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Featured Speakers

Yoga Therapy Institute has worked with hundreds of leading health and wellness speakers over the past 10 years. Explore our ever-growing network of speakers, including inspiring articles and other helpful resources provided by each.

Our core group of speakers, involved in the Graduate Certificate in Yoga Therapy and Clinical Ayurveda courses are highlighted to the right.

Anna Miley

Anna Miley is a highly experienced Yoga therapist and teacher, Accredited Exercise Physiologist and educator. She specialises in working with clients with complex and mental health conditions and chronic pain.

Sue Livingston

Sue Livingston is an experienced, senior Yoga teacher and registered Yoga therapist with strong educational credentials. Her journey in Yoga began over 30 years ago and her teaching is influenced by her training with Dr Ganesh Mohan, Donna Farhi, Judith Lasater and Richard Miller.

Tracy Gray

Tracy has undertaken over 1000 hours of Yoga therapy consultations. She has specialised in Autism and Yoga therapy for almost 10 years. She is an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant, a senior Yoga teacher and a registered Yoga therapist with IAYT.

Sal Flynn

Sal Flynn is a highly experienced, Yoga therapy educator, counselling and psychotherapy supervisor. She is one of the world's leading Yoga therapy educators. She has trained almost 400 Yoga therapists across a total of 29 deliveries over more than a decade. She mentors Yoga therapists and therapists around the world.

Liz Williams

Liz Williams is a highly experienced health educator and Yoga therapist and she has been working in the health sector for almost 40 years. In the past 17 years, she has trained Yoga teachers, nurses, allied health and medical staff as well as community groups.

Caroline Robertson

Caroline Robertson is a leading Ayurveda educator and practitioner with over 30 years clinical experience. She is also a renowned author and has published two books on Ayurveda and hundreds of articles on natural health.

All Speakers

Alan Goode

Alan Goode

Alan Goode is the Director of the Yoga Mandir in Canberra. He is a direct student of BKS Iyengar and has been teaching Yoga since 1983.

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Amy Weintraub

Amy Weintraub

Founding director of the LifeForce Yoga Healing Institute and author of ‘Yoga for Depression’ and ‘Yoga Skills for Therapists: Effective Practices for Mood Management’, Amy is a pioneer in the field of yoga and mental health.

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Andrew Wells

Andrew Wells is Director of Dru Yoga and Meditation in Australia. He has studied Dru approaches to Yoga for 21 years and has taught in...

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Anna Miley

Anna Miley

Anna Miley is a highly experienced Yoga therapist and teacher, Accredited Exercise Physiologist and educator. She specialises in working with clients with complex and mental health conditions and chronic pain.

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Annette Loudon

Annette Loudon

Annette Loudon has been teaching yoga since 1994. She has made a DVD on “Yoga for Women after Treatment for Breast Cancer “, which is available from Encore NSW. Annette is completing a book called “Yoga for Women having or who have had treatment for breast cancer”. She has recently completed a Masters degree in “Yoga and Lymphoedema” through the University of Tasmania.  

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Barbara Brian

Barbara Brian

Barbara Brian has been a student of yoga for over 35 years and a longstanding student of TKV Desikachar. She is the Founder and Director of the Agama Yoga Centre for Health and Healing, established in 1989 in the tradition of T Krishnamacharya. Barbara teaches private & group therapeutic classes, trains & mentors yoga teachers and therapists; and conducts postgraduate studies.

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Cari Havican

Cari Havican

Having taught yoga since 2000, Cari’s greatest passion is working with individuals and small group classes in order to personalise the practices in a nurturing and supportive environment.

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Carmella Baynie

Carmella Baynie

Carmella is a world renowned singer, published songwriter, and voice therapist based in Sydney. She is an accredited voice and yoga teacher with over twenty years experience in the practice of yoga, meditation, martial arts, the dramatic arts, and singing.

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Caroline Robertson

Caroline Robertson

Caroline Robertson is a leading Ayurveda educator and practitioner with over 30 years clinical experience. She is also a renowned author and has published two books on Ayurveda and hundreds of articles on natural health.

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Chandrika Gibson

Chandrika Gibson

Chandrika Gibson is a Yoga therapist trainer, practicing naturopath and project officer at the Cancer Council.

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Christine Page (Dr.)

Christine Page (Dr.)

Christine Page MD is a pioneer in women’s health dedicated to ‘getting to the heart of healing.’ Founder of Frontiers of Health, for over 30 years she has encouraged women to find wellbeing through self-love, embodiment of their innate feminine powers, gratitude for their sacred body and intuitive listening. For over 35 years, she has been a pioneer in the field of healthcare. As an international speaker and gifted intuitive, she sees herself as a bridge builder whether between different modalities of healing or states of consciousness.

