Teacher descriptions

Katie is the director of Samadhi Yoga, and has recently returned to teaching her regular classes after having her first baby.  Katie is a Certified Advanced Jivamukti Yoga teacher (the first in Australia!) and has also studied extensively with Simon Low (UK) and Donna Farhi.  She is a Sadaka-In-Training with the Wise Earth School of Ayurveda and is currently being mentored by Mother Maya.  Katie's broad background is reflected in her classes which are as much about atmosphere as they are about asana (postures). Her classes incorporate music and inspirational readings as well as elements of breathing practice and meditation. Katie has trained in the UK, U.S., India and Australia. Her book, 'Spiritual Survival in the City' is on sale now.

Sarah T is a Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher, she has  returned from New York having just graduated from training with the methods founders, Sharon Gannon and David Life. She is compassionate, knowledgeable and upbeat! Her classes incorporate dynamic asana (postures) accompanied by hands-on adjustments, meditation, pranayama (breathing exercises) and chant. Initially coming to yoga as therapy for sports injuries but discovering a way of life, Sarah nurtures and encourages her students to overcome their limitations through dedicated practice. She has trained intensively with Alanna Kaivalya (Advanced Certified Jivamukti Yoga Teacher) in Australia and the US, completed Advanced Teacher training with Samadhi and Corepower Yoga and is also a Thai massage and Reiki practitioner.

Patty has a varied background as a social worker, professional dancer and traveller. This may explain why her classes are usually lively and incorporate some form of pranayama, funky music, chanting & meditation. One of her greatest beliefs in life is that people can be empowered through self awareness and this is something that transpires through her work as a kinesiologist and Reiki Master. Patty is also a qualified Kundalini Yoga teacher, and one of the teaching staff on the Kundalini Yoga teacher training program across Australia. When Patty is not practicing yoga, or using kinesiology and kundalini yoga as a therapeutic tool, she is busy with her other passion in life as a Wedding Celebrant, working with couples to make their day as special as possible!

Amelia began practicing yoga in 1999 while studying a Bachelor of Fine Art degree - yoga quickly became a regular practice.  In 2004 Amelia trained to become a yoga teacher at Samadhi Yoga with Katie.  Amelia's classes focus on safety and alignment and encouraging students to practice in a way that is uplifting, loving and appropriate for their own changing physical and emotional needs.  When Amelia is not teaching or making art she is committed to her own yoga practice and continued study of yoga philosophy, anatomy and physiology and ayurveda.

Richard first began practicing yoga as a child with his mother, later took up ice dancing, tai chi and karate before becoming a professional dancer. He returned to yoga in the later part of his international performing career that took him across the USA, Europe and Australia. Since the early 1990s he has studied with some of the world leaders in contemporary yoga such as Sharon Gannon and David Life of the Jivamukti Yoga Centre in New York. An advanced ashtanga practitioner, he has pursued a traditional pathway of learning the ashtanga Yoga vinyasa series through workshops with Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, As well as pursuing his study of yoga, Richard is also an award-winning filmmaker and poet. He has recently completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts which focuses on yogic spiritual ideas in relation to art practice.

Idit is a Samadhi trained teacher who has always been drawn strongly to Asia. She is a 500RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) with Yoga Alliance and is a part of the Teacher Training Faculty at Samadhi, Newtown. She holds a BA in Far East Studies and Economics, and begun her practice of Hatha Yoga whilst traveling through Asia over an extended period of time. She has studied Vijnana Yoga in Israel, Vinyasa in New York City and is currently in the midst of completing her Adv Diploma of Yoga teaching at Nature Care in Sydney.  She constantly 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 people 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.

Annie Black is a Samadhi trained teacher as well as being a practitioner of Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture and massage, as well as this Annie is now taking her Masters in Nursing. With this deep knowledge of Eastern practices and Western Medicine her classes have a balance of both the spiritual teachings and attentiveness to the body. Annie is taking time off at the moment as she is due any day to give birth! We wish her all the best and look forward to her return!

