Meet The Team

Mollie has been teaching for ‘many’ years and continues to do so because of ‘the amazing students’ who give so much back. IYTA NZ Inc qualified, Mollie has practiced yoga in Australia, Japan and on cruise ships.

Curly has been teaching at TYC for approximately 25 years . He is a certified Iyengar Teacher, with a wealth of experience, knowledge and wisdom on the practice and philosophy of yoga to share. He has helped to inspire and encourage quite a few of the existing TYC teachers over the years in both their practice and their journey to becoming a teacher.

Sue discovered yoga in 1982, but it was discovering TYC in 1995 that really inspired her own practice and broadened her understanding of what 'yoga' is. With encouragement and mentoring from her teachers, Sue became a yoga teacher in 2011. Since then she has been teaching classes and workshops at TYC and is also the day-to-day Operations Manager. ​ Influenced by the Iyengar style and Yin, Sue encourages students to use the breath and the sensations the body is relaying whilst in a pose, to quieten the mind. Sue also teaches yin yoga workshops and a restorative class for women affected by cancer. For Sue, teaching at TYC is a privilege and the students continue to teach her and inform her own practice.

Christine’s love of yoga was ignited at Tauranga Yoga Centre “many” years ago. She was inspired by the great teachers and experience around her there, to complete her IYTA training in 2011 and continued to teach there – a way of giving back to something that has had such a positive impact on her life. ​ During this time she has had the opportunity to attend many workshops with renowned teachers locally and afar, and enjoys weaving what she has learnt and experienced into her own style of yoga which always has its base in traditional hatha, vinyasa, pranayama and alignment principles. ​ Christine encourages students to practice yoga to not get better at yoga, but to get better at life.

Brigid was introduced to yoga as a child in the 70’s in a small rural community when she attended classes with her mum at the local school. Her teaching style focuses on keeping yoga simple and natural enough to incorporate into daily life. She teaches yin yoga and mindful movement practices.

Louise was introduced to yoga as a child by her grandmother, who showed her how to practice Viloma breathing. ​ “We’d walk around on our knees in padmasana (lotus) together,” says Louise, a qualified physiotherapist who moved to the Bay in 2006.“I ‘found’ yoga again when my children were small and saw it from a different perspective; an ancient practice with current anatomical understanding.” ​ She recently studied through the IYTA programme and loves her new role at TYC. “TYC has been ‘my’ centre since coming to Tauranga. The teachers supported me while I was training and I am honoured to join them,” she says. “I love teaching yoga because it brings beneficial change to people in their body and mind with subtlety and yet those changes may be profound.”​

Duncan is a certified Iyengar yoga teacher and a graduate of the three-year Iyengar Yoga Institute of Los Angeles teacher training programme. Duncan found TYC when he shifted back to New Zealand in 2014 and started teaching at TYC in 2016. He continues his studies with senior Iyengar teachers from New Zealand and around the world. ​ His classes balance precision and playfulness, strength and flexibility, tradition, and new thinking. He loves the progressive nature of Iyengar yoga and has a particular interest in adapting asana (physical poses) to match where the individual is at, including any limitations. “I love working closely with students. It gives me such a buzz and great joy to see them develop in their practice. Being part of an organisation, whose sole purpose is to bring authentic and quality yoga to the community is a real privilege”.

Tabitha was introduced to yoga as a child, and remembers being fascinated watching her ex ballerina mother balancing on her head. It was not until her Mum dragged her to a yoga class aged 17 that she began to appreciate the power of yoga. ‘I was struggling to deal with the pressure of school exams and yoga showed me a way to relax and develop confidence’. Tabitha has trained as a teacher under the Satyananda Yoga tradition, learning from teachers who work with the Bihar School of Yoga in Northern India. She enjoys Classical Hatha Yoga with the rich practice if offers in a traditional context. ‘I appreciate the holistic system of self-care, both physical and mental’

Jan Beange LLB, MBA, YT500, C-IAYT ​ Jan’s been on a dedicated yoga journey since her search for healing from low back pain began here at TYC back in the 1990’s. In 2015 at the American Viniyoga Institute in San Francisco she completed teacher training in the breath-centric Viniyoga tradition of Krishnamacharya, Desikichhar and Gary Kraftsow. Jan is also a Certified Yoga for Arthritis© Instructor and a United States Certified Yoga Therapist. Jan incorporates teaching from her extensive training and practice in yogic Mindfulness Meditation in the tradition of Tibetan master Chogyam Trungpa and from Stanford Medical School’s Cultivating Compassion Meditation Training.

