How It All Began…

I started out a little differently from the usual newly-qualified yoga teacher. Instead of signing up for cover classes all over town, or teaching from other people’s studios and gyms, I went out on a limb to register myself as a sole trader and set out to start my business from scratch. At the time, one of my mentors owned a karate dojo that wasn’t being used for classes during the day, so I approached him with an offer for discounted “mates rates” to hire the space while I performed karma yoga by cleaning the premises on a weekly basis.

I taught my first class on a Wednesday morning in March 2022 to one of my then-husband’s business associates, as well at his gym trainer and the trainer’s sister. One of them liked it enough to keep coming, however, for the next 15 months I was offering six or seven sessions a week to no more than three people (more often only one) at any given time. Many classes had zero bookings. During those class times I would be at the dojo anyway, mat set up at the front, music playing, teaching to an empty room.

Why bother? I was training myself to show up every time, even when no-one came. I was learning how to make pose sequencing work to improve the way I delivered classes. I was trying out different cues and phrasing, to see how my language could sound more authentically me, and to not be just the mindless parroting of my teachers. And I was conditioning my body to figure out whether I could sustain the physical workload, while fitting in all the “stuff” behind the scenes that running a business solo, as a complete beginner, entailed.

It was hard work! (It still is, if I’m honest!)

Now, I have more than 1,600 hours of teaching experience under my belt. From humble beginnings in a karate dojo I am now teaching from three locations, have refined my business model, built a gorgeous little community of yogis, and am eagerly welcoming new students with every special event, workshop, new class or program that I mindfully curate to meet my students’ needs.

A lover of learning, I’m meticulous with the upkeep of my Continuing Professional Development (CPD) with courses endorsed by Yoga Australia, the peak governing body for yoga teachers in Australia. I’m always trying to upskill in my business and marketing but I just love listening to self development podcasts and attending online summits and training on yoga, breathwork, meditation, neuroscience, mental health, emotional intelligence, neurodivergence, relationships, parenting, and nutrition.

All this education and research has helped inform my intention and approach to delivering yoga: that I teach inclusive, do-able yoga practices to curious people who wish to breathe, move, and soothe their way to feeling better.