, there is plenty of Yoga also available in gyms, other studios or even just following a Yoga DVD at home works really well. Whenever you decide to place you mat, I wish you peace and ease!
This is me with my two yoginis, Ashling and Jamie :)
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Just thought I might as well add our wee "Patch" here too cause she also likes yoga!
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Here is the rest of the awesome Yummy Yoga Team:
Machel, Nicki, Brendon, Coral, Katherine, Linda, Helene and our amazing admin help- Lisa :)
Machel, Nicki, Brendon, Coral, Katherine, Linda, Helene and our amazing admin help- Lisa :)
Hi my name is Machel Hiskens and I am very excited about having the opportunity to teach Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga at Yummy Yoga. I have been practising Yoga since 2007 and in 2008 I completed my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in South India in Ashtanga Yoga. I have also practised other styles of yoga since such as Iyengar and Sivananda yoga. In 2017 I completed a certificate specialising in Women's yoga and health with Bliss Baby Yoga in Australia as well as completing training in Postnatal and Prenatal yoga. I also am a qualified massage therapist through the New Zealand College of Massage.
I am passionate about women's health and bringing yoga into their daily lives to support and nurture women through the various stages that we move through in life. For me yoga is a joy, it nourishes my body and soul and brings peace and calm to my mind and emotions. It helps to keep me grounded, to live more in the moment and above all, to have compassion for self and others. I am very much looking forward to sharing yoga with you and to support those women through their pregnancy and post pregnancy with ease and grace. Namaste.
I am passionate about women's health and bringing yoga into their daily lives to support and nurture women through the various stages that we move through in life. For me yoga is a joy, it nourishes my body and soul and brings peace and calm to my mind and emotions. It helps to keep me grounded, to live more in the moment and above all, to have compassion for self and others. I am very much looking forward to sharing yoga with you and to support those women through their pregnancy and post pregnancy with ease and grace. Namaste.
Brendon is an accredited yoga teacher living on the Hibiscus Coast. He practices and teaches a traditional and integrated form of yoga while remaining open to today’s modern and evolving world of yoga. Brendon has experience teaching yoga in the community, including teaching on workshops, retreats and yoga teacher training. He has also taught yoga in drug and alcohol rehabilitation and palliative care and currently teaches yoga in prison. Brendon teaches yoga with mindfulness as a foundation and believes that through deep presence and stillness we can create a space for healing and transformation to occur. Yoga brings peace and harmony to the world one breath at a time. Brendon is also a NZ registered social worker, currently working in palliative care.
Brendon is a nature lover and enjoys playing guitar and singing to his neighbours alpacas. He also plays harmonium and enjoys the practice of kirtan.
Brendon is a nature lover and enjoys playing guitar and singing to his neighbours alpacas. He also plays harmonium and enjoys the practice of kirtan.
Hi, my name is Nicki. I am originally from South Africa but have lived in this beautiful country for 15 years now. We lived in Dubai, Ireland and England before settling in New Zealand.
I first started going to yoga classes with my Mom and my Gran when I was about 14 years old. However, I have memories of looking at a picture book of yoga asana that my Gran had, when I was just a little girl, and being fascinated with a picture of someone doing Lion pose (with their tongue sticking out as they “roared”) Even today, Simhasana is probably one of my favourite poses because it reminds me of my Gran.
Although I have been practicing yoga on and off for many years, I decided to dive deeper into it,(inspired by Caroline) and I completed my Yoga Teacher Training this year at Kawai Pura-Pura . It has been such a wonderful journey and I cannot wait to share the beauty of yoga with as many people as I can.
“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life” BKS Iyengar
I first started going to yoga classes with my Mom and my Gran when I was about 14 years old. However, I have memories of looking at a picture book of yoga asana that my Gran had, when I was just a little girl, and being fascinated with a picture of someone doing Lion pose (with their tongue sticking out as they “roared”) Even today, Simhasana is probably one of my favourite poses because it reminds me of my Gran.
Although I have been practicing yoga on and off for many years, I decided to dive deeper into it,(inspired by Caroline) and I completed my Yoga Teacher Training this year at Kawai Pura-Pura . It has been such a wonderful journey and I cannot wait to share the beauty of yoga with as many people as I can.
“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life” BKS Iyengar
Helene has been practising yoga on and off since her teenage years. She worked as a journalist in Denmark, but decided to change careers when she immigrated to New Zealand. In 2011 she graduated with a Diploma of Yoga from Wellpark College under doctors Sridhar and Pooja Maddela. She has since taught yoga full time across Auckland as well as internationally. Since 2011 Helene has continued to study and further her understanding of yoga and it’s many applications with the privilege to learn from many great teachers and masters. Forever a student.
Hello! My name is Linda Lauv and I’m a Hibiscus Coast local, having lived in Orewa and Whangaparaoa. However, over the past 12 years, I have lived in Shanghai, Kuwait and Singapore and have traveled and explored Asia extensively. I was an English Literature secondary school teacher, primary school camp teacher and private tutor since 2008 and have now stepped into my passions of yoga and pilates. I now solely put my time into studying and teaching them both. I also love cooking, art, film and theater.
I am a great advocate of yoga for children and the creativity and freedom it brings to their lives. Having experienced working with children from a wide range of ages, the common factor in their day to day lives that I saw from my experience was the lack of tools to cope in various situations. Yoga teaches children to acknowledge and respond compassionately to their own emotions, as well as those of others. It teaches them to listen, cooperate and engage with those around them. There are so many benefits of yoga, besides bringing a great awareness to their own bodies and having a lot of fun, that set up a wonderful foundation for the rest of their lives. Additionally, the children have also taught me to allow more freedom and spontaneous fun into my own life!
