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WELLINGTON

About your instructors                                                    

Hot Yoga of New Zealand's certified instructors constantly do on-going training and study interdisciplinary hot yoga methods and yoga techniques. If they do not have the answer they will find the answer.

Claire Szabo-Cassella (E-RYT) 

A former motivational speaker, Claire's yoga teaching style instills a calming confidence in her students as she mixes humour and compassion with thoughtful insights into The Journey. A yoga practitioner for over 16 years, she primarily teaches Yin Yoga, usually with notable yang elements for strength and balance. As a person living with muscular dystrophy (FSHD), Claire's practice and teaching reflect her belief in the vast potential of healing energy yoga holds so quietly and readily for any body.

Claire's study of yoga as a life-long healing art includes trainings with Kausthub Desikachar, Paul Grilley, Donna Farhi, Jimmy Barkan, Baron Bapiste and Bikram Choudury. Her most inspiring teachers being the students themselves: their dedication, courageous self-inquiry and evolution through the good work of yoga - on and off the mat - continually expand an awareness of why yoga is so fundamental to healthy living.

Claire has longed worked as a life coach, especially for those in creative industries. In recent years Claire has tumed much of her attention to expanding the Hot Yoga of New Zealand Teacher Training nationwide and celebrant work. She is a registered celebrant in New Zealand for marriages and civil unions, funerals and other important life transitions. 

For more information on how Claire can help you design a meaningful and enriching ceremony please call the studio for an appointment. 04 801 9642

More on Claire's personal journey in a recent interview with The Yoga Lunch Box  

Louise Beckingsale

Louise is passionate about health and well-being. Through a strong yoga practice (on and off the mat) she ensures her mind, body and soul are nourished, healthy and working in union. Teaching yoga allows her to help others find this harmony.

Louise grew up with yoga in her life; her mother is a yoga teacher. When Louise returned to New Zealand after living abroad and having intermintenly practised yoga throughout her 20s, she found herself at Hot Yoga Wellington and soon thereafter in the 2010 Hot Yoga Teacher Training Program. Since then she's embarked on the full and enriched practice to which she's now committed to sharing with others. 

Time on the yoga mat is Louise's 'mini retreat' from a full working and personal life. Louise is also a New Zealand registered dietitian. She is currently working in education and community nutrition in Newtown. She enjoys the challenge of working with diverse communities, empowering them to improve their health and well-being through food and nutrition. In addition to yoga Louise enjoys running, mountain biking, tramping and skiing. She also loves to cook, sew, read and values time with family and friends.

Theresa Bowen

When Theresa found yoga ten years ago, she immediately fell in love with having a practice that was a moving meditation.  She believes yoga off the mat and awareness the mind are as important in her personal practice as they are in her teaching of yoga as asana.

She completed her first teacher training in 2000 in Melbourne, Australia in a Sivanada style of yoga and taught part-time in a variety of cities around the world until she found Hot Yoga of New Zealand in Wellington. 

From 2008 - 2010, Theresa took a break from the school teaching profession to work full-time at the studio. She assisted in operations, taught Kids Yoga! and Brand New Beginners Courses, as well as regular weekly classes.  During this time, Theresa’s yoga teaching and personal practice really blossomed as she completed the 2009 Hot Yoga of New Zealand Teacher Training and also attended Anusara and Satyananada courses.

Although Theresa has recently returned to full-time work with a class of Year 7/8 kids at Karori West School, she still teaches group classes part-time at the studio and periodically facilitates Family Yoga sessions and Women’s Clinics. Her teaching exudes a delight in sharing the holistic practice of yoga during asana practice as a pragmatic and graceful tool for enhancing each and every moment of one’s life at any age.

Helen Guissane

Helen has had a lifelong interest in health and wellness, becoming a gym junkie from the age of 16 and has led a very active sports life.  Her interest in natural health led Helen to her first encounter with yoga – commencing an astanga practice in 1999.  Helen always enjoyed the physical benefits of this strong practice but on moving to the USA in 2005 Helen’s yoga practice really deepened and she undertook a 6-month Baron Baptiste Vinyasa Teacher Training Programme.  It was at this point that the other benefits began to also materialize – a deep inner mental strength and a true inner peace.  Having a naturally competitive nature, yoga has also taught her that everything is not a competition and more often the joy comes from surrendering.  The enjoyment from the physical challenge is one that Helen still enjoys but melding that with something deeper means Helen will never be without a yoga practice – the benefits are too great!

