Adelaide Yoga Therapy

09/04/2026

When I talk of Form in yoga, I think about what a pose or posture looks like in its truest ex*****on. It is the external shape, the alignment, the aesthetics, which for many, including myself in my earlier years of practice, was the “ideal” version that that I aimed for. The type of images that we often see of yoga in social media posts and magazines.

Function, on the other hand, allows a practitioner like myself that no longer has the capacity to reach that “ideal” form to still have the benefit of that asana. Function allows the concept of “svadhyaya” (interoception/self study) and “asana” (non harm) to be observed in practice.
The asana is not the only thing in a practice. It is not only about the body, it is also the effect that the asana is having on the breath and mind. It is the internal experience, the intention, the effect, the breath, the mind and how the whole of the person is responding that is important.

Two people can be in what looks like the same pose, but may be having completely different experiences. And equally, two different modifications of a pose can create the same functional effect.

💫When we prioritise function over form, we move away from forcing the body into a predetermined shape, and instead ask:
💫What is the purpose of this particular asana
💫What effect do I wish to achieve; is it to reduce stress, improve flexibility, relieve pain….
💫How does this feel in my body.
💫What is my breath doing; is my breath smooth or is it shortened or agitated.
💫What is the effect on my mind; am I pushing to get somewhere. Am I frustrated, or is my mind steady and focused.
This approach respects individual anatomy, history, and capacity. It shifts yoga from performance into practice—from “getting it right” into feeling what is right for me.

Form can guide us, but function is what transforms us.
“The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.”
T.K.V. Desikachar

04/04/2026

The student–teacher relationship is one of the most important aspects of a meaningful and transformative practice.
This was the most pivotal change in my understanding from what I had been learning in my former yoga studies. To have spent the last 15 years under the guidance of my teacher and mentor Barbra Brian changed not only how I practice and how I engage with each student who comes in my door, it also profoundly changed my inner world and, in that, my outer world.

Yoga is not just about physical postures—it is a holistic discipline that integrates body, mind, and often a deeper philosophical or spiritual dimension, and because of this the connection between student and teacher carries unique significance.

The words of TKV Desikachar hold so true for me “The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform physical postures but how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships”

Each student comes to yoga for their own reasons and with that comes differing vulnerabilities—physical limitations, emotional suffering, stress, or sometimes it is a desire for personal growth and as a teacher it is my responsibility to create a safe and supportive environment, where every student feels seen and respected.
At its core, this relationship is built on trust; trust that is nurtured over time and is allowed to grow. This trust gradually empowers the student to explore their practice more deeply, without fear of judgment or harm.

As a teacher my aim is to guide and progress students in a way that suits their individual needs. It is more than poses, it is about helping students understand why they practice in a particular way and to empower them to become more self-aware, to develop confidence and inner guidance and to guide them towards independence in their own practice.

It such a beautiful way to embrace the practice of Yoga.

02/04/2026

Change sometimes seems slow but it is coming.

23/03/2026

I came across this piece of paper recently and it bought back so many memories for me.

Here I was se 30 years ago, a wife and mother, a nurse and activities coordinator of a Day Centre for the elderly and a volunteer. Something like my dad would say “a Jack of all trades and Master of none,” a woman who began to feel that there was more to life than being a “housewife, mother and a farmer’s wife”
Please don’t get me wrong I loved being all of those things.

I simply embarked on study to be able to improve the life of those living in Aged Care.

This little pic that you see was in response to the module “Business Management 1” and to the task of writing a Personal Mission statement; even back then I found it much easier to communicate my deepest desires through pictures.

The evolution of change for me was a gradual rolling of one thing into another. So much self growth, so many changes within myself and how I saw the world around me. I can say now it has been a wonder-filled wandering of experiences, challenges and constant change. There have been many different emotions, fear, joy, confusion, excitement and also pain along the way.

Those values that the tired looking cartoon character of a woman in the picture put to paper are still as relevant to her today as they were way back then.

I was going to fuzz a couple of them out but changed my mind because this was me and still is me…deep inside this is what you will find
I would change the word “strive” into work “steadily towards” because today it’s about moving to whatever my capacity is in any given moment, and in any given situation.
In my heart I still aim to walk together with those whom I love and who are important souls in my life. It might look different to the outside world yet it’s the inside that counts
I have found Christian values to be universal values….love and compassion for all.
Individual souls is how I see, and how I work, every one is different.
And my heartfelt desire is still to leave this world having made a difference to someone’s life. ❤️❤️

16/03/2026

I realise I am a story teller, and bringing together visuals that help express analogies about every day things and how they relate to Yoga Therapy and my life is always fun and exciting.

Recently I had been drawn to take photos of gates. 😂 I took a walk around my neighbourhood and started “snapping” as I went.
In my wanderings I came across a fairly plain green side gate…not so easy to distinguish from the fence. There I was…so I took a discrete, quick little pic (or so I thought), when this male voice said “is everything ok with that?”
“Oops”I thought “sprung!” My reply followed…..”I have a bit of a fascination with gates at the minute”.
His concern was that I might have found “something that I found disagreeable” with his gate.
I giggled and replied….”no nothing like that. I work with people and I find gates a great analogy for the many different starting points and the many different ways, that there are when you work with people”.

