Our Team
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Our amazing teachers are the heart of our studio and are experts in their own styles, offering richness and diversity to our timetable.
They share in common a heart-felt approach that provides a meditative and safe space of rest, integration and self-connection.
See our timetable for our teachers upcoming classes and events
Priya Leevers
Ava Irani
Studio Manager
Started practicing: 1998
Started yoga teaching: 2014 and at Spanda: 2024
Joined Spanda: 2022
Favorite yoga posture: Headstand
Favorite quote: "Wisdom comes from experience, everything else is just information" Albert Einstein
My pets: Aeon - my little animal-boy!
Highlighted Trainings:
200hr RYT Vinyasa Pranala YTT (2014) 30hr RYT, Yin w/ Jo Phee YTT (2015)
200hr RYT, Tantric Hatha YTT (2016)
20hr YACEP, Understanding Trauma for Safer Spaces (2021)
30hr Yin & Meditation YTT (2022) 200hr Functional Flow YTT (2025)
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is... Loving Presence!
The highlight of my yoga teaching career was when... Supporting Ava's Functional Flow Yoga Teacher Training & coordinated and taught at the silent retreat
The highlight of my yoga practice is... Right in the beginning, when I healed myself from 1 year of total burn-out and illness using Yin yoga, Meditation, Pranayama and clean living... My life changed!
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by... Nurturing my vulnerable parts and empowering me to connect with my true essence to be of service.
Where you'll find me teaching: Yin & Meditation (Mon 9.30am) hosting Mystic Rose Women's Circles and covering any classes - all styles.
Director
Started practicing: 2008
Started teaching: 2011
Created Spanda: 2016
Favorite yoga posture: Warrior ~ I love the strength, stillness, focus and options!
Favorite poet: Hafiz~ beautiful, mystical and evokes tenderness and tears
My pets: Honey the Mastiff who you may have met at the studio
Highlighted Trainings:
Agama 500hr YTT (2011), Hridaya 500hr YTT (2013)
Blue Throat Yoga “Entering the Heart of Shiva” (2018)
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is... An opportunity to listen inward to what is meaningful to the person, and True to the Reality
The highlight of my yoga teaching career is... Running Silent Retreats and having created something that is accessible, transformative and life-changing.
The highlight of my yoga practice is... Being in the effortlessness and joy of community. It’s the secret gem of yoga not often alluded to, we get to create a field together, and get better at creating safe, connected fields.
Where you'll find me teaching: Silent Retreats, Yoga Teacher Training Courses, Special events & occasional class covers - all styles.
Shanan Hanutsaha
Kate Morris
Started practicing: 1999
Started teaching: early 2020
Joined Spanda: around 2017 I think, not sure. First time I attended Spanda was when the studio was located above the Blinco cafe(Fibonacci centre).
Highlighted Trainings: Spanda Silent Retreats and SpandaTeacher's trainings
Favorite yoga posture: It really depends on the day, it is ever changing.
Favorite quote/poem: So you should view this fleeting world, A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream, A flash of lightning in a summer cloud, A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream. from Diamond Sutra.
My pets: My dog, Belle and 3 free roam curious chickens.
The biggest gift our yoga practice offers us is... space and time to rest inward, meditate
The highlight of my yoga teaching career was when... I feel I have helped, provided space for Yogis to explore their mind, body, and to feel a little more centered, restful after the practice.
The highlight of my yoga practice is... Ohh, I'm not sure, maybe the part that yoga and meditation practice had helped me go through ups and downs in life in a graceful way, with acceptance.
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by... helping me recharged, refreshed, centered. And of course, feel good from inside and out, physically and mentally.
Where you'll find me teaching: Gentle Hatha (Thurs 9.30am), Yin & Meditation (Fri 9.30am), covering classes - all styles and hosting Yin & Sound Healing events.
Started practicing:1992
Started teaching at Spanda: 2023
Joined Spanda: June 2021
Highlighted trainings: PADI Scuba Diving Instructor (2000)
YIC (200hr YTT) at Vivekananda Yoga Ashram, India (2008)
Advance Diploma in Ayurveda from AIHM (2005-9)
500hrs YYT - 8 Limbs, Ashtanga Yoga (2016 &17)
200hrs FFYTT, Spanda (2023)
Favorite yoga posture: Any balancing posture or Trikonasana (Triangle pose) with closed eyes. These postures challenge me with the required strength, focus and awareness of the subtle.
