R E T R E A T S FOR LIFE :: NATURE : CULTURE : EXPERIENCE
Retreat Teaching Team
SPECIALIZING IN Y O G A & MEDITATION RETREATS
Gaelen Hanson
Originally from America, Gaelen has been living in Southeast Asia for the past 4 years and practicing and teaching yoga for 15 years. As a former professional dancer and critically acclaimed choreographer, she brings to her yoga teaching a wealth of kinesthetic experience and physical training. Gaelen’s unique yoga teaching style also combines aspects of Vini Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga and Iyengar Yoga, and her thoughtfully choreographed classes focus on body awareness, and emphasize the flow of breath as a tool to bring us into a state of dynamic presence.
Gaelen’s classes are designed to strengthen and revitalize the physical body, quiet and focus the mind and rejuvenate the spirit. As a teacher she is known for her calm clarity, supportive encouragement and graceful practice. Gaelen inspires students to challenge themselves in a mindful way. She believes that the essence of Yoga is not the pose, but the state within the pose; encouraging students to let go of the reactionary mind and open up to present moment without judgment. Through a greater understanding of the connection of body, breath and mind, Gaelen hopes to inspire students to experience the transformative power of yoga.
Gaelen is co-founder and co-director of Return to the Source Yoga Satsang a Yoga Alliance certified yoga school that offers Retreats and Yoga Teacher Trainings in Southeast Asia. Gaelen has extensive experience teaching Beginner through Advanced classes, private yoga classes and retreats.
Gaelen is an E-RYT 200 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) through Yoga Alliance. She has received triple teacher certification from Samadhi Yoga in Seattle, Sivananda Yoga in India, and Jungle Yoga in Koh Phangnan.
www.yogawithgaelen.com
Gaelen’s classes are designed to strengthen and revitalize the physical body, quiet and focus the mind and rejuvenate the spirit. As a teacher she is known for her calm clarity, supportive encouragement and graceful practice. Gaelen inspires students to challenge themselves in a mindful way. She believes that the essence of Yoga is not the pose, but the state within the pose; encouraging students to let go of the reactionary mind and open up to present moment without judgment. Through a greater understanding of the connection of body, breath and mind, Gaelen hopes to inspire students to experience the transformative power of yoga.
Gaelen is co-founder and co-director of Return to the Source Yoga Satsang a Yoga Alliance certified yoga school that offers Retreats and Yoga Teacher Trainings in Southeast Asia. Gaelen has extensive experience teaching Beginner through Advanced classes, private yoga classes and retreats.
Gaelen is an E-RYT 200 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) through Yoga Alliance. She has received triple teacher certification from Samadhi Yoga in Seattle, Sivananda Yoga in India, and Jungle Yoga in Koh Phangnan.
www.yogawithgaelen.com
Neil Jefferson
Originally from the UK, Neil has been living in Asia since 1997. He has been practicing yoga for 18 years and has been teaching and sharing his understanding of yoga since moving to Thailand in 2011. Neil has trained extensively in different styles of yoga, including Sivananda, Anusara, Restorative.
He brings to his classes a unique fusion of the many teaching styles and teachers he has studied with, in addition to the countless hours of 'Svadhyaya'(self-study) he continues to devote to understanding and realizing the truth that Yoga points to.
Neil’s students enjoy his calm presence in the class, and his clear and concise alignment instructions. He invites students to utilize the flow of the breath as a primary focus to still the mind while moving the body.
Neil’s yoga journey continues first and foremost as a student; he travels to India every year to spend time with his teachers, looking deeper into the non-physical elements of this ancient wisdom. He has a passion for inquiry into the true nature of reality (which he believes can be accessed in our present experience) and sharing this understanding with his students and friends.
www.neilyoga.com
He brings to his classes a unique fusion of the many teaching styles and teachers he has studied with, in addition to the countless hours of 'Svadhyaya'(self-study) he continues to devote to understanding and realizing the truth that Yoga points to.
Neil’s students enjoy his calm presence in the class, and his clear and concise alignment instructions. He invites students to utilize the flow of the breath as a primary focus to still the mind while moving the body.
Neil’s yoga journey continues first and foremost as a student; he travels to India every year to spend time with his teachers, looking deeper into the non-physical elements of this ancient wisdom. He has a passion for inquiry into the true nature of reality (which he believes can be accessed in our present experience) and sharing this understanding with his students and friends.
www.neilyoga.com
D Ritterman
Dee teaches yoga asana with an alignment and breath focus. Her classes are a combination of Hatha Flow, Slow Vinyasa, Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga. She honours the principles and teachings of her Precision Alignment Yoga™Teacher Training and her knowledge of anatomy, kinesiology and physiology from her BAppSci (Human Movement) University Degree.
Dee's diverse work history, varied volunteering endeavours and extensive world travels have imprinted upon her a sense of global awareness. She is committed to creating and maintaining conscious connections in international Yoga communities.
Dee shares her knowledge and teachings through specialized workshops, retreats and private classes in many wonderful places, including Sweden and Laos.
Dee continues to expand her experience of new movement modalities and deepen her knowledge of the sacred practices of Yoga in order to grow as a person, a student and a teacher.
www.movewithdee.com
Dee's diverse work history, varied volunteering endeavours and extensive world travels have imprinted upon her a sense of global awareness. She is committed to creating and maintaining conscious connections in international Yoga communities.
Dee shares her knowledge and teachings through specialized workshops, retreats and private classes in many wonderful places, including Sweden and Laos.
Dee continues to expand her experience of new movement modalities and deepen her knowledge of the sacred practices of Yoga in order to grow as a person, a student and a teacher.
www.movewithdee.com
Mandi Nelson
Mandi Nelson's yogic path spans some 35 years, when as an 8-year-old she first picked up a 'yoga book' and began 'playing' asana with her sister. Already an accomplished gymnast and coach, Mandi first trained at Byron Bay Yoga Centre with John Ogilvie as a teacher in the Purna style of yoga (8 limbs) - a Hatha based, alignment-focused practice combining breath, meditation, philosophy and asana.