Jennifer has been a member of Tauranga Yoga Centre for more than 20 years. She enjoys the friendly community feel and the unique concept of ‘affordable yoga for all’. ​ Jennifer’s’ ‘life experiences’ have taught her that a regular yoga practice helps one cope with the adversities that life presents. Having this experience and some encouragement from other teachers at TYC is what inspired her to do her 200 Hour Yoga Teaching Certification. ​ Having practiced on a variety of ships sailing all around the world during her career as a mariner, Jennifer is able to adapt poses to suit a wide range of conditions and abilities and she feels teaching yoga has taken her own practice to a deeper level of understanding. ‘The teachers at TYC are so very supportive and it feels like it’s one big, helpful family here’, says Jennifer.

Ellie’s yoga journey started with a chance meeting with one of TYC’s teachers many years ago and her passion for yoga has grown ever since. That passion together with a love for teaching gave her the motivation to study for her CYT200 certificate. The precision and discipline of the Iyengar yoga style is what attracted Ellie from the start. It also feeds her inner technical nerd. Another passion for Ellie is Aerial Silks and Aerial Hoop which she teaches at the Mount.​

Pic has been a member of the Tauranga Yoga Centre since the mid 80’s, first as a student, committee volunteer and now teacher. She is a certified teacher in Hatha Yoga and Aerial Yoga and has been studying towards Iyengar Certification since 2019. Pic says her practice has developed resilience, calm, compassion and discernment, in all realms of being. A committed practice of Yoga has also sustained her through a life-long pursuit of sport and outdoor activities; more than once providing a pathway back from significant injury and subsequent surgeries. “I’m very much interested in the investigations of modern science which bring greater understanding to the centuries of Dedication, Meditation, Observation & Interoception which devised the whole system of yoga. Breathwork is a modern, fashionable, health ‘hack’, but the practice is ancient. Yoga is a source of constant wonderment to me.” Nothing replaces the doing. Pic feels reverent gratitude to all her teachers and the many who have passed their knowledge down through the centuries.

Katheryn became a member of TYC in 2008 and she was inspired by the teacher’s depth of knowledge. Katheryn is so grateful for their guidance and setting her up with the foundations to practice safely and honestly and she feels very privileged to now be a part of the organisation as a yoga teacher herself. Katheryn completed 200 hours of Yoga Alliance Training in 2020 following Satyananda from the Bihar School of Yoga in North India, with a focus on ‘Hatha’ style. This style incorporates asana, pranayama and meditation as a means of finding mental, physical and spiritual balance.​ Katheryn has enjoyed exploring many different forms of yoga over the years and she particularly enjoys Vinyasa and Yoga Nidra.

Lynda Purvis has been a qualified Iyengar yoga teacher since 1990. Lynda is from New Zealand where she began yoga in the 80’s. She arrived in the UK after a few years travelling in Asia and started attending yoga classes in London where she trained as a teacher. From 1999 until 2011 Lynda was the co-owner and director of Yogawest in Bristol. She has been to India on many occasions to attend intensive courses and general classes with the Iyengar family. She holds a Senior Iyengar Certificate and is a qualified Iyengar Yoga Therapist. Lynda is presently living back in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Stefan gained his yoga certification from the French School of Yoga in Lyon, completing an extensive 700-hour training program. This school is affiliated with the French National Federation of Yoga Teachers, ensuring the highest standards of instruction. He feels fortunate to have studied under various esteemed teachers, drawing inspiration from Desikachar, the famous Indian Yogi. Additionally, he is trained in Mindfulness Meditation, influenced by the teachings of the Tibetan master Kalu Rinpoche. Stefans teaching approach embraces a holistic and balanced perspective, nurturing the body, breath, and mind and his classes cater to a diverse audience, welcoming all to joina transformative practice.