Our sweet little Canadian Leanne has a passion for all things health. She graduated from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in 2011, Strala Yoga Teacher training in 2014 and Karma Teachers for Vinyasa Yoga in 2015.  She is also a registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Acupuncturist with NRCHI to boot - this is one fit, healthy smart lady!

Her yoga teachings are innovative, always encouraging, and tend to include fun explorations of poses. Her classes work up a sweat and greatly aide in confidence building and strength. We sat down with her recently to ask about her yoga journey and what advice she has for new yogis. Read on!

Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose)(oo-TEE-tah tree-koh-NAH-suh-nuh)
utthita = extended 
trikona = three angle or triangle

Love it or hate it, this notoriously tricky pose is here to stay! Whether you prefer to think of yourself as a triangle, a star, or a piece of toast in a toaster while you’re doing this one, here’s our top alignment tips to help you nail it every time!

​Pascale was first introduced to yoga over a decade ago, but only started to delve into the practice in 2011 when she discovered vinyasa. She used the practice as a way to build strength, flexibility and resilience to balance out the stresses of corporate life. Pascale’s dynamic classes draw from many different yoga styles and place an emphasis on alignment and flow. Her yin classes are more nourishing as they allow time for deep introspection and healing. Off the mat Pascale currently holds a Master in Integrated Water Management and a Bachelor in Engineering. We took a minute to get to know this calm and collected yogi - we hope you enjoy!

​Manda first came to yoga as a training dancer, looking to build strength and flexibility… that was nearly 5 years ago, and she’s never looked back! It didn’t take long for her to fall in love with all of the benefits of a yoga practice beyond the physical; that her breath, mind and heart have all found a greater depth and peace. Throughout 2015 and 2016, Manda took a leap of faith and completed her Yoga Teacher Training. She loves teaching an energizing Flowing Stretch and a soothing Deep Stretch, but her favorite style to teach is Flow ‘n’ Deep – the best of both worlds! When she’s not on the mat, you’ll find Manda singing and dancing up a storm as she rounds out her final year of her Bachelor of Musical Theatre at the Queensland Conservatorium. 

Having danced for over 18 years Kristy initially turned to yoga as exercise for injury rehabilitation but quickly discovered it was so much more than just the postures. Intrigued she travelled to India to gain an entire modern yogic understanding and completed her yoga teacher training with Dr. Gaurav Malik at the Ashtak Yoga School in Goa. Kristy is a Hatha based teacher with a strong focus on alignment and breath. Her classes are light-hearted, fun and never too serious. Kristy is also an advocate for more conscious living and enjoys sharing more eco, greener and sustainable choices. 

Our manager Leanne interviewed her recently and this is what we found out...

More than 130 yogis and six gorgeous rescue puppies celebrated the opening of our new home at Margaret St and 3rd birthday on Sunday July 23rd at our RSPCA Puppy Yoga Open Day raising a total of $2536 for the RSPCA Qld!

Our owner PJ said partnering with the RSPCA Qld for the CBD opening was an easy decision and the support from the studio’s community has been amazing.

Mabel's classes are some of our most popular at Stretch! With a focus on anatomy underpinned with philosophy she manages to create a 'whole' practice for her students. Her practice is beautiful and refined, and her kindness and compassion for her students are immediately evident. She has called Brisbane home for the last 4 years after living in numerous countries - a truly international yogini!. Mabel has a cat named Tobi and a love for travel, family and the beach.

We recently did an interview with her about how she came to be a teacher here at Stretch and this is what she had to say...

by Leanne Gerich

Emma joined our team towards the end of last year. She is a 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher with experience teaching in Australia, Hawaii and Indonesia. Emma attended her first yoga class during a difficult time in her life and as cliché as it sounds – everything changed from there on out! Since then, everything in her life followed suit and the goodness just kept delivering. Much like her own practice, her classes aren’t over-complicated or fancy… Just free flowing, feeling, connecting back in and tapping into that inner awesomeness. 

by Leanne Gerich

Yoga is so much more than the poses that we practice on our mats. Within yoga theory, we study eight different components that make yoga up yoga as a whole. These are referred to as the '8-Limbs' and the physical part is just one eighth of what we want to focus on! In these 8 parts we find the yamas - also known as the yogi code of conduct - which includes the practice of ahimsa, or non-violence. So how does one impact the other, and how can we make sure the our practice is complete? 

by Leanne Gerich

Meet Ari! Though if you've been coming to Stretch at any point in the last 3 years you would most likely have already met her. She's been teaching yoga with us since the day we opened and is undoubtedly one of our most popular teachers! ​Ari is incredibly easy to chat with. She carries so much warmth and energy as she walks into the room. I sat her down yesterday and was able to chat, giggle, and ask her all about her yoga.