Teachers


Madhuri - (Melanie Phillips) Co-director & teacher

In Madhuri's classes she draws upon her knowledge and experience from yogic studies, Ayurvedic training, dance, vison quests and the martial arts as well as extensive travel and inner self enquiry.
Madhuri is a certified Ayurvedic Body Therapist and Ayurvedic Health Educator, receiving certification from the California College of Ayurveda under Dr. Mark Halpern (D.C., C.A.S, P.K.S.). In 2006 she returned from intense training in the USA with Malcolm Ringwalt of the Earth-Heart Institute of Vision and Healing, learning to protect Vision Quests. Prior to this she was teaching yoga in England.
Madhuri began teaching yoga in Vancouver in 2001 after studying in India with her Guru, Swami Niranjananda Saraswati. After returning from India she taught at the Wandering Yogi, Shanti Yoga, Denman Fitness and The Path among others, whilst simultaneously choreographing and performing modern dance pieces. Her next two visits to India were to assist Swami Muktidharma in his Sadhana Retreats at Rikhia Dam, Bihar, in the presence of Paramahamsa Satyananda Saraswati. Throughout her travels, Madhuri has studied karate and tai chi, received level 1 & 2 Shamballa reiki initiation, attended vipassana meditation, embarked on vision quests and hosted yoga/hiking retreats in the wilderness, as well as choreographed and performed as a professional dance artist. It is her intention to allow her students space to transform and evolve on all levels of being, at their own pace, with a focus on compassionate awareness.



Yogachaitanya - Co-director & teacher

Having consciously started his spiritual journey at the age of nineteen with shamanic exploration, Yogachaitanya's (Chai) path led him to investigate many traditions and disciplines, across many continents. Competition surfing led to initial investigations into yoga and the martial arts to supplement his training regimes in the early 1990's. Studying with masters in Jeet Kune Do and Tai Chi Juan, Yogachaitanya settled within Shotokan Karate, studying in the UK Japanese Karate Association (www.jka-england.org) for seven years attaining his Sho Dan (1st Degree black belt) and training under many visiting Japanese masters. His first yoga practice started with the Bikrim style in 1994, leading on to Ashtanga and Iyengar. Feeling the need to deepen his understanding of yoga he undertook the Certificate in Yogic Studies program at the Bihar Yoga Bharati (www.yogavision.net) in India in 2001. This experience led to studying a two year diploma in Satyananda Yoga teacher training, under Swami Vedantananda Saraswati in London, UK. His teaching of Satyananda Yoga developed in London then across the UK, specializing with personal tuition for the sick and injured, as well as training athletes.
Yogachaitanya has completed the protectors training program with Malcolm Ringwalt of the Earth-Heart Institute of Vision and Healing (www.earth-heart.com), allowing him to facilitate Vision Quests. In 2003 he was initiated to reiki master in the Shamballa tradition by Jan Edmundson (UK).