Katie Spiers  is the director of Jivamukti Yoga Sydney (formerly Samadhi Yoga).  Katie was the first certified Advanced Jivamukti Yoga teacher in Australia and has also studied extensively with the Wise Earth School of Ayurveda under the guidance of Mother Maya, as well as being a qualified Kundalini Yoga teacher.  She completed training as a doula (birthing companion) in 2009.  Katie grew up in the English countryside surrounded by nature and animals and at the age of ten became a vegetarian; today she is a vegan and proud shareholder of Sadhana Kitchen, the vegan cafe located at Jivamukti Yoga Sydney.  Katie's first yoga teacher, who has now left his body, was an elderly gentleman from the Bahamas who taught classes in the local community centre of the village where she lived. She started attending those classes at twelve years of age and has been doing the best she can to practice yoga ever since.  Simon Low from Triyoga was the teacher who encouraged Katie to begin teaching.  Katie is a writer for various publications and has had three books published 'Spiritual Survival and the City', 'Yoga Off the Mat' and 'The Yoga of Birth' .  Katie is mother to five-year-old Christos and two-year-old Ziggy who was born at home.  

Doug trained as a yoga teacher at Samadhi Yoga in 2008 and subsequently travelled to New York to complete the Jivamukti Yoga teacher training.Doug swapped his surf board for a yoga mat some years ago and enjoys practicing and teaching a dynamic physical approach to asana.
Now the Manager of Jivamukti Yoga Sydney (formerly Samadhi Yoga) as well as a teacher there, Doug loves a good sense of humor!

Sarah De is a grounded, calming teacher whose classes are uplifting and challenging yet in a gentle and approachable way. Sarah has a special interest in making yoga available to people living with social disorders and physical 
limitations.

She began practicing and her journey with yoga while still at school doing her HSC, and has gone on from her initial studies to focus on Pranayama (breathing practices) as therapy in Yoga. Sarah has also spent time studying some of the Buddhist texts through a Tibetan Yoga view and enjoys bringing the beauty and poetry of these texts into the practice of yoga postures.

Justine teaches a dynamic style vinyasa yoga as well as restorative yoga, pranayama and meditation. A certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher, Justine travels regularly to New York to study with Sharon Gannon and David Life. Her other teachers include Mark Whitwell, Katie Manitsas, Yogeswari, Andrea Boyd and Jeffery Cohen. Justine’s approach is vibrant, creative and uplifting with a focus on the breath. Her classes will assist you to bring strength, flexibility, balance and stillness to body and mind, and to take your yoga off the mat and into the world. Justine has a special interest in nada yoga and in her classes you will explore how sound vibration and intention can deepen your practice. Justine is a graduate of The Victorian College of the Arts, The University of Melbourne and The University New South Wales where she studied music and law. As well as being a yoga teacher, Justine is a singer, lawyer, artists’ manager and mother of two. Justine’s aim is to inspire you to discover how yoga can transform your life.

Anna loves to teach a dynamic vinyasa class with an uplifting sound track and aims to convey the potential yoga has to be fun, playful and liberating. Anna qualified as a Jivamukti Yoga Teacher in New York under the guidance of Jivamukti co-founders Sharon Gannon and David Life and many amazing Advanced Certified Jivamukti teachers. Anna was attracted to Jivamukti due to its effortless co-mingling of modernity and tradition, the invigorating asana focus and its emphasis on non-harming as a way to create a more peaceful world. She is currently furthering her studies with a 500-hr apprenticeship with Advanced Certified Jivamukti teacher, Jessica Stickler.

Jessica began practicing yoga as a wee little thing, as one of her many after school activities.She then came back to it as a teenager during a period of illness, and in her mid-twenties she was lucky enough to stumble into being the manager of Samadhi Yoga, which kickstarted her teaching of Yoga.

Chris Johns discovered yoga over 10 years ago whilst working on assignment in Mexico City. He enjoyed the openness and physical wellbeing that yoga classes gave him and found it to be a wonderful way to balance the pressures of his then international financial career. His true passion for yoga was ignited by his first jivamukti class at Samadhi Yoga on his return to his home town Sydney in 2005. He nurtured his practice by studying with world renowned teachers such as Simon Borg Oliver (Aus), Donna Fahri (NZ), Simon Low (UK) and Advanced Certified Jivamukti teachers Yogeswari and Alanna Kaivalya (US). He commenced teaching in 2007 on completion of the Samadhi certified teacher training in Sydney run by Advanced Certified Jivamukti Teacher Katie Manitsas. In 2010 he completed the Jivamukti Teacher Training in New York with David Life, Sharon Gannon and Gabriela Bozic under the mentorship of Anja Kühnel.

