Our Teachers
The Certification Mark is your reassurance of quality teaching.
All yoga teachers at Yarraville Yoga Centre are fully qualified by Iyengar Yoga Australia or in the final stages of completing their qualification. Iyengar yoga teachers worldwide, undergo a minimum of five years study and practice, involving rigorous training and assessment to receive first level of qualification. There are currently four teaching levels.
All of our teachers maintain a personal daily practice as well as ongoing study and professional development with Senior Iyengar teachers from around Australia and abroad. Many have also studied at RIYMI in Pune, India, the Institute founded by Mr. Iyengar in 1970’s, which still offers classes by members of the Iyengar family Prasant and Abijhata.
Peter Harley has been an engineer, conservationist and school teacher. He came to Iyengar Yoga in 1988. Curious and with chronic sports injuries he soon found yoga offered physical relief and had a positive effect on his disposition and sense of well- being. As his practice strengthened Peter undertook teacher training with Frank Jesse and taught at Clifton Hill Centre for some years before opening YYC in Yarraville with others in 2002. He has studied with many senior Iyengar Yoga teachers including in Pune with the Iyengar family. In 2001 Peter launched the online yoga equipment and book site iYogaprops. Initially selling props of his own design it has since broadened to be one of Australia’s largest yoga gear suppliers. Peter divides his work life between iYogaprops and YYC. He believes that yoga is one of the few bright lights in this troubled world and that it offers the promise of deep personal and cultural transformation. That such a change will be needed if we are to survive the challenges of climate change, greed and the mindless exploitation of our planet.
Geraldine Morey began yoga practice in 1989, the same year she began nursing in ICU and she finds the discipline and quietude yoga brings vital to her health and well- being. She embraces yoga as gift to humanity and sees it as a panacea for physical and mental health. She completed her teacher training with Marina Jung in 2010 and has since visited RIMYI in Pune four times studying with Geeta, Prashant and BKS Iyengar. Living westside since 2011, she enjoys teaching in the local community. Other interests include baking, dance, music, cinema and travel.
Madeline Ford grew up ‘a short distance from her body’, physically uncoordinated and much more at home in the library. Twists and turns of life have seen her engage in long distance running, cycle touring, bushwalking, aerials at the Women’s Circus, many years teaching English to people of migrants and refugee backgrounds at TAFE, study and work in China and Japan, and since 2016, yoga teaching. She did her initial teacher training with Alan Goode 2014-2017, has studied at the Iyengar Institute (RIMYI) in India (2015, 2018 and virtually in 2021) and continues on the path of lifelong learning in yoga. She has studied with many Senior Iyengar teachers. Actually, study is not so hard, once you begin. How difficult, and how valuable it is to practise oneself.
Madeline sees yoga as offering constant challenge, because the parameters keep changing; life changes, injuries, conditions, physical constraints, or simply getting older. The beauty of yoga is that we can participate any amount. Frequency, not volume, is the key. Whether we have a lot of time, or a little, yoga can make a difference to our sense of being able to live fully, joyfully and to express our own unique selves. ‘Getting older myself means I have to pay more attention, and not take my body for granted, but there are opportunities there, too, for creative responses to these challenges which lead to deeper awareness and appreciation of life’s possibilities.’
Kate Bywaters attended her first yoga class in 1996. Having fallen pregnant with twins later that year with twin boys and her daughter just 2 years after, it was some time before she got back into a yoga studio. In 2000 when things settled into some kind of routine the memory of that first yoga class called her back to the mat. The return to yoga at that time was a much needed addition to life as a young mum. The return to the practice of yoga also offered great benefit to both her physical and mental health. With much enthusiasm Kate encouraged anyone and everyone to attend Yoga. Actually, Kate continues to do this with even greater enthusiasm having now experienced the benefits of long term yoga practice.
In 2007 Kate completed Teacher Training at the CAE in Melbourne and received an Advanced Diploma in Yoga Teaching. Kate has stayed committed to practicing the Iyengar Method since 2000, studying with many Senior Iyengar Teachers. She has visited India for Yoga Studies several times with many of those visits to the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune. In 2019 Kate completed her Teacher Training with Mark Gibson and is currently studying with Marina Jung.
Kate worked for many years with children and in Aged Care and is now committed to full-time yoga teaching with walking, bike rides, reading and other adventures in between. Kate started teaching at YYC in 2023.
Amy Wells went from yoga student to yoga teacher after witnessing the foundation yoga provided to the inspirational people in her life. She has been with Yarraville Yoga Centre student body from 2010, including the launch of the Led Practice programme of the school. This progressed to teacher training with Alan Goode in 2016. Amy has sought many ways to integrate yoga into her day job as an engineer, in an attempt to allow a more people to taste the benefits of Iyengar Yoga. Her home practice is usually witnessed by her poodles, who also enjoy camping, walking and kayaking.