Helen has three grown-up children who provide her with much joy and have kept her busy over the years running them to sports, gym, dance, art classes, music classes, etc.  It is of no surprise then that Helen likes to lead an active and busy life.  Helen has completed her first year of homeopathic study as well as other natural healing modalities and she continues her interest and study in all of these areas.  Most recently she attended yoga trainings with Donna Farhi and Noah Maze which help evolve both Helen’s own practice and what she brings to her teaching, keeping them fresh and dynamic.

Maria Gorham

Prior to coming to Hot Yoga of New Zealand, Maria worked as a part-time instructor in the gym industry in Wellington for 17 years.  When the place she worked sold, she looked for the next step. By sheer chance, she ended up at the Hot Yoga studio. It was love at first sight: A place to be – on the mat – with oneself, in a supportive environment that went beyond the physical. 

Maria’s vibrant and thought-provoking classes exude her total belief “that the yoga room can hold anything and everything. Yoga is a journey of heart, energy and passion and each student’s individual journey differs; ultimately, we are each totally responsible for where we want to take it – today, in the now.”  Maria believes that everyone can achieve his or her goals. She is a graduate of the 2010 Hot Yoga of New Zealand Teacher Training course and feels it was a path of personal transformation that has given her a new perspective on life. She shares that passion with the power of her voice and the immediate, genuine warmth of her “being there” for every student.

When Marion landed in Aotearoa five years ago, she left behind a busy and stressful Parisian lifestyle! Since then, she has gratefully discovered the challenges and rewards that come from yoga and from listening to one's body and surrendering to the fluctuations of life wherever she may be. As her own yoga practice deepens, with both humility and joy, Marion strengthens the connections between her own physical, mental and spiritual state and the simple truths of slowing down and taking the time to just breathe.

Marion is a 2010 graduate of the Hot Yoga of New Zealand Teacher Training Program. She was deeply moved by the power of that group experience. She understands the importance of sharing and holding a sacred space for teacher and student alike and this can be felt in the energy of her presence as she guides her hot yoga classes. "Teaching is different form of practice, a steadfast commitment where the teacher is always a beginner and a witness to the transformational process. Taking class is refreshing and demands a lot of humility and understanding." 

As an artist, athlete and active auntie, Marion also shares a unique understanding of the infinite creative potential that arises from an embodied yoga practice: "Whatever creative path I took in my life I always sensed that something bigger was leading me and the Yoga practice brings me back to that intuition. It brings me back home, not the one I have left behind but the one that always dwells within."

Sandey Hoskin

Sandey began her career in health and fitness 20 years ago teaching Deep Water Aerobics, Circuit Training and Step classes. She moved to Sydney and started her own Personal Training business in both gym and water based environments.

With a yearning to continue learning and helping people to heal themselves, Sandey became a certified massage therapist in 2000. Yoga came as part of a natural progression.  Wanting to find a way of getting out of “my head" and into “my body", Sandey completed the studio's RYT-200 level teacher trainee program in 2009. 

Yoga has changed the way Sandey looks at everything.  Through yoga she is able to find the ease and clarity in stressful situations that would normally seem difficult to handle. Sandey's goal is to be still doing everything that keeps the body, mind and spirit youthful and free as long as she is breathing. She takes a holistic approach to her life and in her teaching.

With Sandey's powerful vocals and dynamic, and her focused and caring teaching style, she wants to allow people to find the freedom in their own practice.  To be exactly who they are without judgment but with encouragement to be the best they can possibly be in their practice and in their life while in a safe and caring environment.

Hot Yoga New Zealand is this environment.

Fiona Liu (RYT)   

Fiona worked as a risk analyst in China before moving to New Zealand. In 2008, she randomly walked into a yoga studio after work one day. Her yoga journey had instantly begun. A year later she completed the Teacher Training program with Hot Yoga of New Zealand and has been teaching ever since.