Favorite poem/quote: Kahlil Gilbran - The Prophet
My pets: Doglets: Tilly & Lego and a Fish called 'Fish'
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is... Self knowledge and the opportunity to experience who we truly are, beyond the physical.
The highlight of my yoga teaching career was when... Teaching my first Yin & Meditation community class and having 20 students turn up.
The highlight of my yoga practice is... the constant growth and unfolding of my physical, emotional and spiritual being through every class.
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me through... clarity and creating spaciousness so that I can offer from my heart and from my own experiences.
Where you'll find me teaching: Gentle Hatha (Wed 4.30pm), Vinyasa (Thurs 7am), Meditation (Sat 8.30am), hosting Yin & Massage events and covering any classes - all styles.
Laura Cargill
Bianca MacLachlan
Started practicing: 1996
Started teaching: 2001
Joined Spanda: as a student 2018
Favorite yoga posture: Matsyasana - because it feels so good to reset the pituitary gland, third eye energy. Also because it was Queen Cleopatras favourite and is depicted on the tomb walls.
Favorite quote: You are what you eat! (My Nana)
My pets: Bobby, my special boi cat, Tabitha and Beau my brown cats, 6 x bobtail lizards, Ranger, Rachael, Marble, Lula and the twins Daisy and Duke.
Highlighted Trainings: Hatha Teacher Training 2000 Gita International,
Myofascial Release with Jo Phee,
Yin TT with Jo Phee
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is... the ability to recreate, heal and manage our physical selves anywhere anytime
The highlight of my yoga teaching career is... teaching children, then teens that I met in utero during prenatal yoga. Coming full circle.
Noteable moment. A group of Vietnam Veterans cried when I left to move interstate, they were so humbling, I loved them dearly
The highlight of my yoga practice is... having skills and tools to keep me fit well and capable at 55.
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by... checking in with myself daily, what does my body, mind need today? Setting intentions for myself, remaining accountable to me
Where you'll find me teaching: Gentle Hatha (Mon 4.30pm), Yin & Meditation (Mon 6pm), Yin & Myofascial Release (Tues 7.15pm) and covering classes - mostly Yin & Gentle Hatha, hosting Myofascial Release seasonal events and running my own New Moon Women's Circles.
Started practicing: 2000
Started teaching at Spanda: 2014
Joined Spanda: January 2020
Favorite yoga posture: Trikonasana (triangle pose), as well as fun arm balances.
Highlighted trainings: 200hr YTT, Bali, 2014.
Mindfulness Meditation and Coaching, Brisbane, 2015.
300hr YTT, India, 2016.
50hr Yin Yoga Training, Spanda, 2020.
25hr Reboot Teacher's Training, Perth, 2021.
Favorite quote:"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world." ~Buddha
My pets: A totally adorable Pug called Doug.
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is... self-awareness. Who we are, how we think, why we think that way, what we can shift, how we present ourselves to others, and our impact on the world.
The highlight of my yoga teaching career was when... Every day I teach is a highlight, especially the days when a student tells me a story of how their practice has improved, or something that's shifted for them, because of a class I taught - that's the best feeling in the world.
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me through... the connection and awareness to my body and physical health it imparts, along with the self-awareness and calm it continually provides. It makes me a better human being in every aspect - physically, emotionally, mentally, intellectually, and spiritually, and it's given me self-confidence that I didn't have growing up.
Where you'll find me teaching: Vinyasa: Wed 9.30am & Sat 9.30am and covering Vinyasa classes.
Harmony Chynoweth
Danielle Joynt
Started practicing: 1995
Started teaching yoga: 2020 and at Spanda 2025
Joined Spanda: briefly in 2023 returned in 2025.
Highlighted trainings:
350hr YTT at Tamara Yoga.
100hr Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Training, six month mentorship & ongoing supervision with Martine Coates (McDougall) at The Yoga Clinic
50hr Chair Yoga Teacher Training
50hr Foundation & Advanced Children’s YTT
Favorite yoga asana/posture: Half Moon!! I LOVE Half-Moon!!. Opening up, I feel like a flower unfurling itself.
Favorite poem: Shekinah by Alfred K. LaMotte.
My pets: none since our beloved Cavvy King Charles Hero passed five years ago. Born blind, he was a total legend.