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Craig Hassed (Dr.)

Craig Hassed (Dr.)

Dr Craig Hassed is a general practitioner and senior lecturer in the Monash University Department of General Practice where he has been teaching at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels since 1989

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Danielle Begg

Danielle Begg

Danielle is passionate about combining yoga and social impact. She is the Founder & CEO of the Yoga Impact Charity, a not-for-profit providing evidence based trauma sensitive yoga programs that improve physical and psychological health.

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David Life

David Life

David Life has been recognised by Yoga Journal as an “innovator” in yoga in the U.S today. Together with Sharon Gannon, and through the blessings of his teachers, David has helped create the Jivamukti Yoga method, which focuses on teaching and practicing yoga as a means to enlightenment.

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Denise Cook

Denise Cook has been a Personal Growth Counsellor, a therapist, educator, consultant and workshop facilitator for nearly 30 years. She makes a difference in peoples’ lives by supporting them with relationship issues, intimacy Issues, sexual healing, emotional release and communication skills.

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Diane Riley

Diane Riley

Diane Riley and her partner, Kerry Riley, are at the forefront of introducing the philosophy of sacred sexuality to Australia. Together they founded the Australian School of Tantra in 1987. Diane’s contribution to sacred sexuality and understanding relationships has been recognised worldwide with the success of the DVD ‘The Secrets of Sacred Sex’, which has now sold over 200,000 copies. Tantra magazine, has commented: ‘It’s the best DVD in the area … We highly recommend it!’

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Donna Farhi

Donna Farhi

Donna Farhi is one of the world’s most sought after guest Yoga teachers, leading intensives and teacher training programs internationally. Donna is best known for her unique ability to help students and teachers embody their spiritual practice. the “teacher of teachers” students return to Donna’s intensives again and again to be a part of the inspiring evolution of Donna’s own practice and teaching.

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Eileen Hall

Eileen Hall

Certified by Ashtanga master Sri K Pattabhi Jois as well as Sri BKS Iyengar, Eileen Hall is one of Ashtanga’s most respected teachers. As...

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Eve Grzybowski

Eve Grzybowski

Eve Grzybowski is a highly respected Australian yoga teacher. She has been teaching for over 30 years. Eve was born in America and came to live in Australia in 1976. From her first yoga class in 1971, Eve was hooked and has maintained a consistent practice ever since.

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Farida Irani

Farida Irani

Farida is a qualified Ayurveda Practitioner, a clinical Aromatherapist and Teacher, Bowen Therapy Instructor, a Remedial Therapist and a Reflexologist. She is an author and a highly sought after international speaker. She has done her post graduate studies (Ayurveda Nishnata) with world renowned Ayurveda Physician Prof Dr P H Kulkarni (Ex Dean Ayurveda University, Pune, India). In October 2006 she was awarded her Ayurveda Parangat (Doctor of Ayurveda) by the International Ayurveda Open University at the 8th International Conference in Senigallia/Anconia, Italy.

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Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota

Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota

Fuyuko is a certified iRest Yoga Nidra® teacher and supervisor/mentor. She is also a qualified Hatha Yoga teacher who specialises in private one-on-one, small group, and corporate yoga on the Gold Coast.

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Georgie Davidson

Georgie Davidson

Georgie Davidson is a Musculoskeletal physiotherapist, Yoga teacher, facilitator of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) courses and the Director of Mindful Movement Physiotherapy. She is a highly sought after presenter who has been teaching movement for 25 years.

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Harry Gibbs (Dr.)

Harry Gibbs (Dr.)

Dr Harry Gibbs is a graduate of the University of Sydney. He trained in Cardiology and Vascular Medicine at St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney...

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James Bone

James Bone

James Bone is a physiotherapist, Yoga teacher/therapist, educator and writer. He is the co-director of Yoga Plus Therapies, a Yoga and physiotherapy business, which has been serving Brisbane for 16 years. James’ passion is in integrating eastern tradition with western science. He also has a special interest in the brain, neurophysiology and pain.

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Janet Lowndes

Janet Lowndes

Janet Lowndes is Yoga Teacher, Psychologist, and Yoga Therapist who seeks to explore the intersection of ancient Yogic practices and modern Psychology in a holistic approach to wellbeing.

