About Freda…

Qualification
I completed my 200YTT in 2019, with a focus on vinyasa and hatha, with the incredible Nico Luce. Nico’s masterful weaving of all aspects of yoga - the history, philosophy, psychology, anatomy, physiology, sequencing, chakras, energetics, ethics and business - continues to inspire me. Nico is more than what one might think when they hear, ‘yogi’ - he is a story-teller, a sage and a healer. His teachings planted seeds in my heart which continue to blossom. Nico set out our ground rules for our time together from the book, ‘The Four Agreements’: “Be impeccable with your word”, “Do not take anything personally”, “Do not make assumptions”, and “Always do your best”. Living these principles is a lifelong practice. I have been teaching yoga regularly ever since. Nico encapsulates the qualities of a true leader for me: kindness and curiosity.

Rewind - First yoga experience
Aside from happy baby pose as an actual baby, and headstands throughout my childhood, I first officially tried yoga in a tiny ancient church in Belgium, when, as a cheeky 18-year old exchange student, I giggled more than ‘yoga’ed’, as I tried to decipher the french instructions… but something resonated deep in my being, and savasana felt luxurious. I was allowed to just, ‘relax’? Like a legitimate activity? Sign me up! For someone who’s mind never stopped, yoga felt like something I should have in my life. Later as a university student in Dunedin, I intermittently attended a yoga class, and always felt better afterwards; calmer, clearer, and connected. As the years passed and the pressures of life seemed to build, having a tool to promote calm, reduce anxiety and to heal on many levels, was a potent drawcard.

The journey
The journey is the destination in yoga. I know, it sounds cliche, but when you reflect on how these words land in us: a ‘destination’ can pull us out of the now, ‘journey’ keeps us grounded in the present. And yes, it’s a both/and sitch.

Who am I?
But - how do we not know? Except - with all the noise in the world, our conditioning, the outward pull of our upbringing, social expectations, life… we can lose touch - or perhaps never start - the journey of discovering who we are. Yoga flips the awareness from outer to inner, inviting us back into connection with who we are and our truth.

PhD in yoga?
What do I mean there? Not to academise the unacademisable… but with yoga the learning never stops, as we delve deeper and deeper into the layers of our being, only to find how inextricably interconnected they all are.

Yoga brings being and doing into harmony. Yoga reminds us of an important truth: everything is interconnected: heart, mind and body, people and planet. Inner world and outer world. (especially that last one.)

Yoga provides a space to pause and cultivate our observer mind. The more we can just observe our thought-patterns, reactions, emotions and stories, the more we can choose to rewrite the stories we tell ourselves, helping us reach our potential, and cultivate calm, compassion and equanimity. Yoga is the gift that never stops giving in this way.

I love sharing the benefits I’ve received from yoga with my students, and supporting them to develop their practice, and to cultivate their own yoga journey.

Yoga(n): To yoke or join body and mind.