The biggest gift our yoga practice offers us: insight- so deeply, so quietly, so profoundly.
The highlight of my yoga career was: Every day I guide yoga is a highlight for me.
A week-long intensive with ISHTA yoga master Ulrica Norberg was life-changing for me, in that I realised I was going to devote my life to this practice.
What I love most about my yoga practice the equanimity it offers me each day
My regular practice benefits me by helping me remember who I am.
Where you'll find me teaching: Vinyasa (Friday 6am) and covering classes -all styles, hosting sound meditation events all over the state!
Started practicing: 2019
Started teaching at Spanda: 2021
Joined Spanda: as a student in 2020
Highlighted trainings:
I loved my yoga teacher training at Santosha Yoga Institute in Nusa Lembongan
and Yin Yoga training at The Yoga Vine the most :)
Favorite yoga asana/posture: I love teaching yin!!! I also love practicing yin and very much enjoy a longer meditation where i can completely melt into relaxation.
Favorite quote:
"The truth is you are already what you are seeking." Adyashanti
My pets: the ones in the ocean I visit the beach every morning always keen to spot a dolphin :)
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is... freedom from our minds
The highlight of my yoga teaching career was when... my first ever class was very special but connecting with people every class is such a privaledge
The highlight of my yoga practice is... the connection and appreciation of my body
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by... calming my busy mind and connecting me back to my truest self.
Where you'll find me teaching: Yin & Meditation (Wed, 6pm & Thurs 7.15pm), Vinyasa (Thurs 6pm), hosting Yin & Yoga Nidra events & covering classes - all styles.
Heather Walls
Anaid Jiménez
Started practicing: 2006
Started teaching at Spanda: 2022
Joined Spanda: 2019
Favorite yoga posture: Pigeon & tree pose
Favorite poets: Rumi & Adyashanti
My pets: Chai (beautiful cat who lives full time in Mexico)
Highlighted Trainings: BHSc Western Herbal Medicine (2013),
Reiki (2004), NARM informed (2021),
300h Kundalini yoga (2006), 200h Functional Flow at Spanda (2020)
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is… To pause, breathe and connect to our body whilst exploring the deeper layers of our being.
The highlight of my yoga teaching career is… When I started teaching at Spanda and the Yin & Cacao ceremonies with Ava.
The highlight of my yoga practice is… The sweet moment of stillness during savasana/ meditation.
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by... Giving me the space to slow down, peel off the layers of tension and connect to my body and heart.
Where you'll find me teaching: When I'm back in OZ, Yin & Cacao ceremonies, Aromatherapy workshops & class covers - all styles.
Started practicing: October 2002
Started teaching: August 2015 & at Spanda - February 2021
Joined Spanda: 2020
Favorite yoga posture: wide leg forward fold (so many transition possibilities :)
Favorite poem: Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead, let life live through you. Do not worry that your life is turning upside down. How do you know that the side you are used to is better than the one to come?
Excerpt (not poem) from Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
My pets: The cats of Istanbul!
Highlighted Trainings: Diploma of Fine Art Claremont School of Art, Diploma of Community Welfare Durack Inst. of Technology,
750 hr Hatha Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Space,
Jon Kabat Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction.
25 hr Pranayama/Breathwork & 50 hr Yin Yoga TT with Marcel van de Vis
Heil & Tony Turner
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is… its ability to bring balance into our lives and help us find comfort from within
The highlight of my yoga teaching career is... witnessing the positive impact Yoga has in peoples lives when they begin to commit to a regular practice. It makes me happy because I know how much it has enhanced my wellbeing.
The highlight of my yoga practice is... feeling the mental clarity and calm that arises throughout the day after an early morning Yoga practice
My regular practice is helping me in the present in... guides me closer towards self acceptance and to live with more ease in a world of uncertainty.
Where you'll find me teaching: Vinyasa (Mon 6am), Yang & Yin Flow (Thurs 4.30pm), Yin & Meditation (Sun 4.30pm) and covering classes - all styles.
Nea Jackson
Attila Diosy
Started practicing: 2014
Started yoga teaching: 2016 and at Spanda 2020
Joined Spanda: August 2020
Favorite yoga posture: Eka Pada Galavasana (flying Pigeon)
Favorite poet: "Heal yourself" by mexican poet and healer Maria Sabrina.