Aleta/Gurubala is a Kundalini Yoga and Meditation teacher, Radiant Child Yoga teacher, Ayurveda student and current mentoree on the Australia wide Kundalini Yoga teacher training course under the guidance of her beloved teacher GuruJivan Kaur. She has also designed and run successful relaxation sessions working with people recovering from chemical dependencies. Her classes focus on the use of meditation, sound, kriya, movement and pranayam in order to take an inner adventure and connect with the Self. Besides trying to liberate herself from herself, Aleta likes to hang with her family, read and swim.

Lynda has been practicing massage at Samadhi since day one! We are now delighted that she is teaching yoga too, bringing her many years of experience in bodywork to class. Lynda teaches the Mummy and Me class at Samadhi, and is able to offer many practical solutions to new mums, especially as she is the mother of 3 beautiful children herself. Lynda teacher the 'mum's and bub's class and she is pictured here with baby Chrisots.

David is a graduate of the Samadhi Yoga teacher training program.  A keen animal rights activist David recently donned a rather sexy devil's costume as a 'Dairy Devil' for the Animal Lib Mardis Gras float! David's kindness and compassion extend to his great skill in teaching yoga!  David also teaches our kid's yoga class and has a 'wicked' sense of humour!

Sarah de As well as teaching yoga Sarah also helps run the Samadhi Yoga office.  She is a grounded and calming teacher whose classes are uplifting and inspiring! Sarah has a special interest in making yoga available to people living with social disorders and physical limitations.  Sarah began practicing and her journey with yoga while still at school, and is currently studying Pranayama (breathing practices) as Therapy.

DJ Keith Keith is a Samadhi-trained yoga teacher and currently teaches music and yoga at Xavier College, north of Penrith. He has a broad background in music, including long term work as house pianist at Sydney's number one jazz club, side-on cafe, working as a composer for theatre and film, and was also a singer-dancer. His approach to music is the same as his approach to yoga: a practice to broaden the mind, free the body and liberate the soul. His sets at Samadhi are both devotion and meditation and often accompany special classes and events.

Mandy Since coming to yoga over 7 years ago, Mandy has been on a continual journey towards greater awareness.  Yoga has been life transforming.  Australian born, she moved back to Australia over a year ago from England and found herself undertaking Kundalini yoga teacher training with Guru Jivan at Samadhi. She has not looked back since.  With infinite love she encourages her students to work through their own individual journeys, getting what they need from strong physical practice, deep meditation and relaxation.  She has recently completed the Hatha yoga teacher training at Samadhi and is further inspired to share this knowledge with her students.

Adrianna graduated from the Samadhi Yoga teacher training in 2006 and has been teaching here ever since, her classes are uplifting and her gentle presence creates a calm and warm atmosphere for her classes.

Sarah O is one of the most lovely people you will ever meet! She completed her Samadhi Yoga teacher training in 2006. Sarah has studied with Simon Low and has completed intensive Yin Yoga training with Sarah Powers in the US. Sarah is a qualified Primary school teacher and teaches yoga for Toddlers as well as mixed level classes. (pictured right)

Cath’s interest in Yoga began while studying a Bachelor of Dance at Queensland University of Technology in 2001. In 2004 Cath completed the Samadhi Teacher training program and since then has gone on to study with Clive Sheridan, Donna Farhi, Glen Ceresoli, Simon Low as well as a teacher training with Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss of Yoga Synergy. Cath has also studied Tibetan Buddhism on her travels around India in 2006.

Sue is a Samadhi-trained teacher who practices and teaches a flowing style of hatha yoga, reflecting her love of vinyasa (linked sequences working with the breath), while incorporating the many other aspects of yoga, including meditation, pranayama (breathing practices) and yogic philosophy.  Sue has studied internationally with Jivamukti founders Sharon Gannon and David Life, John Friend (founder of Anusara yoga), and chant master Krishna Das, whose work with sound vibration has had an enormous influence on her teaching and practice. A recent trip to Northern India saw Sue learn Harmonium (an Indian musical instrument used in chanting), and come back further inspired about yoga teaching and practice.  Sue teaches on Samadhi's popular yoga teacher training program, and also acts in a mentoring role for many new teachers in an extension of this role. She also runs Samadhi's regular professional development workshops for yoga teachers, where she works with teachers from all lineages to bring greater understanding to elements of their teaching including sequencing classes, alignment, and the more esoteric elements of teaching such as teaching with reference to the yoga sutras or the energy body.