His inspiring classes not only focus on increasing strength and flexibility but also bringing about balance and inner calm. He has also studied various anatomy and physiology courses to improve his understanding of human movement and also the application of bandhas to create a strong safe yoga practice, and applies this in every class.
Chris has a fascination for languages and cultures, and has curated the Sydney Latin American Film Festival. He also works on a range of films projects from documentaries to university online yoga courses and DVDs.
He would also like to thank all yogis - students and teachers alike - who constantly inspire him to dive deeper into the teachings of yoga. 

 

 

 

Lynda has been working in natural health for twenty years, and she has been teaching yoga for six. She was one of the first students to graduate from Samadhi Yoga's teacher-training program. Lynda came to yoga through her experience as a Chivutti massage therapist.

Her passion and specialisation is in pre-natal and post-natal yoga, and she sees her classes as a place where mums can find compassion and community through the occasionally isolating experiences of pregnancy. Her students have often found friendship and companionship through her classes; nothing makes Lynda happier.

She also teaches in the community classes, and she incorporates an understanding of anatomy and physiology throughout all of her teaching. Having years of experience as a massage therapist, reflexologist and aromatherapist, Lynda's attitude toward teaching is caring, compassionate, and wholistic.

A live & raw foodist, she feels that living foods connect us to the earth, and eating becomes good not only for our health, but also for the planet's. Her yoga practice and teaching involve a whole understanding of health, compassion, and care.

 

 

 

 

Rachal’s background with movement spans 25 years; firstly as a rhythmic gymnast competing at a national level until her late teens and later receiving a scholarship to study French physical theatre in Paris at L’Ecole Philippe Gaulier. Rachael came to pilates and yoga as a way to heal her body and calm her mind. Her other great passions are acting and writing. She can't remember her first yoga class but it all began with Ashtanga.

 

She is a qualified yoga teacher and has invaluable experience gained by 15 years of practicing and studying with various internationally renowned teachers such as Mother, Clive Sheridan, Twee Merrigan, Durga Devi, Stewart Gilchrist, Bianca Machliss, Simon Borg-Olivier, Mark Whitwell, Katie Manitsas, Mother Maya, Sharon Gannon, and David Life. Katie Agnew was her first real yoga teacher who inspired her, leading by example, to live yoga, not just do it.

Rachael seeks to find peace, strength and joy from her practice and to change the world one day at a time ;)

Her qualifications include: Samadhi Bliss Yoga Teacher Training- 200 hours and Samadhi Bliss “Yoga for Birth” Teacher Training- 30 hours. Rachael has qualified as a Jivamukti Yoga Teacher in New York under the guidance of Jivamukti co-founders Sharon Gannon & David Life.

 

 

 

Patty’s professional career has been eclectic and diverse.

After travelling the world for many years, her career ranged from social worker to trained dancer. These days, Patty’s main passions lie in yoga, kinesiology and her thriving business as a marriage celebrant.

A popular Hatha Vinyasa teacher for many years now, Patty’s fun loving expression is often echoed in her classes with her music, sequencing and meditation techniques. She is also dedicated to Kundalini Yoga, a beautiful practice which strengthens the endocrine and nervous systems.

Patty is one of the 3 main teaching staff for the Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training across Australia and is mindful about incorporating all facets of yoga practice into her life. Her classes are open to all levels and Patty often encourages students to be open to hearing their body’s individual needs with kindness and compassion.

 

 

 Idit begun her practice of Hatha Yoga whilst traveling through Asia, since then she has studied different styles of yoga and regularly trains with varied well known international teachers including Donna Farhi, Sarah Powers, Simon Low, Seane Corne, Sharon Gannon, David life and many more, being inspired by their wisdom and their different techniques. Yoga has influenced Idit's life and she hopes to share this gift with as many beings as possible in the hope that it will benefit others as much as it has benefited her. The kind of yoga classes she teaches are varied and postures are adjusted to meet the needs of her individual students accordingly. Idit is also mother to beautiful Inbar.

 

  

 

 

Sandy (Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher) completed her Level One Teacher Training in 2008 under the guidance of Katie Manitsas (studio director of Jivamukti Yoga Sydney, formerly Samadhi Yoga). In 2011, Sandy travelled to USA to undertake the world renowned Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training in upstate New York. 

Upon welcoming in 2012 by her teachers' sides in New York City, Sandy gained Advanced Certification in the Jivamukti Yoga Method.
She is currently undertaking the 800hr Jivamukti Apprenticeship program in Sydney. Upholding the lineage of her teachers, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Sandy uses an artistic approach to yoga and is drawn to the physically challenging and intellectually stimulating aspects of the Jivamukti yoga practice, as well as the creative process of class planning and conscious sequencing. 

