Our Good Folk
Aleisha Smith
AKA Leish.
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
An intuitive, up-beat flow combining moments of stillness to reflect and observe what arises when we dive within.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
Laughing Lotus Super Sequencing. This training transformed my classes. It’s gave me direction and purpose in sequencing to a theme or pose. Most importantly it taught me to always honor myself, how I’m feeling, what is arising and teach to that!
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
Society and the Seasons. I like to reflect on current local or global events as well as reflect on the weather of the current season, to acknowledge the impacts these can both have on people’s state of mind.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
Observing students learning to move mindfully from a place within. How they move their limbs through space (and then through life) can change dramatically in a short period of time. I love this!
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
Scooting around town on my Vespa or giving a Japanese Shiatsu.
Something we may not know about you:
I spent a year living and teaching Yoga in Rome, ITALY ‘la dolce vita’ .
Sophie Claridge
AKA Soapstar, Sopha or Porridge (this one’s a long story!)
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
A practice that aims to discover a balance of softening and challenging, with an overarching focus on dropping back into awareness.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
My first teacher training, my 200hr training, would have to be my favourite. It was my introduction to all things yoga, and I can truly say it changed my life. Not only did I learn how to become a teacher, which I love, I also discovered so much about myself, that I think I would have otherwise never learnt.
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I would say I am inspired by pure curiosity. Yoga and yoga teaching feels like something I will never truly know or understand wholey. At the beginning this felt pretty overwhelming, however now it just feels like a Mary Poppins bag of content that constantly blows my mind.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
Teaching yoga is a pretty damn cool job, so there isn't much I don't love about it. However I don't think much compares to the honour of watching a group of strangers moving and breathing together. It is so simple, yet so extraordinary.
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
I can never turn down an opportunity to have a coffee, eat somewhere new, or see one of the many wonderful people in my life. Often, I don't really know how to stop or slow, so thankfully I have yoga!
Something we may not know about you:
I am currently studying a Bachelor of Social Work, and hope to one day intertwine yoga and social work.
What can’t you live without:
Music! I like to think of my earphones or car radio as providing a constant playlist for my life. I feel, study, dance, drive, walk, flow, clean, and anything else you can think of, with tunes playing.
Jess Roe
AKA Jroe
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Steady, laid-back, nourishing and mindful.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
My 200hr YTT at Radiantly Alive in Bali was amazing, it completely changed the direction of my life and opened my eyes to a whole new way of being. More recently I spent a week in Byron Bay with Creature Yoga for a 50hr Anatomy course which put a real fire in my belly for teaching more creative, dynamic and purposeful Asana.
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I feel constantly inspired by the beautiful souls who walk through the door here at Good Folk, we’re so lucky to practice alongside such great bunch of humans! Lately I’m diving more into Mindfulness, Meditation and Yin Yoga as areas of interest for my teaching, I love that are so many avenues to explore within the Yoga space and I feel constantly inspired to continue learning and sharing.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
Bringing people together in a space where they can feel comfortable to be themselves, to explore movement in a safe, fun and supportive way and to help them feel part of a community.
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
You’ll find me out in nature, walking my pooch, meditating, hiking, mountain bike riding and reading books.
Something we may not know about you:
I grew up in a tiny regional town called Congupna.
What can’t you live without:
Croissants.
Jess McKeown
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Slow, inclusive and nourishing, with a sprinkle of enquiry.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
My first teacher training with Yoke Yoga. It gave me space outside of being a mum, and I made some pretty incredible friends too!
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I am inspired by fellow teachers and holding space for what my students need. I love teaching yin and am really interested in Daoist theory - especially how nature, our bodies, and the human experience intertwine.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
Being a part of a community with shared values and helping people slow down and find space - so good!
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
I am a Mama to three amazing little humans - loving on, listening to, and running after them is exhausting, messy and so beautiful, all at once! I also love being in nature, walking, cooking, pilates and having a dip in the ocean.
Something we may not know about you:
I grew up in Anglesea, the ocean is my long-time happy place!
What can’t you live without:
Community - especially my children, family, and close friends.
