Mel
Qualifications: Inferno Pilates Certified.
Years of Training: 4
Mel is an Owner and Director of SoulTiger Studio.
Mel’s an energetic Hot Pilates teacher who started at our very own Soul Tiger Studio back in 2018. Mel’s commitment to Hot Pilates has seen her transition from a passionate student to now a teacher. Mel brings an energy to the class that a lot of her students enjoy, guiding students through a variety of movements, to the HOT Hits playlist that will keep you enjoying the burn!
Barbara
Barbara grew up surrounded by a sporty family and has always been active and enjoyed sports, but it wasn’t until she tried Bikram Yoga that she truly found herself. “I found something that makes me feel good from the inside out….. and the best thing is that great feeling doesn’t stop!”
Barabara has practising Bikram yoga daily since 2006. She completed her teacher training in Spring of 2007 and taught in Singapore for two years before returning to Australia, where she spent six months teaching at a newly opened Bikram studio in Noosa.
Now she has returned back to Sydney where she first started and where she feels she belongs the most. “I am thrilled to teach alongside so many amazing teachers here. Teaching is my daily passion and I’m blessed to be able to share something I love with others around me”.
Gay
Gay has been practicing Bikram Yoga since 2013. A regular practitioner of Iyenga, Ashtanga and other Hatha yoga’s’ for 8 years, Gay was no stranger to yoga – or so she thought! “I remember in my first Bikram class trying every trick in the book to cope; I felt like I’d been hit by a truck, I’d never experienced anything like it”. However after about two months of practice, she realised something amazing was happening, her energy levels were higher she had no more pain from arthritis and she had new found flexibility & true concentration never before gained from her past yoga experiences. Gay found such a passion for Bikram Yoga that she has completed several personal challenges including doubles challenges -‘two classes a day, every day for a month’.
To add to Yoga teaching, Gay became an Inferno Hot Pilates teacher. “Inferno is an incredibly beneficial practice in its own right, but it’s also the perfect complement to Bikram Yoga; practicing both really does build strength to create flexibility.
Jacqueline
Qualifications: Bikram TT, Evolation Yoga, Yin Yoga, Inferno Hot Pilates.
Years of Training: 14
Jacqueline began her Yoga Journey in The Hague, The Netherlands at Bikram Yoga Den Haag. At the time Jacqueline was a flight attendant and suffered from a lot of pain in her spine and her wrists. Three months after the Studio opened in 2006, Jacqueline signed up and noticed a change in her whole well being.
She moved with her husband to Australia in 2007 and continued on her Yoga Journey in Brisbane. Always eager to learn, Jacqueline decided to go to Bikram Yoga Teacher Training in 2008. Since graduating she traveled all over the world to spread the Yoga Love and had the chance to meet many inspiring senior teachers, coaches, and some amazing yogi’s! In 2010 opened her own Bikram Yoga Studio in Australia’s Capital, Canberra. After 4 years she decided to sell the Studio to focus more on training and coaching new teachers.
Jacqueline became a Yin Yoga Teacher with Sarah Powers in 2016, has taught over 5,000 classes and is proud to be Australia’s first Bikram teacher with a 500 Hr Gold ERYT membership with Yoga Alliance Australia. Now a Teacher Trainer Leader for Evolation Yoga worldwide and she is currently in the process of starting a Coaching Program for new Yoga Teachers. Jacqueline always looks forward to helping students reach a new level of confidence, to see them grow into the best version of themselves. Her classes are full of energy and she loves to hold Camel pose a bit longer then strictly necessary!
Kaz
Kaz is one of the first qualified teachers in Australia and started her Bikram Yoga practice in 1997 when it was first introduced to Australia. At the time she was participating in basic hatha yoga classes, weight lifting at the gym and working with a personal trainer. Interested and inspired by yoga she wanted to find a class that was more challenging, tried different styles and after her first Bikram class never looked back! Kaz completed teacher training in LA in April 1990. She has taught in Sausalito, San Francisco, Pasadena, London,Thailand and LA.
Returningto Australia she studied Yoga philosophy with Sri Rama Acharya and Shiatsumassage to complement her work as a remedial massage therapist. Since then shehas taught in Hawaii, USA and London as well as spending time in India studying Ayurveda and completing teacher training with Dharmavirsingh.
