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Spud, Potato, Bolster, Pork Chop, Fatty Bum, Rooney Tunes

Rooney is a fan favourite at Yoga Collective. He loves a good tummy rub and is always happy to welcome you in with a big smile.

Rooney's yoga journey began when his 'human mummy' started bringing him into the studio to keep her company. What started out as a way to sleep more, has morphed into him becoming an expert in the field of savasana, downward facing dog & the 'side lying worm dance' when he's showing off for people.

When Rooney is not in savasana or down dog, he is usually sitting on people's feet waiting for a pat, being carried down the stairs because he is a bit too chubby to do it himself, waiting for crumbs to fall when you are eating and chasing a feather duster.

Rooney is in studio most lunchtimes and on Saturday's.

@guru_rooney

Yoga has been a part of Brooke's life for almost 3 decades. Originally from the Gold Coast in Australia, Brooke has lived in Auckland for over 20 years.

Brooke had a successful career in athletics and netball, until being overcome by recurring injuries. Discovering that yoga was the only activity that helped her with her chronic pain, it was inevitable that she felt indebted to the yoga world and brings this sense of gratitude to every class.

In 2018, Brooke was humbled by the beast that is known as Mt Everest. Succumbing to altitude sickness and hypothermia, she made the decision to finally follow her dreams. 3 months after her return to NZ, she dedicated her whole career to yoga, becoming a full time yoga teacher, and eventually the proud new owner of Yoga Collective (previously YogaTech).

Brooke brings a lighthearted spirit to each class. She truly believes she has the best "job" in the world!

Brooke teaches Chakra Yoga ®, Accessible Yoga ®, Yoga as Therapy ®, Flow, Fusion, Foundation, Meditation and Yin.

@nzyogacollective

Hanieh Esmaielzadeh Nobari

Annia's passion for yoga started in her early twenties while working in a stressful corporate job for a Bank. What started as exercise & stress relief, quickly transformed into something more.

After a decision to travel to Rishkesh, India, the birthplace of Yoga in 2017, she discovered Sattva Yoga. Rooted in the Vedantic & Tantric traditions of the Himalayan Masters, this deeply transformational practice revolutionised her life and she has since travelled back a number of times and completed 500 hours Yoga teacher training, master modules in conscious leadership and the science & energetics of Kundalini energy.

She has had the opportunity to teach at the International Sattva Yoga Studio in Rishkesh, India guiding seekers from all across the world. 

Annia teaches Sattva Yoga ®.

@wavesofshakti

 Benji came to yoga from a long background in martial arts, was intrigued by how yoga could compliment his karate and began to work yoga into his dojo training and teaching; suns are great for kicks! He has also been a UK Scout leader and member of the Scouting Movement. 

Benji teaches and practices full time in Auckland and is trained in Forrest yoga, massage and bodywork: including aromatherapy, acupressure, cranial work, myofascial and deep tissue, structural integration and Gua Sha. His passion is to help people feel great in their bodies and minds using the transformational way of Forrest yoga and the healing magic of bodywork in a safe and inclusive space. 

He’s trained with some great teachers including Ana Forrest, Jambo Truong, Sinhee McCabe and Rosalind Southward, meeting some amazing yogis on his travels around the world to workshops and retreats.

Benji teaches Forrest Yoga ®, Flow, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@benji.stephenson  

Cherish has been exploring yoga

and mindfulness for over10 years and has

been teaching for 4 years, mainly to young children. Her experience teaching

children has provided Cherish with tools

that have made her teaching of yoga

more engaging for adults in various

aspects.

Through consistent study of the body and mind, her passion for

wellness, health and personal development is brought onto the mat each time she teaches. Following the path of mental and physical well-being, Cherish has gained

experience to teach in

many different styles of yoga taking into account people's physical and mental

needs. 

 Originally from Spain, Cherish, she enjoys being active whether it be outdoors,

gym, rock climbing, gardening, or

skydiving. 

Cherish teaches Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@cherish_earthmovement

Daneil gained his 200HR yoga teacher qualification from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta centre in Kerala, India. After this period of training he undertook a pilgrimage through Kerala and Tamil Nadu, witnessing oracular rituals and pre-Vedic traditions of worship of the Divine Mother.

He has been practicing Ashtanga, Iyengar and Gitananda Yoga with Dr. Mark James Hamilton since 2014.

Professionally, he has taught yoga throughout London with over 200 regular students in the UK, teaching yoga in acting schools, in public classes/workshops and in private lessons. He was first introduced to yoga at drama school in London by an innovative teacher called Monique Hunt. In 2014 Dan met his collaborator Mark, a classical Indian dancer and a yogi who became his second teacher.

Daneil says: "Yoga is my way of sharing my connections to holistic health practices and Mother Nature (the ultimate nurturer). It has become a way of life for me. I teach from a place of openness, sharing sequences that nurture students of any experience/ability. I help students to develop a self practice that inspires health and well being".

