Yoga Qualifications
For more than two decades, I have learnt, observed, studied and personally experienced the healing benefits of yoga as a teacher and always as a student. I have studied over many years in Chennai, India, at the Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation (KHYF), and earned the following qualifications from KHYF:
Advanced Vedic Chant Teacher Training 2019–20 with Menaka Desikachar. I was due to graduate in June 2020, but our final module has been postponed indefinitely.
Vedic Chant Teacher Training with Menaka Desikachar at KHYF, 2017–18
Yoga Therapy Training, 2007–12 including:
two internships of 130 hours each at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandarim in Chennai
an extensive research project on Individual Practice of Yoga for Asthma Sufferers.
I have also undertaken further studies in:
Sivananda Yoga Teacher training with Joy Spencer, 2001
Certificate IV in TAE at Victoria University, 2014
Comparative Religion, Indian Studies, Art History, Philosophy as an undergraduate at La Trobe University
training with Judith Lasater, Donna Fahi and Leslie Kaminoff in 2014–15.
My Approach
Essentially my approach is to offer care using the full range of yoga tools that I have been taught. The deeper approach offered in the Krishnamacharya lineage helps people to grow and understand themselves better, empowering personal and spiritual development.
We begin where the student is at, then progress step-by-step over time. Some will begin with a desire for a healthier, more supple body, while others may have a keen interest in meditation, Vedic Chanting or philosophy. Some may be suffering or have illnesses and seek ways to improve their wellbeing and cope with their situation.
We do not stay the same, and the practice adapts to these changes – both internal and external.
Yoga in this lineage is based on ancient principles yet it is profoundly relevant in this troubled modern world. We do not believe in standardised prescription, or ‘one size fits all’. Rather, we aim to find an individual solution for each person honouring who they are – their age, health status, lifestyle, responsibilities, time constraints, occupation and energetic capacity. This approach is holistic, encompassing the whole of you: physical, mental and emotional.
Voluntary Work
I have volunteered my time and run yoga classes for various organisations including:
Asylum Seekers Women’s Groups
‘Walk a Mile in my Shoes’ for Mental Health
Pink Ribbon Events for Breast Cancer
Kind Words
“Having dabbled in yoga for over 20 years, I felt I needed to link to my mind as well as my body. The exercise component was important, but the mind component was becoming more important to me. I was drawn to the wisdom of Deb’s yoga classes. I feel I learn or experience something positive in each class. I know I’ve just scratched the surface of this amazing world and Deb is helping me to navigate it. Yoga used to be something I did once a week in a studio as a form of exercise. Now it is part of my daily life. It has enriched my life so much.” – Kathy
“Deb is an experienced yoga mentor for ambitious yoga teachers and allied health professionals.” Brook McCarthy
