I started practising yoga after a series of injuries made it unable for me to continue competing in triathalons.
It wasn’t long before I realised that not only was I becoming more flexible and pain-free than I had ever been I also noticed a decided improvement in my emotional and mental well-being - I was hooked!
I began teaching Yoga when I returned to Queenstown in the early 1990’s and through my passion for the practice and my desire to become a good teacher I embarked on a 10 year Yoga journey to become a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. I was fortunate to find Peter Thompson, a Senior Teacher from Australia, and I studied under his tutelage for the next 20 years. This journey took me to frequent workshops and retreats in Australia, Bali and the RYIMI in Pune, India - The home of Iyengar yoga.
My Yoga practice also sparked an all consuming interest in meditation.
This led me into the study and practice of Buddha Dharma (The art of learning to live as well as one can ) and 20 years later I've washed up on the shores of
Zen which has been like a 'coming home'. As an integral part of my daily life and living, Zen enriches and informs both my yoga practice and my teaching.
BREATHING CONNECTING RESTING MOVING
As the world has got crazier post pandemic and I've watched peoples anxiety levels soar, my primary focus has shifted to helping my practitioners find a haven of calm and quietude away from the business of their day, orientating inwards, thereby finding a space and place to gently open up areas of gripping and holding in their bodies and release tension, tightness and pain that may have been plaguing them for years.
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Amanda took her first Yoga class 25 years ago, however it wasn't until she moved to Singapore in 2008 that she really discovered what Yoga would mean in her life.
Initially Amanda practiced Hatha Yoga and undertook teacher training in this discipline to deepen her understanding and practice.
On returning to New Zealand in 2010 she was searching for a practice that would in some way fulfill the rich, deep experiences Singapore provided.
She found it in Iyengar Yoga with Loris Mills in Queenstown and under her guidance began the path to teaching Iyengar Yoga.
Amanda was introduced to workshops with Peter Thomson in 2013 and is a certified Iyengar Yoga teacher
The patience and compassion that is evident in Amanda's teaching comes from her sincere approach to both Yoga and life.
Integrity takes her to the mat but it is the exploration and joy that keeps her there.
To quote Rumi When you find a peaceful joy that is where you are near your truth. Amanda hopes that she can help others find their "peaceful joy" in this sometimes chaotic world.