Mandi teaches regular 'sacred fusion' classes and workshops in Perth & Byron Bay (Australia), Bali (Indonesia) and most recently Siem Reap (Cambodia). Qualified 200 hours, 500 hours and Certificate IV in yoga asana, meditation, breath and philosophy and Certificate IV Yoga Teaching.
She often attends sound healings', group meditations, spiritual development courses and groups, writes a regular blog whilst maintaining a daily yoga and meditation practice.
Mandi has practiced many styles of yoga over the years - including Iynegar, Ashtanga, Bikram, Vinyasa, Yin, Kundalini, Flow, Power and Restorative. Her favourite is always "the one she is practicing right now".
Mandi is a self-confessed spiritual seeker, a healer & spiritual midwife - working as a transition walker, a photographer, videographer, independent film-maker, website designer and humanitarian, often working voluntarily on projects close to her heart.
www.cherishu.net
Mandi teaches regular 'sacred fusion' classes and workshops in Perth & Byron Bay (Australia), Bali (Indonesia) and most recently Siem Reap (Cambodia). Qualified 200 hours, 500 hours and Certificate IV in yoga asana, meditation, breath and philosophy and Certificate IV Yoga Teaching.
She often attends sound healings', group meditations, spiritual development courses and groups, writes a regular blog whilst maintaining a daily yoga and meditation practice.
Mandi has practiced many styles of yoga over the years - including Iynegar, Ashtanga, Bikram, Vinyasa, Yin, Kundalini, Flow, Power and Restorative. Her favourite is always "the one she is practicing right now".
Mandi is a self-confessed spiritual seeker, a healer & spiritual midwife - working as a transition walker, a photographer, videographer, independent film-maker, website designer and humanitarian, often working voluntarily on projects close to her heart.
www.cherishu.net
Emma Tranter
Owner & Director of the Yoga Shed
- Director of SIYI Teacher Training program
- Yoga Alliance 500hr Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher
- YA Certified Continuing Education Provider
- Certified AcroYoga® Teacher
- Certified AFPA Personal Trainer
- Certified PSIA Snowboard Instructor
- Certified USPA Coach
Growing up in New Zealand, Emma has always enjoyed an active lifestyle. She is an adventurous outdoors woman with a love for action sports. She was trained in the U.S.A. and has been teaching yoga for the past 16+ years both in the U.S.A. and New Zealand. In 2003 Emma completed a 2 year, 1000 hour intensive ‘Precision Alignment Yoga Teacher Training Certification’ at the Southern Institute for Yoga Instructors (SIYI). Her primary teachers are SIYI founders, Betty Larsen and John Charping. Emma continues to work with John and Betty on a regular basis. Emma has also had the pleasure and honor of working with other teachers including: Erich Schiffman, Roger Cole, Bobby Goldin, Nichala Joy Devi, Felicity Green, Bryan Kest, Anodea Judith, Jason Nemer and more.
Emma is registered with the International Yoga Alliance at the 500hr Experienced Advanced level. In 2008, Emma became the Director of SIYI’s Teacher Training Certification Program.
Emma loves to travel the world teaching yoga. She has had the pleasure of sharing her knowledge and experience in many wonderful places. Recently, such places have included Laos, Zambia, Australia and Russia. Emma specializes in teacher trainings, workshops, master classes, and private sessions.
In addition to her yoga teaching, Emma’s passions include skydiving, snowboarding, surfing, AcroYoga and human body flight.
www.yogadeland.com
Willow Brown
Willow Brown LAc. is the founder of Yin Wellness, which offers Yoga, Pilates, Qi Gong, Taoist Sexology, Acupuncture, Myo-fascial Release Massage, Cranial-Sacral, and Functional Nutrition. Willow has been actively involved in the healing arts since 2000. Administering bodywork of various styles since 2001, has lead to a deep understanding of the many complex layers one has to work through in order to heal and bring the body into balance. She specializes in Women’s health and Hormones, as well as pre-natal and post-partum health using acupuncture, massage, cranial-sacral and functional nutrition. In addition to women’s health she enjoys pediatrics and yields wonderful results with infants and young children.
She loves helping yoga and qi gong students discover new ways of moving and thinking about their bodies and providing them with tools that make their lives easier and more comfortable. She is blessed to have nearly 2 decades of teaching experience and a foundational practice of yoga & meditation since age 13. She lives to deliver the message of self-love, health and harmony to the bodies and hearts of students who are ready to receive. Willow feels so much respect and adoration for the many health-inducing practices she has learned along the way, and all those who have taught her, including her 1st teacher at age 13, her Grandmother. She sees how blessed we are to have these bodies that encompass physical and spiritual beauty, and to have the tools to explore the vast possibilities of what they are capable of.
www.yinwellness.com
She loves helping yoga and qi gong students discover new ways of moving and thinking about their bodies and providing them with tools that make their lives easier and more comfortable. She is blessed to have nearly 2 decades of teaching experience and a foundational practice of yoga & meditation since age 13. She lives to deliver the message of self-love, health and harmony to the bodies and hearts of students who are ready to receive. Willow feels so much respect and adoration for the many health-inducing practices she has learned along the way, and all those who have taught her, including her 1st teacher at age 13, her Grandmother. She sees how blessed we are to have these bodies that encompass physical and spiritual beauty, and to have the tools to explore the vast possibilities of what they are capable of.
www.yinwellness.com
“This world is your body. This world is a great school. This world is your silent teacher.” Swami Sivananda.
© Retreats for Life