After a diagnosis of breast cancer, Kaz took time out to undergo extensive surgery and treatment before returning to teach in 2012. Kaz rates this time as a huge transition in life and especially her perspective and approach to teaching. Kaz aims to teach with compassion, empathy and understanding for each student as a unique individual with their own needs, also bringing passion, motivation and inspiration to each class As Bikram says: “never too late, never too old, never too sick to start again from scratch “
Lucinda
Lucinda is passionate Yin Yoga teacher who has had a personal Yoga practice for over 16 years including Prenatal, Hatha, Vinyasa and Ryoho. After noticing the incredible mental and physical benefits of regular Yoga practice, Lucinda embarked on her own Yoga Teacher Training journey. She aims to teach a mindful, safe practice accessible to everyone.
Lucinda is a qualified teacher in Yin, Purna, Hatha, Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga and believes that a regular Yin Yoga practice is an opportunity to balance your busy lifestyle. During her classes you will learn about the benefits that this slow but strong practice has for both your mind and body, using a variety of props to help you melt deep into long held poses and release the deep cognitive tissue. You will explore meridians, fascia release, breathing techniques (pranayama) and finish off with a relaxing savasana.
One of the newest member of the Soul Tiger team. Lucinda will take you on a journey, with a challenging, yet rewarding and beneficial Yin practice. Her classes are suitable for all levels with variations given to encourage students to tune into their own bodies and do what feels right for them.
Rob
Back in 2009, Rob’s partner Christel tried to persuade him to try out Bikram Yoga. Robs response was: “Yoga – men don’t go to yoga, can’t imagine blokes going to yoga.” After a heated discussion and to keep the peace Rob agreed to give it a go...
Rob, a keen surfer and runner at the time had read in a surfing magazine about professional surfers doing yoga and cross training to help them surf better; in fact, they were saying it gave them an edge over other competitors, helping to develop core strength and mental fortitude.
His first class was hard, hot and strenuous on both body and mind. Half way through, he felt like throwing up and doing a runner for the door! He attempted most postures but could not believe how inflexible he was! He was in awe of the rest of the class, many in there 40s, 50s and 60s, in front of him, nailing every posture in complete stillness, simultaneously maintaining a calm breath. Within a month or two of regular practice, he felt incredible.
In 2011, Rob took long service leave to pack his bags and head to the USA for the 9 weeks intensive Bikram Yoga Teacher Training. Becoming a Bikram Yoga teacher was a life changing opportunity. Rob says that it’s been the most rewarding personal development of his life. During Robs classes he will share insights, passion and energy through and offer real inspiration to others.
Rowena
Rowena was first introduced to yoga In 1995 as part of her performing arts & acting degree. She hated it and thought it was boring & pointless! During her years working professionally in the performing arts industry Rowena developed an eating disorder & suffered from anxiety and rheumatoid arthritis which rendered her cripple, unable to work and in the depths of despair.
In 2003 she found Bikram Yoga and it turned her life around 360 degrees!
Since 2003, Rowena has lead staff in Hawaii, Mexico, India and Australia, having supported many senior teachers including Jason Winn, Emmy Cleaves & Craig Villani during their global seminars & retreats.
Rowena was the two time Australian Asana Yoga Champion and also coached the children’s Third Place in 2010. She represented Australia in the world championships in 2007 & 2011.
Rowena runs regular workshops & retreats and has mentored teachers both Nationally & Internationally and assisted in the running of the Bikram Yoga recertification program in Mexico in 2008. She is an avid practitioner and you will see her sporting her unitard in the front row daily. Yoga is life and she is so proud to teach & share her love of yoga with you!
Sonia
Sonia is from Northern Spain but she has lived, loved, studied and worked in multiple countries before finding her way to Australia in 2001. Sonia’s 1st Bikram Yoga Class was in October 2004. I remember walking out of class with a feeling that was new to me, I loved it; it was hard but I enjoyed every minute of it; I remember reading a sticker in the changing rooms that read “Bikram Yoga is addicted” and I smiled thinking…. Well, it is official; I am hooked.
Sonia became a certified Bikram Yoga teacher in June 2009 after attending teacher training in Palm Springs. The learning never ends and in search of ways to help people be the best version of themselves, pursuing a way to assist people achieving the perfect balance between a healthy body and a healthy mind, Sonia became a certified Life and relationships coach in 2012, and in 2014 she Certified in Toronto (Canada) as a Fascial Stretch Therapy.