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Janet Stevens

Janet Stevens

Janet Stevens has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. In addition to her IYTA accreditation and Dip of Education, she has had the opportunity and pleasure of practicing and studying with internationally acclaimed teachers including T.K.V Desikachar, Menaka Desikachar, Kausthub Desikachar, Judith Lasater, Rodney Yee, Angela Farmer and Donna Farhi. She is also a Master Practitioner of Neuro Linguistics.

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Jen Kentish

Jen Kentish

Jen Kentish has been teaching yoga for the past five years. She trained at Nature Care College, loving the course but never fully expecting to teach. Her first regular teaching position was volunteering at a residential detox facility for women recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

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Jennifer Schrader

Jennifer Schrader

Jennifer Schrader first joined the yoga community in 1988, later formalising her experiences with a Diploma of Teaching (Yoga) with Gita Intermational and a Graduate Certificate (Yoga Therapy) with the Institute of Yoga Therapy/CAE.

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Josephine Key

Josephine Key

Josephine Key is a neuro-musculo-skeletal physiotherapist and the principal of Edgecliff Physiotherapy Sports and Spinal Centre in Sydney which she established over 30 years ago. She has a particular interest in the nature of movement (understanding what constitutes natural healthy control) and the relationship between altered axial posturo-movement control and many pain disorders, especially those relating to the spine.

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Judith Hanson Lasater

Judith Hanson Lasater

Judith Hanson Lasater has been teaching Yoga for over 40 years. She holds a doctorate in East-West psychology and is a physical therapist.

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Karine Shellshear

Karine Shellshear

Karine Shellshear is a Yoga teacher, Yoga therapist and the current President of the Australasian Association of Yoga Therapists.

Karine has taught Yoga for over 10 years and been a Yoga Therapist for two years, having trained with Dr N. Chandrasekaran at the Yoga Vaidya Sala in Chennai. Her original training was with the Yoga (Sanga) Institute (1000 hrs), and accredited with the Krishnamacharya Yoga Healing Foundation (KYHF).

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Kaye Tribe

Kaye Tribe

Kaye Tribe is one of Australia’s most experienced Yoga therapist trainers. She has 17 years of experience as a teacher and educator in the fields of Hatha Yoga teaching and Yoga therapy, plus teaching a range of Health Science subjects to Higher Education and VET students in Victoria. She specializes in teaching musculo-skeletal anatomy and functional anatomy to Trainee Yoga teachers, students of musculo-skeletal therapy and Yoga therapy.

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Latha Nithyanandam

Latha Nithyanandam

Latha Nithyanandam PhD has worked with yoga and people with intellectual disability for over 30 years. She has facilitated workshops to train special needs educators to teach Yoga to children with Intellectual Disability at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM).

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Leanne Davis

Leanne Davis

Leanne Davis works as a Yoga teacher, registered Yoga therapist, Yoga teacher trainer, Yoga therapy trainer and Acupuncturist. She is the Vice President of Yoga Australia.

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Libbie Nelson

Libbie Nelson is a Yoga teacher and therapist practicing and living in Byron Bay, Australia. Libbie is a registered physiotherapist now working at Bangalow Physiotherapy. This background gives her a unique skill-base for using Yoga therapeutically.

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Lisa Blanch

Lisa Blanch

Lisa Blanch is a highly experienced educator, Yoga therapist and Yoga teacher. She has specialised in therapeutic cancer care and mental wellbeing, at CanAssist, Sydney Childrens’ Hospital Westmead, and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Cancer hospital.

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Liz Bennett

Liz Bennett

Being a yoga teacher for almost as long as she’s been working as a physio, there are only a handful of physiotherapists around Australia with Liz’s experience across both modalities.

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Liz Williams

Liz Williams

Liz Williams is a highly experienced health educator and Yoga therapist and she has been working in the health sector for almost 40 years. In the past 17 years, she has trained Yoga teachers, nurses, allied health and medical staff as well as community groups.

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Loraine Rushton

Loraine Rushton

Loraine is one of the world’s leading experts on yoga for children and teens. She began teaching yoga to children nearly 15 years ago when the idea of yoga for children was a foreign concept to most and even controversial to some. Her mission is to impact the lives of millions of children throughout the world.

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Louise Godfrey

Louise Godfrey

Louise Godfrey is the principle yoga teacher and yoga therapist at Sri Yoga and Meditation. Her journey in yoga began 17 years ago and over this time she has had the privilege to have been taught by TKV Desikachar and his associate teachers in Australia and India.

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Maarten Immink (Dr.)

Maarten Immink (Dr.)

Dr Maarten A. Immink holds a doctorate in behavioural neuroscience from Texas A&M University, U.S.A. Dr. Immink is an accredited yoga and meditation teacher and also an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Australia’s most recent recognised allied health profession.