Highlighted Trainings:
300hrs- Yin/restorative, Bhakti, Vision quest- Yandara institute
200hrs- Yoga teacher training- Yandara institute
30hrs- Yin training- Spanda school
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is… Connection to our bodies and listening deeply.
The highlight of my yoga teaching career is… I was asked to assist in Yoga Teacher Trainings in various locations around the world- Mexico, Hawaii & Bali.
The highlight of my yoga practice is...Feeling a sense of peace and calm.
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by...Connecting inward, feeling my body & witnessing my thought processes.
Where you'll find me teaching: Vinyasa (Tues 7am, Wed 6am & Sun 8am), Gentle Hatha (Tues 9.30am), covering classes - all styles, Reiki Training - all levels & hosting Reiki Shares, Yin & Massage and running my own retreats.
Started practicing yoga: 2016
Joined Spanda: March 2021 Started teaching at Spanda: 2024
Fave Yoga Pose: Skandasana
Any specialist/highlight trainings: 200hrs FFYTT, Spanda (2023) Restorative yin and yoga Nidra at Wisdom Yoga Institute (2024)
Yoga Anatomy and Breathwork (2025)
Ayurvedic therapy courses:Abhyanga, Kati Basti, Pinda Sveda (2023-5)
Fave Quote/Poem: “Life is a balance between holding and letting go” Rumi
The highlight of my yoga career was when out of the blue I was asked to take on a Sunday morning vinyasa class when Nea was injured.
What I love most about / a highlight of my yoga practice is the presence it brings to me during the class when my mind is fully in the process in the room and not creating stories somewhere else through memories or expectations etc.
My regular/daily yoga practice looks like starting every day with a morning meditation and minimum 15 minute yoga practice and it benefits me by setting the tone for the the day physically and mentally
Where you'll find me teaching: Vinyasa (Tues 6pm), Community Yin & Meditation (Friday 4.30pm), hosting yoga nidra at events and covering classes
Nicole Fiumana
Marta Lutz
Started practicing: 2009
Started yoga teaching: 2019 and at Spanda 2022
Joined Spanda: August 2021
Favorite yoga posture: Downward Facing Dog and Upward Facing Dog
Favorite poet: Cloe Wade and Rupi Kaur
My pets: Greyhound Fin
Highlighted Trainings:
200hr YTT with Jolie Manza from Yoga Koh (Bali and Sydney),
50hr Super Sequencing YTT with Noelle Connolly from Body Mind Life (Sydney),
20hr Restorative Yoga Immersion YTT with Emmie Rae from Daily Rest (Blue Mountains), 30hr Yin and Meditation YTT with Ava
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is… union of body and mind, union of heart and soul, union of ease and effort, union of yin and yang!
The highlight of my yoga teaching career is... its everytime I teach... holding safe space for others to be exactly who they are, exchanging energy, sharing love and compassion.
The highlight of my yoga practice is... awareness, being able to step away from my mind and holding the scorpion pose for 3 seconds, haha!
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by/through... giving me the opportunity to find my true self, reminding me to listen to my heart and slow down, teaching me to be humble, practise and let go...
Where you'll find me teaching: Covering all class styles but currently about to have my first child (due end Nov '25).
Started practicing: 2018
Started yoga teaching at Spanda: 2024
Joined Spanda: January 2023
Favorite yoga posture: Aww too many! Probably Dancer Pose, I love the combination of balance, flexibility and strength as well as the sense of openness through the heart space.
Favorite quote: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone by Neale Donald Walsch - Not so much a yoga quote, but it is a real life mantra for me, that's where I had the biggest growth. May it be just as simple as doing something alone, meeting strangers or signing up for a course.
My pets: A very active and super sweet short hair Border Collie, Mazy
Highlighted Trainings: Functional Flow Yoga Teacher Training (Spanda), Reiki Level 1, 2 and 3 (on Saturday! so I have added it) with Reiki Master Nea (Spanda)
The biggest gift our yoga practice affords us is...it can shift our perspective through challenges, as well as bringing grounding, presence, love as well as connection to a beautiful community.
The highlight of my yoga teaching career was when.. Definitely coordinating and teaching at the silent retreat with Ava. The shares at the end still give me goosebumps. Giving back is the best gift of teaching.
The highlight of my yoga practice is...to keep learning.
My regular/daily yoga practice benefits me by...checking in with myself
Where you'll find me teaching: Usually Vinyasa and Yin