My training in yoga started with my 200 hours qualification in Hot, Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga. I was later drawn to the more passive side of Yoga and completed my 60 hours of Yin Yoga training then later my Children’s Yoga certification with Rainbow Kids. I am also a certified Pilates Reformer and Mat teacher and work in studios in Auckland City.
I am so excited to be part of the Yummy Yoga family and pleased to be of service to the local community and families.
I am a great advocate of yoga for children and the creativity and freedom it brings to their lives. Having experienced working with children from a wide range of ages, the common factor in their day to day lives that I saw from my experience was the lack of tools to cope in various situations. Yoga teaches children to acknowledge and respond compassionately to their own emotions, as well as those of others. It teaches them to listen, cooperate and engage with those around them. There are so many benefits of yoga, besides bringing a great awareness to their own bodies and having a lot of fun, that set up a wonderful foundation for the rest of their lives. Additionally, the children have also taught me to allow more freedom and spontaneous fun into my own life!
My training in yoga started with my 200 hours qualification in Hot, Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga. I was later drawn to the more passive side of Yoga and completed my 60 hours of Yin Yoga training then later my Children’s Yoga certification with Rainbow Kids. I am also a certified Pilates Reformer and Mat teacher and work in studios in Auckland City.
I am so excited to be part of the Yummy Yoga family and pleased to be of service to the local community and families.
Namaste, my name is Anne Adams and I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa but am now living as a local in Orewa. I have lived in 4 different countries but this past June I moved my roots to New Zealand, with my husband, 17 year old son, 14 year old daughter and 2 crazy dogs. I have been led to Yummy yoga and so grateful Caroline welcomed me into the family so warmly. I am so excited that I have been guided to share my passion, love and knowledge of yoga with you.
I may be new to teaching yoga but I have many years of teaching experience from teaching gym programs to young children when I lived in Sinagapore, to teaching dance and Tai Chi.
I have vast experience and knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, nervous system processes, women’s bodies and yoga which spans back to 1998. I have been practicing yoga since 2005 and decided to take my understanding further and completed my 12 module teachers certification with Mantra Yoga last year. I have completed a 20 hour prenatal teacher training course with Yoga Mama and I continue womb and women’s yoga with Bliss Baby Yoga by Ana Davis
I have a degree in physiology, I am a qualified Craniosacral therapist, completed TFH Kinesiology course and I have facilitated women’s sexual education talks.
My deeper understanding of yoga helped me through the very stressful time of packing up and moving our life to a new country. It taught me to SOAR. Surrender to the situation; Observe, rather than react; Allow the process and Release the stress. Just to be present, ground and breathe.
Meet me on the mat... Namaste
I may be new to teaching yoga but I have many years of teaching experience from teaching gym programs to young children when I lived in Sinagapore, to teaching dance and Tai Chi.
I have vast experience and knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, nervous system processes, women’s bodies and yoga which spans back to 1998. I have been practicing yoga since 2005 and decided to take my understanding further and completed my 12 module teachers certification with Mantra Yoga last year. I have completed a 20 hour prenatal teacher training course with Yoga Mama and I continue womb and women’s yoga with Bliss Baby Yoga by Ana Davis
I have a degree in physiology, I am a qualified Craniosacral therapist, completed TFH Kinesiology course and I have facilitated women’s sexual education talks.
My deeper understanding of yoga helped me through the very stressful time of packing up and moving our life to a new country. It taught me to SOAR. Surrender to the situation; Observe, rather than react; Allow the process and Release the stress. Just to be present, ground and breathe.
Meet me on the mat... Namaste
CURRENTLY ON LEAVE.....OCT, 2020
Passionate traveler, adventurer, photographer and kid’s yoga teacher - that's me! Katherine, otherwise known as Capsicum to the Kids!
Three years ago I decided on Kid’s yoga as a volunteer service to complete my gold Duke of Edinburgh award. Because I loved working with kids, my passion for yoga grew, so I took on Cosmic Kids, and Rainbow Kids yoga teacher training. Also as a qualified nanny, I loved the fact that I could take my passion for teaching, and spend my time sharing and growing with my students!
Working with kids I am inspired each day to continue finding and doing what I love. Often more energetic and crazy than my personal practice, the classes allow me to teach kids to look after their own physical and emotional health. Along with regular mixed classes, I teach at a Montessori primary, where the children are encouraged to find their own love for learning. This challenges me to constantly adapt to extend their learning, while ensuring they have heaps of fun!
Teaching yoga is so rewarding and I love when children regularly share stories, where they have used mindfulness, poses or breathing. This helps them to regulate their emotions, find calm or become more confident in their day to day life.
Passionate traveler, adventurer, photographer and kid’s yoga teacher - that's me! Katherine, otherwise known as Capsicum to the Kids!
Three years ago I decided on Kid’s yoga as a volunteer service to complete my gold Duke of Edinburgh award. Because I loved working with kids, my passion for yoga grew, so I took on Cosmic Kids, and Rainbow Kids yoga teacher training. Also as a qualified nanny, I loved the fact that I could take my passion for teaching, and spend my time sharing and growing with my students!
Working with kids I am inspired each day to continue finding and doing what I love. Often more energetic and crazy than my personal practice, the classes allow me to teach kids to look after their own physical and emotional health. Along with regular mixed classes, I teach at a Montessori primary, where the children are encouraged to find their own love for learning. This challenges me to constantly adapt to extend their learning, while ensuring they have heaps of fun!
Teaching yoga is so rewarding and I love when children regularly share stories, where they have used mindfulness, poses or breathing. This helps them to regulate their emotions, find calm or become more confident in their day to day life.
Our wonderful, Lisa Rafferty, helps us behind the scenes, with administration. She is a keen Yummy Yogi herself and so is her fabulous daughter, Zana.
Lisa has been a super asset to Yummy Yoga ;)