Sabrina Reuter
AKA FabSab, Sab, Brini
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Authentic from the heart, flowy with a little bit of spice.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
Oh me, oh my. This is a hard one for me to decide on because I absolutely LOVE to learn + train. I have done a few trainings with Yoke Yoga and I absolutely loved ALL of them. One training that holds a special place in my heart is the 200 hrs teacher training with Yoke. This training felt like coming home and was the gateway into growing into the teacher that I am today.
Recently I trained online with the girls from Creature Yoga and Rose Baudin – listening + learning about the subtle body. This training was absolutely mind blowing + pure bliss: Sitting at my desk with a hot cuppa + some choccy diving deep into the philosophy of Yoga. Yum! SO GOOD!
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I actually find lots of inspiration off the mat observing my practice within my daily life, sometimes it is on a hike, while I am cooking, listening to the lyrics of a song or chatting away with friends besides that I feel pretty lucky to have a pretty inspiring crew of fellow teachers and mentors around me.
There is nothing more motivating to me than seeing a student shifting their energy while practicing.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
I have taught and trained in many different ways to move the human body but nothing has touched my heart and allowed me to connect with myself in a way that Yoga does.
Seeing this in my students’ eyes: Finding back into a state of being, becoming aware and watching them reconnecting with themselves is so special!
And is there anything better than a room full of bodies, moving and breathing together, flowing to some great tunes? – I don’t think so 😊
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
My favourite thing is spending time out in nature with friends: hiking, surfing, biking, beach walk – I’m in! Traveling + listening to music + dancing.
Something we may not know about you:
I love dancing and used to teach it.
Tess Houghton
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
Relaxed, mindful, and encouraging of all students to move and breath in a way that suits them.
The best training you've undertaken (and why?)
Angus Knott’ 100hr Yin TT.
This training was OUTRAGEOUSLY good. It completely changed the way that I teach and the way that I practice. Learning the importance of functional anatomy and skeletal variation has been paramount to understanding how uniquely, wonderfully different we all are.
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
My teaching is inspired and motivated by the community that it creates. Providing a safe, comfortable and accessible space for anyone and everyone to show up as themselves and choose to flow or yin or snooze during svanasana in whatever way they want.
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
When I’m not a busy bee working at the hospital, you’ll find me out and about spending time with my favourite people, enjoying yummy coffee, food and the outdoors.
What you love most about teaching yoga?
Encouraging people to simply have a little FUN with it! Adult life can feel so serious all of the time, its nice to find a space where you can move your body and breath mindfully but have a little giggle along the way. Creating practices that are accessible for EVERY-BODY is the most important thing for me as a Yoga Teacher - I am most inspired by people who are new to yoga, who step into a space that is unfamiliar and give it a go.
Something we may not know about you:
I am A Registered Nurse and work between the Intensive Care Unit and Cardiology ward at Barwon Health!
Georgia Radley
AKA: G-Rad.
Describe your teaching style in one sentence:
I aim to keep things very permissive, be creative in what I offer, and give space for things to land.
The best teacher training you’ve undertaken (and why):
I completed a year-long mentorship program with The Light Collective, where we commit to a daily spiritual practice - that might include pranayama, meditation, Kriya, mantra, kundalini, and vajrayana buddhist techniques, to name a few - that changed every month. Showing up for myself every day was the most challenging commitment I’ve ever made - I think we can find it really difficult to justify investing time/money/energy into ourselves! But the personal insight, depth of experience and incredible, transformative techniques I embodied each month (and now teach!) have been the most expansive and precious gifts in my life.
What/who inspires and motivates your teaching:
I’ve had so many fantastic mentors and teachers over the years! A couple that are really inspiring me at the moment: Duncan Parviainen for his refined teaching language and stripped-back but fiery flows, and Sian Pascale for her deep feminine embodiment and how graciously she invites women to step into and OWN theirs. Also the seasons and watching nature shift and change around me, and my ever playful and loving pup, Lentil.
What you love most about teaching yoga:
It’s an absolute joy to be part of this community, to watch students make discoveries and settle a little more into themselves each time they arrive to the mat.
Outside of yoga, what else could we find you doing:
Performing in plays or musicals.
Something we may not know about you:
I became a bit of a whisky connoisseur after managing a whisky bar in Scotland for a few years. I love its rich history, variations and modern interpretations.
What can’t you live without:
Salt and Vinegar chippies.