For Fiona, "The on-going self-inquiry of yoga allows me to look deep inside and be clear of what I need on and off the mat. Yoga helps me open to life's limitless opportunities and live with a more open mind and an open heart."  Fiona is naturally passionate about helping people awaken their body and mind through yoga and is encouraging of the potential discovery of peacefulness, calmness and strength practice brings.

Fiona has also studied with Noah Maze and Katie Lane, and is looking forward to studying with other teachers in the future.

Fiona teaches Pregnancy Yoga and group classes at the studio. She enjoys what students teach her as much she teaches them and is grateful the shared process of self-discovery, strength and joy in every class.  

Katya believes in yoga’s ability to offer exactly what we need at any given moment in our lives, be it balance, flexibility, strength or surrender. “Following the yogic path on and off the mat is a challenging task. Being able to teach yoga and hopefully inspire others to look deeper into themselves, their lives and their aspirations to find the true treasure of a happy life, is such an honour!”

Katya has taught different modalities of yoga both in New Zealand and overseas. She currently teaches group sessions, Pregnancy Yoga and private sessions at Hot Yoga of New Zealand in Wellington and Auckland.

Kathy Ramirez (RYT)   

After six years in the fitness industry, Kathy completed the Hot Yoga Teacher Training Program in 2010 to bring a holistic approach to her work as a personal trainer and yoga teacher.  A yoga advocate for over eight years, Kathy began her own practice as a way to stay injury free in endurance events such half marathons and triathlons. Her yoga practice quickly evolved into a way to go to deeper within, to reduce stress and to more easily overcome life's obstacles. As a result, Kathy's yoga teaching reflects her unique ability to incorporate knowledge of both fitness and mind/body health for dynamic, self-reflective classes laced with a down-to-earth charm as she guides students to work the body not only from the physical outside but from a place of connection from deep within.

Kathy is from Seneca, South Carolina in the United States.  Her fitness career includes work with Pfizer, Inc. as a Primary Healthcare Representative for the cardiovascular, respiratory, and urinary divisions. Kathy also owns her own business as a Personal/Business Coach, working with corporate groups and fitness facilities in the USA and NZ. Kathy received her fitness instructor certificate from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and her spinning certification from Mad Dogg Athletics. She also has personal trainer certification from AFFA and the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

Kathy runs Yoga for Athletes and Kids Yoga! She also offers private lessons and teaches regularly at Hot Yoga of New Zealand.

Claire Wright  (RYT)

At the tender age of six, Claire started competing nationally at Military Marching and Drill competitions, and later represented New Zealand internationally. After 17 years of dedication to the sport, Claire finally hung up her Marching boots and went in search of another activity that encompassed stamina, concentration, poise, grace and the all important connection between mind and body. It wasn’t until Claire finally found yoga that her journey began. Claire has now been practicing yoga for the last 10 years and became particularly focused on the art of hot yoga while residing in London.  She found yoga became her haven from the stresses and demands of living in a large city and allowed her to refocus her mind despite the hustle and bustle of daily life. 

Taking inspiration from her experience abroad, Claire returned home to Wellington eager to forge a new career and create a greater awareness of the untold benefits of becoming a dedicated yoga practitioner.  Claire graduated in 2009 from Hot Yoga of New Zealand Teacher Training Program and has since been teaching group yoga classes in the Wellington and Hutt Valley Region.

Claire derives her greatest pleasure from watching her students grow/develop their practice and connecting to their divine nature.


TESTIMONIALS:
I want to thank all the instructors at Hot Yoga for the work you've done with me. I came to Wellington to meet my fitness goals to join the Armed Forces and after just 8 weeks I'm now at my goal. I'm also feeling a larger range of movement due to your great classes and advice. Without you I would not be where I am today. Thank you. - Kevin

Hot Yoga has become my new happy place within myself and in the outside world.  I walk in and I feel like doing yoga for the rest of my life. The studio is super clean and the teachers are amazing. I arrive 1/2 hour before the class starts and I leave 30 minutes after the class has ended, just to experience that amazing feeling running through my body. - Natalia