 Daneil teaches Flow, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@daneil_peter_cunningham  

Jemila's yoga journey began in Boston in the early 1980s with tree, frog, and butterfly poses in primary school, before ballet and Bharatanatyam became her main forms of physical expression. It wasn't until the late 1990s--after injuries and disordered eating forced her to stop dancing--that she began a regular practice. Then an adult in NYC, she embraced the meditative repetition and precision strength of ashtanga and its derivative styles for over a decade. When she needed an outlet for stress during her PhD, she decided to deepen and broaden her practice through a yoga teacher training (YTT). She completed her YTT 200hr with Mimi Loureiro in 2014; Jemila has been teaching ever since.  

Jemila's goal as a teacher is to create a safe framework from which *every student* can explore their own yoga journey. Each class is designed to move the body, center the spirit, and quiet the mind through thoughtful sequencing and simple yet playful cues. Athletic vinyasa flows are combined with the grounding and heating of pranayama (breathing), the alignment and focus of Iyengar, and the lightness and fluidity of dance. She hopes her class will leave you feeling refreshed and smiling: it's just yoga, after all! 

Jemila teaches Flow, Fusion and Foundation.

@yogi_jemili

 Kimmy is from Petaluma, a small town in California. She became passionate about yoga while at university in Australia, and completed a 200 hour certification in India at Rishikesh Vinyasa Yoga School. The rigorous daily Vinyasa and Ashtanga practice schedule, along with in-depth classes on anatomy, philosophy, and alignment, sparked her inspiration to seriously pursue teaching

 After discovering how transformative yoga can be for both the mind and body, she is now is committed to making yoga a big part of her life, and sharing her love of daily movement with others.

Kimmy teaches Ashtanga Yoga ®, Flow, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@yogawithkimmy    

 Maria comes from a dance background and first discovered yoga 15 years ago as a great way to calm and balance whilst maintain strength and flexibility.

Her passion for all things yoga increased and in 2013 became a certified Hatha yoga teacher in Ashtanga, and over the years her styles of Vinyasa and Yin developed. She has taught yoga around the globe, including retreats in Bali and Cambodia. Her love of yoga philosophy is a key theme in her teaching, including work of Sadhguru, Patabi Jois and Ramana Maharshi.

As part of her ongoing teaching development, Maria has studied Aryuveda in alignment with yoga asana, and other yogic therapies including Yin yoga therapy and healing meditation. Abyanga massage is also available as part of her holistic services.

“Yoga is a journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” Pathabi Jois

Cherish teaches Flow, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@mariacliftyoga

Originally from Indonesia, Naomi discovered yoga due to an injury. Yoga has been an integral part during her recovery from a hip injury over the past 4 years. During this process of recovery, she learned that the body is deeply connected to the mind.

After some time, Naomi decided to leave a corporate job for a 200 hr Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training here in NZ with YogaKoh.

Naomi brings a sense of compassion and endearment to her classes. A beautiful soul inside and out.

Naomi teaches Flow, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@naomiannayoga

Shannon hails from Dallas, Texas, and it was while at university in South Carolina studying psychology that she first discovered yoga in 2008. Shortly after she moved to Santa Cruz, California to delve deeper into her practice by participating in Mark Stephen’s 200-hour yoga teacher training and in-depth studies program. 

Upon completion, she obtained her Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

She has taught yoga at Amsa Yoga & Mindfulness Practice Center, in Sydney, and eventually in Auckland for the past 6 years. Shannon completed her 500-hour training in beautiful Bali in July 2016 which led to assisting yoga teacher trainings there as well. 

For Shannon, the practice of yoga offers a sense of being grounded, light, and present. "The yoga mat offers a true journey inwards, a place for self discovery and a tuning into the present moment." 

Shannon teaches Flow, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@consciousconnectionyoga

徐淑熙 (Xu Shu Xi) 

Su Siock Sze 

Having completed her level 1 RYT-200 Hatha Teacher Training a few years ago, Susze has also recently completed her RYT-300 Advanced Ashtanga Vinyasa Teacher Training this year.

She thrives on a sweaty and energising flow, but also enjoys leading yin classes just as much. More recently, she’s into gentle flow and sound healing.

Through consistent mindfulness and yoga practice, she recovered from severe anxiety and depression. After years of learning how to manage anxiety and strong emotions through her own experience and extensive study, she is now ready to share what she has learned over the years with the wider community.

Mindfulness meditation, yoga and sound healing is her passion.

Susze teaches Flow, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.

@susze.su

Вікторія Квасняк

Victoria, originally from

Ukraine, arrived in New Zealand over 10 years ago and it’s been my home since then. Yoga has been a part of her life for many years now. It started from a Russian internet video and body balance classes in a gym. She loves movement in different forms and has also been practicing Muay Thai for over two years now.

Completing her yoga teacher training course has allowed her to look at movement differently from both a biomechanical approach and the mind-body connection. Recently she has also started practicing aerial silks.

Victoria teaches Contemporary Yoga, which is a mix of ancient tradition and modern research to facilitate a practice that allows freedom of movement and freedom of mind. Rather than making people follow a pre-set collection of shapes, we encourage curiosity, exploration and discovery of their body rather than some mythological picture-perfect “yogi”. I believe every movement can be beautiful and inspiring, maybe even empowering. By connecting with their physical body, the students can allow their mind to be free and wild and constantly exploring and evolving.

Victoria teaches Contemporary Yoga ®, Somatic Yoga, Fusion, Foundation and Yin.