Our experienced teacher trainers

John Ogilvie, founder and director of the Byron Yoga Centre, has been teaching yoga for over twenty-five years and developed the Byron Yoga Centre teacher training courses. He encourages a light heartedness in our approach to yoga and to ourselves. John teaches regular classes as part of the Byron Yoga studio weekly timetable. His classes are both challenging and dynamic, and integrate the different yoga styles of Iyengar and Ashtanga, as well as the softer Sivananda and Satyananda practices of yoga and the energy principles of Aikido.

Judy Krupp, is a senior teacher trainer with Byron Yoga Centre with more than 20 years experience. Founder and director of The Yoga Room & Life Centre in Sydney, Judy was originally trained in the Iyengar system but now teaches a multifaceted approach that blends the art of asana practice with the science of the mechanics of movement. Judy has an astute knowledge of the body and its movement and she lives and teaches with both humour and passion. She encourages her students to move beyond their perceived limitations, while working at an individual pace with grace and core stability. Judy also practices Steve Lochkhardt Myotherapy and has studied Reiki and Indian Head Massage.

Stephan Kahlert, has over twenty five years’ experience as a meditation practitioner and teacher in the Soto Zen, Vipassana, Vedanta and yoga traditions. He has taught overseas on many occasions in his capacity as a meditation teacher. Stephan trained as a yoga teacher with John Ogilvie in 2005. He teaches meditation and Hindu philosophy on retreats and teacher training at the Centre. His style is light-hearted, humorous, engaging and fun. Along with his wife Bettina, Stephan regularly travels to India to deepen his practice.

Davina Kruse - Senior teacher
is a senior certified yoga teacher trained by John Ogilvie. Davina has been practicing yoga since 1998, both in Australia and overseas. She has practiced Ashtanga, Iyengar and Hatha styles. This is apparent in her classes, where she gently guides students to focus on breath awareness in order to bring about union of body, mind and spirit. Davina is passionate about encouraging students deeper into their self-practice by utilising the yamas and niyamas. Davina delivers the Byron Yoga Centre’s yoga teacher training courses as well as teaching regular classes.

Alex Hamilton - Senior teacher
began teaching at the centre under supervision following her completion of the Level 1 Byron Yoga teacher training in August 2007, and finished her Level 2 training in May 2008. Alex first came to yoga in 2002, attracted by its meditative ability to quieten the mind and re-awaken awareness in the body. Alex delivers on the teacher trainings as well as teaching regular asana classes at the centre with a focus on core strength and stability. She also maintains an important role in the centre managing the kitchen and devising the menus, and has a strong passion for health and nutrition.

Michael Nazar - Senior teacher
has a background in fitness, remedial massage and sports injury therapy which is apparent in his dynamic Vinyasa flow-style classes. He has been practising yoga since 1990 and gained his level 1 and 2 teaching qualifications from Byron Yoga Centre in 2006 and 2007. Michael seeks to incorporate the ethical and moral teachings of yoga into his classes, as well as pranayama and meditation, and delivers on the teacher trainings as well as teaching regular general classes at the Centre.

Lila Kirtana - Senior Teacher
first discovered the healing benefits of yoga 8 years ago, and was immediately entranced by all aspects of the yogic lifestyle. In 2006 she became a Bhakti yogi, and whilst managing a yoga retreat centre in Sydney she first met John Ogilvie. Over time Lila completed her Level 1 and 2 training, and moved to Byron Bay. She teaches regular asana classes at the centre, is a qualified Massage Therapist, and teaches on the teacher training courses. Lila is passionate to share her love of yoga through Kirtan [spiritual chanting], and also teaches Ayurveda on the courses.
 

Nadine Taylor, has had a strong meditation practice for many years and initially began Yoga to complement this practice. However, Nadine quickly discovered that yoga did more than simply deepen her meditation; it soothed frayed nerves and replenished her soul. Nadine’s love and curiosity guided her to study Purna Yoga at Byron Yoga then to Myanmar and recently to India to study Esoteric Tantric Yoga.

Her classes are challenging, fluid and nurturing. By guiding the students and encouraging them to move with awareness and in harmony with the breath, Nadine’s classes move beyond just the physical and work to facilitate the release of emotional and energetic blockages.

As a Trainer for Byron Yoga and on the mat in her classes she feels her role is to guide each student to find their comfortable ‘seat’ and to connect to their own inner beauty. From this place everything else follows.

Kara Goodsell, is a senior certified teacher who trained in dynamic Vinyasa flow-style yoga with John Ogilvie, as well as regularly attending yoga workshops by other senior teachers, including Pattabhi Jois in India. She has been teaching beginners, general and intermediate classes since 2006 at the Centre after apprenticing for 4 years with John. Kara teaches yoga asana, pranayama (breathing techniques) and dhyana (meditation) safely and joyfully, giving students the opportunity to deepen their awareness and practice with integrity and fun. She is constantly updating her skills and expanding her yoga teaching experience. Kara is part of the teacher training staff at Byron Yoga Centre.

Jacinta MCEWEN has been teaching yoga for more than 20 years and was part of the original Byron Yoga Centre team. Jacinta initially trained as a nurse and went on to become a naturopath, herbalist, massage therapist, yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner. She became a Raja Yoga teacher in Australia in 1979 and opened a meditation teaching centre in New Zealand. Jacinta is a Naturopath and Ayurvedic Consultant and teaches Ayurvedic principles on our yoga teacher training courses. She has facilitated many natural health workshop and training courses, in Australia and overseas.