In 2019 October Sonia attended for the very first time to an Inferno Hot Pilates class, the combination of Bikram and IHP was simply “magical”, she felt stronger and more flexible than ever before, she soon decided to attend to the 2019 IHP with Gaby Walters in Melbourne and she became a IHP teacher.
Sonia loves teaching, she is very passionate about physical movement and wellness, Sonia absolutely loves teaching Bikram and IHP, connecting with students, and being part of the Soul Tiger Yoga team.
Tony
Tony grow up in a small rural town in the North Island of New Zealand. He was always active, as a kid he swam competitively and played Rugby, as a Kiwi does. After school he joined the New Zealand Army where he continued to enjoy the physical and mental challenges. After leaving the army he found his way to Australia and went looking for new challenges, he was drawn to “ironman triathlons and ultra-marathons”. He has competed in the Australian Ironman in Port Macquarie and several other events around the world.
Tony needed to be talked into attending his first class, “boys don’t do Pilates, that’s a girl thing”.
Eventually he also gave in to keep the peace and attended his first Inferno Hot Pilates class in early 2018 and has been hooked ever since. Tony has often commented that he wishes he’d found Inferno Hot Pilates years ago. “It’s a complete workout for the mind and body. No matter what your fitness level or experience you’ll get the benefits, you can see and feel the changes from that very first class”.
Tony believes having a strong core helps with your general health and well-being, it helps develop a strength and determination not only physically but emotionally and a belief that you can take on anything life throws at you.
He is looking forward to meeting you in the hot room soon!
Paul
Paul trained as a Bikram Yoga Instructor and subsequently taught in the UK, USA, and Asia before living in Australia. His teaching is also certified and accredited by The Yoga Alliance, following 1500 hours of additional training. The journey towards yoga was a natural progression, coming from a sports and movement background.
Apart from teaching yoga, Paul works as an actor, presenter and voice coach. Integrating his knowledge to assist the training and development of yoga teachers is one of his passions. His teaching emphasises the balancing of strength with relaxation, and sincerity with play. He loves to laugh. And also to practice Vipassana meditation.
Yoga students describe Paul's classes as clear, kind, and fun! During his classes students feel encouraged to explore their strengths and deepen the therapeutic benefits of their yoga practice. After practising Paul's class you're likely to feel energised, calm and light. He's been teaching Bikram method yoga since 2006.
Jolie
Jolie Manza is a dedicated movement enthusiast, who has been teaching for over 15 years. She comes from the mountains of Boulder Colorado where she spent her youth studying dance and practicing yoga, which culminated in receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and movement studies from University of Colorado.
What followed was a decade in New York City performing, teaching and studying with a myriad of outstanding yoga teachers, deepening her knowledge of different traditions including: Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, and The Yoga Works Method. She also worked as a master trainer for The Tracy Anderson Method, which kick-started her journey with the fitness world and love of travel as she crossed the world training.
After years in the city, she ventured to Bali to further her education and explore what South East Asia had to offer. It was here she pioneered one of the top Teacher Training programs on the island and built her company YogaKoh, an internationally recognized yoga school that offers yoga teacher trainings, continuing education courses, retreats, and workshops.
She now resides in Sydney with her partner and baby girl, Gia Hope, and is thrilled to be teaching to the incredible community of the Northern Beaches.
Her classes blend her love for the physical practice that shows up through creative flows, core and mobility training as well as structured alignment concepts. You can expect to experience her dedication to the philosophy of this practice as well as elements of her spirituality that have been brought to the forefront over the years.
Richard
Qualifications: Bikram Yoga Teacher
Years of Training: 2013
If you’d told me on 30 December 2008, the day I took my first Bikram Yoga class that I’d one day be teaching this stuff, I’d have laughed at you.
Like a lot of newcomers, I went to my first class for a straightforward reason. For the previous 5 or so years I’d been doing a lot of endurance sports. I loved the training and racing, but I always seemed to be injured. I must have spent $10,000 on just about every therapy under the sun trying to fix my body. Mates of mine had long ago told me about Bikram Yoga, but I avoided it because “I can’t touch my toes”.