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Marc Cohen

Marc Cohen

Professor Marc Cohen is a medical practitioner with degrees in medicine, physiology and psychological medicine and PhDs in Chinese medicine and biomedical engineering. As one of Australia’s foremost pioneers of complementary medicine he has made significant impact on education, research, clinical practice and policy.

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Margaret Willcocks

Margaret Willcocks

Margaret is a full time Yoga Teacher/Yoga Therapist and principal Yoga Teacher/Therapist trainer and assessor at Greenwood Yoga Academy in Western Australia.

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Margery Hellman

Margery Hellman

Margery Hellman is a Yoga Therapist, Feldenkrais Practitioner and Occupational Therapist who teaches Yoga at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.

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Mark Breadner

Mark Breadner

Mark has studied, practised and loved yoga his whole life. He was born into yoga – his mother and uncle were both yoga teachers. Mark’s goal is to take yoga back to its original purpose; to assist people toward their highest potential.

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Marlysa Sullivan (Dr.)

Marlysa Sullivan (Dr.)

Marlysa Sullivan is a physiotherapist, Yoga therapist, educator, author and researcher with over 20 years’ experience working with people suffering with chronic pain conditions.

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Michael de Manincor

Michael de Manincor

Michael de Manincor is the President of Yoga Australia (formerly YTAA) and the Founding Director of the Yoga Institute. Michael is a highly respected yoga teacher and teacher trainer.

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Narelle Carter-Quinlan

Narelle Carter-Quinlan

Narelle Carter-Quinlan is a global leading exponent on yoga and scoliosis. An anatomist by academic, experiential and cadaveric training, her unique body of work integrates the practice of yoga with embodied anatomy and spinal embryology. Passionate about her subject and vibrantly engaging, Narelle is a regular guest presenter at sell out Workshops and lectures at Yoga Union Centre for Backcare and Scoliosis in New York City.

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Natasha Zajc-Dalcourt

Natasha Zajc-Dalcourt

Dr Natasha Zajc-Dalcourt is a Yoga teacher, Yoga therapist and mindfulness facilitator. She practiced as a General Practitioner in Canada for 25 years.

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Pauline Jensen (Dr.)

Dr. Pauline Jensen is a Yoga teacher, researcher and the co-author of a study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, The effects of yoga on the attention and behaviour of boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).Her study found that the boys who did yoga showed decreased emotional liability, restlessness, and impulsive behaviour. 

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Petrea King

Petrea King

Petrea King is Founding Director and CEO of the Quest for Life Foundation, which she established in 1989. She is a well-known author, inspirational keynote speaker, teacher and facilitator. She is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, clinical hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

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Pixie Lillas

Pixie Lillas

Co-founded the Balmain Iyengar Studio in 1980 where she remains director and principle teacher.

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Richard Miller

Richard Miller

Richard C. Miller, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, author, researcher, yogic scholar and spiritual teacher who, for the past 45 years, has devoted his life and work to integrating the ancient nondual wisdom teachings of Yoga, Tantra, Advaita, Taoism, and Buddhism and modern Western psychology

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Rishi Vivekananda (Dr.)

Rishi Vivekananda (Dr.)

Dr Rishi Vivekananda has been a physician since 1960, and a consultant psychiatrist since 1965. During most of that time, he has taken a keen interest in ways to integrate the ancient eastern techniques of yoga and meditation with the modern knowledge of the mind, the functioning of the body, and healing. He has also studied yoga in its role as a system of evolving the quality of the human personality.

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Robyn Lewis

Robyn Lewis

Robyn Lewis is a registered Yoga therapist, Yoga teacher and educator with more than a decade’s experience in a wide range of settings including school, community, corporate, aged care/dementia and correctional environments as well as with clients with special needs (NDIS).

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Sal Flynn

Sal Flynn

Sal Flynn is a highly experienced, Yoga therapy educator, counselling and psychotherapy supervisor. She is one of the world’s leading Yoga therapy educators. She has trained almost 400 Yoga therapists across a total of 29 deliveries over more than a decade. She mentors Yoga therapists and therapists around the world.

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Satyaprem Gibson

Teacher Training Coordinator for the IYTA (International Yoga Teachers Association). A level 3 yoga teacher with Yoga Australia, she has studied with many different yoga masters and yoga schools both in Australia and India.

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Sharon Gannon

Sharon Gannon

Sharon Gannon is a Philosopher who communicates her ideas through Art and Yoga. She is primarily known as a Yoga Teacher, Animal Rights...