Maria Kirsten, teaches the applied anatomy and physiology component of our teacher trainings conducted in Byron Bay. Maria has been doing yoga since 1989 and began teaching in 2000 after gaining accreditation with Yogalates. Maria is passionate about making yoga accessible to as many people as possible, especially those who don’t consider themselves to be yogis. She focuses on teaching teachers how to avoid injuries and strains and how to give alternatives and props to injured students. Maria has trained with Louise Soloman at Yogalates, Peter Clifford, Libby Nelson and Simon Borg Olivier.

AanaDavis, has been teaching yoga since 1996 and founded Bondi Bliss Yoga Studio in Sydney. Ana has been specialising in the area of teaching and training teachers in prenatal and postnatal yoga for the last 5 years. As mother to a 4 year old, Ana is passionate about sharing the benefits and joys of yoga during pregnancy and early motherhood. She teaches the yoga and women’s health sessions for our Teacher Trainings and retreats. Ana also conducts regular pre/postnatal teacher training intensives at the Centre.

Our teachers with weekly classes

Anne-Marie Eddington, began practising Ashtanga-style yoga in 1992 with Simi and David Roche in Adelaide, initially attracted by the cultivation of breath control. Anne-Marie apprenticed with Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss at Yoga Synergy in Sydney and taught there full-time from 1998 until 2005 when she moved to Byron Bay and began teaching at the Centre. Her classes follow a balanced, flowing sequence of many different styles of yoga and incorporate pranayama and sitting meditation. Anne-Marie is passionate about using the physical asanas to clear your mind and induce a meditative state.

Bettina Kahlert, first did yoga more than 30 years ago and became serious during pregnancy 20 years ago. She trained as a fitness instructor 20 years ago and more recently complemented this with Pilates teacher training. Bettina has done 4 different yoga teacher trainings, most recently with John Ogilvie and has recently been studying the use of yoga nidra in rehabilitation, recording a CD in India. Bettina’s classes emphasise the core, pelvic floor and the bandhas. Bettina has been lucky to meet with and learn from several spiritual masters, including B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabi Jois, T.K.V. Desikachar and Clive Sheridan.

Kirsty Nugent, has been on the yogic path for most of her life. Yoga helped her recover from injury when she was a member of Canada's national gymnastics team. It sustained her throughout an advertising career which spanned the globe. Arriving in Sydney in 2000 she became a student of Yoga Synergy and Dharma Shala. In 2009 she moved to Byron Bay to complete her teacher training at Byron Yoga Centre and to live the yogic lifestyle full time. Kirsty now manages the marketing for Byron Yoga and teaches classes regularly. She finds great joy and gratitude to be able to wake up near the ocean each day and to teach yoga. Her classes will challenge you physically, while creating a nurturing space for peace, stillness and introspection.

Mal Knights, completed his Level 2 training with John Ogilvie and other senior teachers at the Byron Yoga Centre. Yoga has completely changed the direction of his life for the positive, and he is eager to share the benefits with his students. Mal is also passionate about yoga and surfing, and his classes are focused on surf-specific sequences as he has found great improvement in his surfing through practising yoga. Mal teaches regular asana classes at the centre, and assists on the teacher trainings. He is also a dedicated member of the Kirtan band, works in the kitchen, and does all the maintenance and construction within the centre.

Gitam Garden, has been practising yoga for many years and has been involved with Byron Yoga Centre management since 2006. Since completing her yoga teacher training with BYC she has been teaching classes regularly and particularly enjoys her involvement with yoga retreats where she offers cranio-sacral therapy treatments. Gitam was instrumental in the creation of the Byron Yoga Centre kitchen and her skills in providing trainee yoga teachers and retreat participants with cleansing, nourishing and delicious food has led to the publication of her book 'Gitam’s Garden - Healthy Sattvic Recipes from the Byron Yoga Kitchen’.

Kath Moore, is a practitioner of yoga, a surfer at heart, and an enthusiast for life. With a lifestyle already aligned from a young age with the yogic mentalities, it was in 2004 whilst living in a ski resort town in Canada that she first discovered the true direct benefits of yoga and observed it’s sustaining qualities to her sports-driven energetic lifestyle. Having gained significant therapeutic and rehabilitating benefits from yoga, she is aware of the capacity in which the practice can help overcome physical injury and illness. Completing her Level 2 teacher training course with Byron Yoga Centre in 2008, she has since trained in yoga and massage therapy. She continues to work and study in an holistic, wellbeing capacity, teaching on retreats ,working with private clients, teaching public classes at the centre and holding talks on nutrition and healthy food preparation classes. Kath’s strengthening, yet therapeutic approach to teaching, is fused with a flow style emphasizing connection with the breath. Her classes also influenced by her background in pilates, provide emphasis on strengthening the core.

Sarah Mackie, offers classes that are suitable for all levels of experience, offering stages and levels within each pose so that each student can feel challenged, inspired and supported. Classes are creative - varying each week, responding to the seasons, daily weather moods, and the students needs. Always incorporating pranayama (breathing techniques), as well as some meditation techniques - creating the union of body and breath, mind and spirit.

Sarah’s knowledge comes from years of self-practice starting in 1999, and was formalized by completing her 500hr Teacher Training with the Byron Yoga Centre at the beginning of 2011.

Sarah has practiced in the Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga and Vinyasa/Power Flow lineages at different stages in her life and incorporates the knowledge from each of these into her classes.