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Left to right: Vicki, Sue & Martina at Elementa -Summer 2013
Brigid & Sue before classMartina has been teaching in the Remuera / Newmarket area for several years. Initially with two other experienced teachers, Vicki Soper and Sue Lane at Elementa, then with the closure of Elementa and having enjoyed teaching together as a team, we sought a new venue to continue classes. Happily after a short 6 month stint at St Adian’s, finally settling in the spring of 2013 at the beautiful yoga specific space that is The Breathing Space Yoga Group.
The Breathing Space Yoga group is a collaboration of experienced, independent yoga teachers across different traditions, who teach out of this boutique studio to provide high quality classes to small groups.
Mid way through 2017 Sue decided to “retire” from her regular class, to free up time for long summer sailing trips and extended winter trips visiting her sons and partners in Europe. She is still a regular practitioner and active member of our community, so we see her regularly and she can be cajoled in to covering the odd class. At the same time we were fortunate to have another experienced practitioner, Brigid Chunn join our teaching team. Brigid covers Led Classes when Vicki or Martina are away.
Vicki Soper’s years of yoga practice, with its daily “sensing in,” has developed a kinaesthetic awareness that is invaluable to her as a teacher who loves helping students grow.
Vicki has been practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga for 28 years, and teaching since 1992.
She began her practice in 1989 with Dena Kingsberg in Australia. In 1993 she travelled to Mysore, India to study with Ashtanga Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
Along with Ashtanga, Vicki has studied and teaches Yoga Vinyasa (Hatha Flow), pregnancy yoga, and takes “mums and babies” classes.
Vicki is registered with Yoga Alliance as an E-RYT500 hour teacher. She also, over four years, completed the Svastha Yoga of Krishnamacharya Program, adding another “yoga and health” dimension to her teaching knowledge.
As well as classes Vicki enjoys working one on one with students, for those who want to deepen their practice or those beginning the yoga journey.
Martina Götz has practised yoga for over 25 years and been teaching for more than 20 years, predominantly in the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India.
She has travelled several times to India to study with the Jois family in Mysore. Before Pattabhi Jois’s passing in 2009 she received authorisation and blessing to teach through his institute (KPJAYI) and attended a teaching training with Sharath in 2010. For more info see: www.kpjayi.org
She has also practised extensively with Peter Sanson, Dena Kingsberg & Matthew Sweeney, and is certified to teach Matthew Sweeney’s Chandra & Simba Vinyasa Krama sequences.
In 2005 Martina was registered as an E-RYT 500 (Experienced -Registered Yoga Teacher 500 hours) through Yoga Alliance.
Her teaching is steeped in tradition yet accommodating to each individual students needs.
In Auckland she teaches regular weekly public yoga classes & special monthly classes, and offers private tuition. She also conducts yoga workshops, retreats & has guest teaching posts; in New Zealand, Australia and China.
read more about martina gotz »
WHENEVER VICKI, BRIGID OR MARTINA ARE NOT TEACHING THEIR REGULAR CLASSES, THEY ARE EITHER COVERED BY EACH OTHER OR ONE OF THE SUPERB COVER TEACHERS BELOW:
Brigid has been practising yoga for nearly 30 years, starting with Mande White doing Iyengar, then discovering Astanga, which she loves and continues to be her primarily practice today.
She did a Purna Yoga teacher training in 2013 through the Byron Yoga Centre, which after completing she started teaching a Vinyasa Flow class at the Breathing Space Yoga Group, and continues to teach this independently today.
Stillness in Movement joined the Breathing Space Yoga Group Collaboration around the same time, and she became an enthusiastic member of our community. At the beginning of 2017, she began a 6 month mentorship under the guidance of Martina to share her love of Ashtanga and expand her teaching repertoire to include a Led 1/2 Primary Ashtanga class, which she started in September 2017 under the Stillness in Movement banner.
Yoga is an essential part of her life and she looks forward to see in you in class.
Sue was a founding teacher with Stillness in Movement and continues to be a wonderful member of our community.
She has practiced yoga for over twenty years and been a teacher more than ten.
She trained at the Auckland Yoga Academy in the traditional Ashtanga Yoga Style, and did further training with Ganesh Mohan. Over the years she has also attended many workshops, including Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and his grandson Sharath, Dena Kingsberg and her husband Jack from Byron Bay, among others. Sue regards yoga as a continual learning experience.
She has always taken a keen interest in her students and this has been the most satisfying element of her teaching experience and like her students regards herself as being on a constant journey of learning and discovery.
Kitty is a regular student and cover teacher with Stillness in Movement, and a delightful part of our community. For many years she has worked closely with Martina and knows the Stillness in Movement students well, they always enjoy her friendly, supportive, openminded approach when she covers.
She is a certified E-RYT 200 & RYT-500 yoga instructor through Yoga Alliance since 2011 and has over 1,000 hours teaching experience.
Her yoga practice is an integral part of her life and she wishes to share this with students. Kitty enjoys teaching an energetic Ashtanga style yoga and providing her students with hands-on adjustments. She loves working with students of all levels and enjoys bringing yoga into everyday life. Kitty believes everyone can enjoy and benefit from a yoga practice and her goal is to make every student feel comfortable in their bodies and their yoga practice. The basis of her teaching style is helping students to achieve their goals whether it is fitness or stress relieve and have fun while doing it.
In 2015 we loved having Kiri Sutherland as part of our team, teaching a regular Wednesday night class. The commute from her home in Matakana became too much to do regularly, and she is now based in Gisborne, though she still pops in for a practice or to teach workshop sessions on occasion.
Kiri Sutherland has practiced ashtanga yoga since 2000. She has learnt the first three series from certified teacher Peter Sanson in New Zealand and is level 2 authorised by KPJAYI to teach the primary and intermediate series.
For over the last decade Kiri has taught traditional mysore-style classes in Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Matakana and currently in Gisborne. For many years she assisted in Peter Sanson Workshops and for last 5 years has conducted workshops through out NZ and internationally in Rarotonga and Kuala Lumpur.
She teaches with gentle adjustments, enthusiasm and trust in the ashtanga method.
Some of Kiri’s upcoming events are in the side bar, otherwise to see to her current full schedule, visit her website www.kiriyoga.nz
Left to right: Vicki, Sue & Martina at Elementa -Summer 2013
