Teachers

Tina has been the Director of Yoga Spirit Studios since 2010. For over forty years Tina has pursued interests in hatha yoga, meditation and Indian philosophy while also pursuing other careers and raising her children. Tina undertook her Hatha Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga Spirit Studios founder, Rebecca Richards, and since graduating with the Yoga Spirit Studios Certificate of Hatha Yoga Teacher Training in 2009, Tina has accumulated over 1000 teaching hours and nearly 1000 hours of professional yoga training. She has worked with Donna Farhi, completing her 21 day Advanced Teacher Training in 2012 and has since assisted Donna at her workshop intensives. In 2013 and 2014 she trained with Richard Miller in iRest® Yoga Nidra and continued her studies in 2015 and 2016 to attain certification; and in 2013 she trained with Martha Peterson to become a Hanna Somatics Exercise Coach.

Tina embraces the philosophy of Yoga Spirit Studios that yoga is for every "body" and regards herself as a facilitator of learning to help students discover their own path in yoga, to suit their own unique body, mind and spirit. Underpinning her teaching are her own explorations of the way movement therapeutically affects the whole person and how psychological resilience can be discovered through yoga. Her deep desire is for her students to discover freedom of movement and joy of heart, and to develop deep resilience to serve them in daily life.

Tina teaches yoga history and philosophy, yogic physiology, meditation and iRest Yoga Nidra and iRest meditation courses and is available for private yoga, somatics and iRest appointments.

Tina is a Level 2 member of Yoga Australia, a Level 2 Somatics Exercise Coach in style of Thomas Hanna, an IRI Certified iRest Teacher® and registered Meditation Teacher with Meditation Australia.

Tina draws on skills built in previous careers to produce regular event update emails and a quality monthly e-newsletters for the studio On the Mat to which she contributes articles she writes in her blog, At Home in the Self.

Cherise originally came to Australia for a 'two year work/travel visit' from Canada in 1989. Adventures unfolded, and in the process, Australia has become her home.

One of Cherise's greatest adventures has been the discovery of yoga, which she first began to explore on her own. She then enrolled in an introductory course at Yoga Spirit Studios (then Torrensville Yoga Studio) and became completely hooked by the experience. This led her to complete her Certificate of Hatha Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Spirit Studios in 2004.

Cherise has been a regular teacher at this studio since November 2005. Cherise is inspired by the subtle yet profound sense of well being that has come through a regular practice of yoga, and seeks to pass this experience on to her students.

Cherise is a member of Yoga Australia and is recognised by Yoga Australia as a Level 2 teacher.

Sallie has been teaching for over ten years and continues to enjoy sharing her passion for yoga with others. She strongly believes that over time our practice of yoga can support us to find peace of mind, speak our truth and live with a more open and loving heart.

Her study and practice of yoga embraces the intrinsic intelligence of the human body, meaning that each person’s practice of yoga should suit their individual needs at any particular point in time. Yoga is not about fixed routines or competition, but about connecting with your body, breath and consciousness through mindful movement.

Sallie has two young boys and experienced first-hand the nurturing and affirming role that yoga practice can play during pregnancy and early stages of motherhood. Much of her ongoing professional development has focussed on supporting women at various stages of their life, particularly in preparing for and following childbirth.

She takes great pleasure in assisting others to bring the tremendous value of regular yoga practice into their life. The practice of yoga can help us to stay grounded and present to the stillness that resides within us, helping us to navigate the ups and downs of life and be the best version of ourselves.

Sallie is a member and registered level 2 teacher with Yoga Australia

Vanessa began her yoga journey more than eight years ago and values the insights it has brought into her life of the relationships between our emotional, physical and spiritual existences. She enjoys sharing this experience with others through teaching, and completed her Certificate of Hatha Yoga Teacher training at Yoga Spirit Studios in 2008.

Vanessa developed a particular interest in pre natal and post natal applications of yoga through her experiences of pregnancy and motherhood and also has a special interest in the practice of restorative yoga.

She holds Level 2 membership with Yoga Australia and is a member of the Yoga Teachers Institute of South Australia.