Sandy teaches upbeat, uplifting classes, with focuses on music, devotion, political and spiritual activism, ancient scriptural teachings, as well as discipline and dedication through commitment to a daily practice, while maintaining space for spontaneity and humour.

 

 

 

Dom is a student of the last teacher training in 2011 at what was then known as Samadhi Yoga (now Jivamukti Yoga Sydney).
He has always expressed himself through artistic pursuits, being a former martial artist and performer, as well as being a long time musician. 'Understanding & connection to the self & your surroundings' has been Dom's ambitions and desires since he can remember.
Being a personal trainer in the health & fitness industry for over 10 years, he has been constantly surrounded by yoga and yoga practitioners. For a long time he never let in what's now become his passion.
With a keen interest in spiritual awareness and longing & desire to live the best and most honourable life he can (this time around), Dom has dedicated himself to guiding others - through asana (physical yoga practice), yoga philosophy, and through helping people understand the connections we all desire.
With an emphasis on 'Vinyasa' (where each movement is linked with the breath) style of Hatha Yoga, in one of Dom's classes expect to leave feeling inspired, and grounded...yet uplifted.

 

 

 

Gaby Gaby grew up in Vancouver, Canada and moved to Sydney three years ago. She turned to yoga because it made her happy and after experimenting with different styles found her home with Jivamukti. 

Her warmth, humour, bubbly personality and passion for practice come through in her classes. She likes to tailor her classes to give individual attention to all her students. Gaby loves travel and speaks French and Spanish. She completed Samadhi teacher training and works across all the studios as well as teaching class.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David has been practicing yoga for over 15 years around the globe. After just a few years of teaching, David has created a style of teaching based on 'Hatha Yoga'. He has a sharp eye for detail, and promises those who attend his class WILL improve and perfect their yoga. "Yoga is a way of life! Yoga is my way of life!"..David says.

In David's class, he focuses on a slow to medium pace, which means he can facilitate all levels. Remembering; "Faster isn't always better!" His class uses Asana (poses), Breathing Techniques, Meditation, and Yogic Philosophy. David guarantees his class will challenge you!

David teaches a Sunday night mixed level class.

 

 

 

 

Aleta & Kundalini Yoga met and fell in love in February 2004. Teacher training was undertaken in 2005 & she began sharing the teachings with friends and like minded yogis straight away, all the while gradually developing her own practice and unique, heartfelt teaching style. Seven years later Aleta Gurubala shares the teachings of Yogi Bhajan in weekly classes for big people, little people & the ever blossoming kundalini yoga community. Her classes include movement, deep stillness, sound practices (mantra, gong, tibetan bowls), women's teachings, chakra & lot's of breath to let your body release, heart to open & light to flow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen's interest in Yoga was first sparked at a young age when she attended Satyananda Yoga classes with her parents . She continued to dabble on and off in different styles until 2004 when she attended her first class with Katie Manitsis at the then Samadhi Yoga and knew she'd found her teacher and studio when lying in Savasana to the sounds of Sting's ‘Fields of Gold'.

Spiritual Activism and the concept of taking Yoga off the Mat, of setting an intention for your practice and making it about more than our own small selves that both Katie and the Jivamukti method as a whole focus on is what has particularly resonated with Karen. She encourages students to go beyond what their bodies are doing on the mat, beyond focusing on their physical limitations and keep connecting with the breath in order to find their inner calm and take it back out into the world so as to create change in both their own lives and in turn others.

A couple of year's ago Karen left a long career in the airline industry to concentrate on being a Mum and pursuing her love of teaching Yoga. Karen has a daughter Shanti and her own journey through pregnancy and birth has led to her particular interest in Pre and Post natal Yoga. She has completed both Katie and Janice Clarfield‘s (Urban Yoga Vancouver) Prenatal teacher training.

Over the years Karen has felt honored to study with so many incredible teachers including Jivamukti founders Sharon Gannon and David Life, Yogeswari , Sean Corne, Donna Farhi and many more. Karen is a Samadhi trained teacher as well as a qualified Kundalini Yoga teacher and Shiatsu therapist.

 

 

 

Rebecca has been practicing yoga for 12 years and completed her teacher training with Samadhi Yoga, Newtown.

She understands that every body and every day is unique and believes yoga is about contentment, non-violence and truth - to ourselves and others. It’s about engaging with the spirit within you and goes well beyond what we do on the mat.

She believes anyone can do yoga and teaches with understanding and compassion, instilling respect for your body and calming the mind. Her classes are designed to invigorate and challenge, allowing you to discover your own potential, through a dynamic Hatha style.