I can’t claim that anything Earth-shattering happened during my first few classes, but I sensed that Bikram Yoga was good for me – it hurt so much it better have been! – so I kept it up. As I practiced regularly, my body started to change and a few interesting things happened. I touched my toes, my spine opened (I mean I stopped snorting during back bends), and all those injuries? – they vanished somewhere in a pool of Bikram sweat.
For nearly 5 years I was something of a dedicated Bikram Yoga student, but I couldn’t imagine being a teacher. The truth is, I fell into teaching in 2013 when I simultaneously decided a short career in law was too long and I might just be able to survive the teacher training program. It wasn’t an inspired decision, but it was one of my best.
Bikram Yoga is a tool that any of us can use to improve our lives. It won’t make everything perfect. But it can help. It doesn’t matter what shape you’re in. It doesn’t matter what you believe in. And it doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your toes.
Just come to class, do your honest best and the yoga will work.
Catch you in the hot room.
Chloe
I hate writing these things because there is nothing I can say that adequately conveys how important bikram yoga has been to my life. I would simply not have survived my twenties without it.
Nothing, and I literally mean nothing, has soothed my mind the way the Bikram yoga practice does. I went to teaching training when I was 25 to learn more about how it works and why it works. I had no intention of teaching. Ever.
It turns out, the only thing worse than my anxiety around public speaking is my desire to share the yoga practice with other people who may need it like I do.
I am uncoordinated, inflexible, hate sweating and despise the heat. I am truly compassionate to those who suffer in the room (everyone?). Please come to my class. I will take care of you. This practice has the power to transform every part of your life, you just need to show up and do it.
Sammy
Sammy has over 20years professional experience in the fitness industry and has an extensive history as an athlete where she was signed at age 9 to the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) representing Australia In Gymnastics at the elite level. Following her career she joined a local gym to keep fit and active. After attending her first class, it was suggested to her to become an instructor. Sam loved the high energy environment and became a qualified group fitness instructor at age 15 teaching traditional freestyle aerobics, step aerobics, dance, Pilates, boxing and later an established personal trainer.
During this time she also became a professional fitness athlete becoming Ms Fitness Australia multiple times across multiple federations and represented Australia competing on the international stage once again. Sammy’s passion for health and wellbeing has only grown over the years supported by university studies and always wanting to help others break through both mental and physical barriers to achieve their desired goals.
She is thrilled to be part of the Soul Tiger Team, bringing her experience, passion combined with being full of energy and positive attitude to the Cardio Combat and Hot Pilates classes.
Leo
Educating people about their health and wellbeing is my passion. I have been a practicing naturopath and wellness councillor for over 20 years. My interest is in Identifying patterns of imbalance, how our biology creates our biography and the influence our mindset has on our everyday experience of life.
I absolutely love what I do.
When I think about my first Bikram class back in 2006, all I remember was that it was hot - which I loved, the practice was intense and I kept thinking “When is this going to end?” Well eventually it did end, but what it began was my love for Bikram Yoga. I have since done many classes and still after every class I leave the hot room feeling renewed, reset and radiant . Some days I actually feel invincible.
What I realised when I returned from my Teacher Training is that this yoga has many, many moments of genius woven throughout it. Exploring the dialogue in detail revealed to me just how the yoga was transforming and strengthening my whole body and now as I integrate this into what I know about health and healing, it is a gift to be able to share this wisdom back to the yoga community.
MAUREEN
Maureen’s love of movement and learning has led her to be a
passionate student and teacher for most of her adult life. She
started the journey as a student and then a teacher in a
Traditional Japanese Martial Art. This led to an introduction to
yoga and then a deep dive “down the rabbit hole”.
Maureen has completed Teacher Training in Level 1 420hr (1yr)
Hatha Yoga, Yin Yoga, Meditation & Pranayama, Myofascia
Release, Yoga & Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nuerobiology of
Yoga and Synenergy Embodied Flow.
Maureen supports students to create a body and mind
connection using breath and movement. Her classes are
inclusive, safe and suitable for all levels. Students will be
encouraged to challenge, modify, and rest when needed and to
practice their own unique form of yoga. Her mantra in class is
“you do you”.
You will always find in Maureen’s classes a variety of traditional
and modern practices in movement, breath work and
meditation. With a sprinkling of philosophy both traditional and
modern, weaved into the class.