I walked away with a bit of a giggle…thinking this guy probably wonders who this eccentric woman is walking around taking pictures of peoples gates. The memory still makes me giggle inside…

Every gate to a home is different, every pathway leading to the door is different and every home is different - even if they are identical houses they will still be different on the inside depending on the occupiers taste, finances…and the list goes on.
It is the same for people. Every body is different, how to approach every individual is different and that first point of contact will be different. We are diverse, unique individuals, woven together in the beautiful tapestry of
community. Each different, each person deserving of their own individual practice…one size does not fit all.

Do you ever do this?
Look at the things around you and ponder how it reflects back to you things that happen in your life.

#̲y̲o̲g̲a̲f̲o̲r̲e̲v̲e̲r̲y̲b̲o̲d̲y̲

24/02/2026

18/02/2026

Today is a new beginning for me in the world of Instagram postings.
The beginning in a commitment to share some of my own writings that have come out of my experiences, learnings and understandings in the study and practice of yoga, especially in the later years of learning Yoga and Yoga Therapy with my teacher and mentor Barbara Brian
These posts come from a collection of personal works I have written over my time in the study, personal experiences and the practice of Yoga in its fullest and sometimes simplest form, one that is designed for the individual student according to their uniqueness.
My felt experience of Yoga is always reflected back to me in the world I am surrounded by, in nature, in the oceans, flowing waters and the arts and in the simple things of life that I often forget when the business of this worldly life takes over.

So how do we become more aware?
How do we allow ourself time enough to stop and become that empty vessel long enough to listen to our inner voice or the voice of another. To truely listen past the noise that is in our own head?

For me it has been practice….the practice Yoga.
It’s not by simply attending weekly classes of asana or postures, it’s not just pranayama or “breath work’, or even meditation.
It is the understanding that comes when we practice over time. It is in the learning of how to be present, totally present when we practice that has the capacity to change something within our self.
It’s when we learn over time how to work within our own capacity, without too much force or effort and learn to how focus our mind to link with our body and movement, and our breath that allows the mind to begin to quieten and we truly begin to receive the full benefits of practice.

Along the way it changes our inner landscape and slowly we grow our capacity to listen more deeply, to understand our self and others more compassionately.

How I love this gift that Yoga offers…..

01/11/2025

It’s sometimes difficult to put into words an experience.
Last week I had the privilege to spend time with a small group of women on the beautiful Murray River at the River Connections Retreat Centre, Wellington facilitating what I called The River of Stillness Retreat.

What a beautiful weekend filled with meditative practices, space, reflection, wonderful wholesome, home cooked meals and time to unwind from the busy-ness of life.

I am so grateful to the women who stepped out of their “normal” and into trusting the call of the heart to connect with something a little deeper and more intimate for their soul. Gratitude to Judy for the amazing food that nourished us and for the safe space that is River Connections, a place where you can feel the sacredness of Mother Earth and the gently flow of our mighty river.

10/07/2025

Guru Purnima.

Heartfelt thanks to the teachers and mentors that have guided me through this life ❤️

17/03/2025

Keep the date…April 6th 10am - 1pm
An immersive experience to quieten your mind.

17/02/2025

I am so pleased with this latest artistic expression of what I love to do.

Cards with simple expansive explanations, left open ended for a person to bring their own understanding to. A tool for my own personal use in my work as a Yoga Therapist.

Photography is something I love and over time I have simply just dabble in…nothing fancy, they are captures in time and the universe organises the results.

Writing another passion. It has been at the back burner of my life these last few years and slowly it is reemerging.

All original work and I chuffed with the results.

18/11/2024

“Can you help me? ...all we can answer, the only absolute guarantee each teacher can make is: “I can care.” —T.K.V. Desikachar.

As I sifted through my “thousands” of pictures today, deleting some as I went, I came across this one.

This image stopped my scrolling as I became fixated on its simplicity.
The silhouette of an outstretched hand, devoid of colour and texture and context… it caught my attention.

Instantly this quote of TKV Desikachar came into my mind….
It’s such a beautiful and poignant quote for those of us who teach in the Krishnamacharya tradition …..”I can care”

Gone from this silhouette is our ability to determine exactly what is happening here.
In this picture we might be able to see so many different things in our mind, according to our imagination. We can make up all sorts of scenarios….
We can fanaticise about the persons age, whether they are accepting something…or not! What they might be wearing, & where they are.
We might begin framing this simple picture according to our own experiences in life to help us find our own form of clarity.

Maybe, just maybe in this picture we can imagine they are asking for help,
Or
Maybe someone is offering to be of service….

As Yoga Therapist, who ever comes in our door, i have to ask myself am I able to see them as a blank canvas, not from a story that I might be telling myself or have conjured up in my mind?
Am I able to have that clear mind, with a single point of attention that is only for the student in front of me?