Jo's draws on a wealth of life experience and intuition to influence her teachings. She creates an environment for students to explore yoga through a somatic lens and adopt an attitude of receptiveness to the body’s wisdom. Learning to trust internal sensations can unearth one’s potential for yoga to become a truly transformative practice. She will lead you through a flowing practice that is creative, thought provoking, sometimes challenging, sometimes playful. You will learn different alignment cues and modifications that will support you, and guide you toward 'owning your practice'.

In her early 30's, Jo was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (a chronic neurological disorder that affects the central nervous system) that left half her body paralyzed and taking over a month to be able to walk again. The positive she has taken out of her diagnosis is a greater body awareness; how it moves, heals and breathes. Over the past 14 years, Jo has fought back to reclaim some semblance of her former health using yoga, improved nutrition and balanced choices.

This transformation is what led Jo to leave the corporate world behind in 2009 and enroll in the highly regarded teacher training program offered at Yoga Spirit Studios. She is also assistant to Yoga Spirit Studios Director, Tina Shettigara, and is an important team member in the administration of the teacher training course.

Jo was also instrumental in introducing Hanna Somatics to Adelaide and facilitated the visits of Martha Peterson (author of Move without Pain) to Adelaide in 2013 and 2014 to run Somatic Exercise Coach training. Jo has assisted Martha at her trainings in both Adelaide and Melbourne and runs courses in Hanna Somatics at Yoga Spirit Studios.

Charlton was first introduced to yoga nearly 30 years ago and has been practicing regularly for the past 12 years.

A former martial arts (Tae Kwon Do) student, marathon runner, and a triathlete, Charlton noticed over time the difference that the yoga postures and stretching made to his training and recovery. The benefits to his wellbeing have not been just physical, but also spiritual. He is learning the power of the breath, and the importance of relaxation, and meditation to balance a busy and hectic lifestyle.

Charlton gained his Hatha Yoga Teacher Certification at Yoga Spirit Studios in Adelaide in 2010, and is a member of Yoga Australia, and Yoga Teachers Institute of South Australia Inc.

He is continuing his yoga journey through teaching others, as well as attending further teacher training such as Donna Farhi's 21 day Advanced Teacher Training, level 1 Somatic Exercise Coach Training with Martha Peterson, Level 2 Certificate 500 Hours at the Byron Yoga Centre’s Purna Yoga with John Ogilvie, Hot Yoga Teacher training level 1 with Jimmy Barkan, and has his Pilates Teacher training certification.

Charlton is also found behind the desk as an administrative assistant in the studio and has an important role in the administration of the teacher training course.

Ginny began her practice of yoga 13 years ago, not only seeking to bring emotional balance back into her life, but strength to an injured back.

The union of the body, mind and breath in yoga brought her peace of mind and the ability to move and strengthen her body with care and love. She loves the way yoga can be so beautifully adapted to any age, to any states of physical or emotional well being and to all aspects of life. It has been a life-changing gift and she enjoys sharing the gift of yoga with others.

Ginny is a graduate of the 2013 Yoga Spirit Studios Teacher Training Program and has also completed Level 1 Somatic Exercise Coach training with Martha Peterson, director of Essential Somatics.

Anne blends the practice of yoga with her love of mindfulness. She graduated as a Hatha Yoga teacher with Yoga Spirit Studios in 2015 and has since complemented her training with Neal Ghoshal (Restorative Yoga)

Anne guides her students to replenish and regenerate the body mind connection with emphasis on breath awareness and balancing the nervous system. Anne encourages slow mindful movements to bring greater awareness to the body and to quiet the mind.

She has a keen interest to support students with responding to the pressures of daily life. Her sessions are peppered with enquiries for students to contemplate, that resonate beyond the dedicated yoga session.

Anne specialises in teaching meditation skills and regularly delivers a course on Mindfulness for Beginners at yoga Spirit Studios. Anne has completed a Diploma of Positive Psychology and is a Level 1 Mindfulness Teacher with the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australia. Learn more about Anne here.

Vittala is a certified Yoga Teacher who has practised Pranayama and Hatha Yoga for over ten years. He practises both regularly and he brings his personal experience to his teaching.

Vittala is also a retired Senior Research Scientist. One of his passions is to document scientific evidence on the application of yoga to our wellbeing. You can find this documentation at his blog "Yoga Proof". http://yogaproof.blogspot.com.au