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Sharon Longridge

Sharon Longridge

An award-winning broadcaster formerly with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sharon Longridge is passionate about building flourishing workplaces.

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Shaun Matthews (Dr.)

Shaun Matthews (Dr.)

M.B., B. Ch. (Ireland ), Cert. Ayu Med (Gujarat ,India), Cert. Yoga Teacher Training (Bihar , India, Cert. Somatic Integration, Cert. Astrology (Nature Care, Sydney)

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Simon Borg-Olivier

Simon Borg-Olivier

Simon Borg-Olivier is a director of YogaSynergy, one of Australia’s oldest and most respected yoga schools. Simon has been teaching since 1982 and is a registered physiotherapist, University lecturer and keynote speaker at international conferences.

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Sophie Chan (Dr.)

Sophie Chan (Dr.)

Dr Sophie Chan (MBBS Hons 1, FRACP, MMed (Clin Epi), PhD) is an endocrinologist and a yoga teacher. She graduated with first class honours from the University of Sydney Medical School and achieved first place in medicine (Final Year).

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Stacey Nelson

Stacey Nelson

Stacey Nelson is one of a few Yoga Therapists working with children in a clinical setting in Australia. She works as a Yoga Therapist at the Child & Adolescent ward at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

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Sue Jackson

Sue Jackson

Sue Jackson is a sport and exercise psychologist with a passion for flow–that optimal psychological state popularly known as being in the zone.

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Sue Livingston

Sue Livingston

Sue Livingston is an experienced, senior Yoga teacher and registered Yoga therapist with strong educational credentials. Her journey in Yoga began over 30 years ago and her teaching is influenced by her training with Dr Ganesh Mohan, Donna Farhi, Judith Lasater and Richard Miller.

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Swami Jasrajpuri

Swami Jasrajpuri

Swami Jasrajpuri was born in Sydney and went to India to work in the Ashrams of his guru Paramhans Swami Maheshwaranandaji in 1996. He is a physiotherapist, by passion an educationalist and practitioner of yoga.

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Swami Satyadharma Saraswati

Swami Satyadharma Saraswati

Swami Satyadharma Saraswati has been personally chosen by Swami Niranjanananda to be the official Yoga Ambassador to formally represent Satyananda/Bihar Yoga internationally and specifically in South East Asia and Australasia. 

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Swami Shankardev Saraswati (Dr.)

Swami Shankardev Saraswati (Dr.)

Dr. Swami Shankardev is one of Australia’s most experienced and acclaimed Yoga experts. He is a western medical doctor, yoga acharya (authority), yoga therapist, psychotherapist, author and teacher. His work integrates western mind-body medicine and psychotherapy with eastern methods of mind-body developments. He treats chronic physical and psychological diseases with a combination of western medicine, yoga-tantra, Ayurveda, hypnosis and other systems of self-development.

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Tam James

Tam James

Tam James has been practising yoga since 1994 and teaching since 1998. She obtained her yoga teaching qualification with the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) in the United Kingdom and is a level 3 senior member of Yoga Australia. 

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Timonthy McCall (Dr.)

Timonthy McCall (Dr.)

The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing and Examining Your Doctor: A Patient’s Guide to Avoiding Harmful Medical Care. His main focus since the year 2000 has been investigating the therapeutic aspects of yoga, as well as the scientific explanations of yoga’s effects. Timothy travels regularly to India to research yoga, yoga therapy and Ayurveda, and to study with a traditional Ayurvedic Vaidhya (doctor) in Kerala and a Tantric master in Bangalore. Timothy, alongside his wife Eliana Moreira McCall, lectures both in the US and internationally, delivering a range of workshops including his Yoga therapy training, Yoga as Medicine.

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Tracy Gray

Tracy Gray

Tracy has undertaken over 1000 hours of Yoga therapy consultations. She has specialised in Autism and Yoga therapy for almost 10 years. She is an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant, a senior Yoga teacher and a registered Yoga therapist with IAYT.

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Trina Bawden-Smith

Trina Bawden-Smith

The creative heart behind the Yoga Therapy Institute is Trina Bawden-Smith. Trina’s passion is for connecting people and building...

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Trish David

Trish David

Trish David is a highly experienced educator, Yoga therapist and Yoga teacher. She has been working as a volunteer Yoga teacher at the Cancer Council since 2015. Trish is also a Counsellor and has worked as a Lifeline Crisis Worker. Trish has been an educator and practising Yoga for over twenty-five years

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Zara Matthews

Zara Matthews

Zara is a Yoga therapist, psychotherapist, Yoga teacher trainer, Registered mental health nurse, and group facilitator. 

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