Natasia Cook:
My first passion was dance. Having trained in various styles of dancing since the age of 5 & later worked as a professional ballet dancer for 7 years, I have a huge respect for the incredible human body & it’s ability to transform and heal itself. After retiring from the stage, I moved into the corporate world & later studied Reflexology & Meridian Therapy, registering as a Therapeutic Reflexologist & running my practice “The Sole Sanctuary” for 6 years. Returning on & off to the corporate world over the years taught me a great deal but nothing quite fed my soul until my yoga journey began in 2001 when I attended my first yoga class. Finding yoga felt like coming home!
My yoga journey so far has included exposure to the Hatha, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Indieyoga, Sivananda, Anusara, Budokon, Yoga Synergy, Yin, Restorative, Partner/Acro, Dharma & Shadow Yoga styles. My special interests are mobility, anatomy & the healing potential of yoga.
I am profoundly grateful to my teachers & mentors; the late Ingrid Eriksen, who first guided me into teaching in 2008 (Hatha & Vinyasa), as well as Kerry Weavind from Haum of Yoga (now IndieYoga) whose insightful & life changing IndieYoga course (2013) inspired me to finally take the leap out of my ‘day job’ & make sharing this incredible art & discipline my full time passion. Taryn Herselman from Shakti Yoga Centre has deepened my knowledge of & respect for Hatha yoga & the power of yoga therapy to heal & transform. I embarked on further training with Shakti Yoga Teaching Academy & Therapy Centre, qualifying as a Yoga Therapist in Oct 2022.
I continue to attend courses & workshops to update & expand my knowledge as Yoga is an ongoing journey of discovery; the more you learn the more there is to learn!
I started Namaste Yoga Studio in June 2008 & it has grown over the years to become my happy place, community & purpose.
What a privilege it is to interact with people from all walks of life & work with them as they develop their own awareness, strength, peace & healing journey.
Steph Salomo:
I took my first ever yoga class in 1997, in Ireland, at work, encouraged by a colleague, for one hour during Monday lunch times, and it completely changed the whole week!
For the next ten years I fluctuated between basic self-practice at home, attending one or two yoga classes a week, which helped to control back aches, tendonitis and migraines, exploring different styles until I was introduced to Pilates in 2007 which helped me develop the core strength I needed to take my yoga practice to a whole new level… and thanks to Natasia’s support, I made the decision to qualify as a Hatha Vinyasa yoga teacher at Yoga Warrior in Rosebank in 2012. This first level of yoga teacher training started me on a new path, with new tools and a deeper understanding of yoga asana, meditation and philosophy, enabling me to share this wonderful gift with you.
I continue to develop my self-practice and teacher training whenever, wherever I can, exploring different styles such as my very special favourite, Yoga Synergy, with intensives in 2014 and 2015 with Simon Borg-Olivier visiting from Australia, and advanced teacher training with Jim Harrington of ReUnion Yoga & Meditation in Cape Town, leading to my first visit to India in 2015. The following year, I was introduced to Budokon yoga, thanks to my teacher Dave Gardner, which swiftly led to attending his first ever Budokon yoga teacher training in South Africa. I continued my Yoga Synergy journey with Jim Harrington’s advanced teacher training in Cape Town in 2018, and the Fire-Air-Earth-Water-Ether sequences online starting in 2020. The corona virus lockdown also introduced me to Breathwork Africa, qualifying as an advanced breathwork practitioner in March 2023, and I am very glad to be adding breathwork to my sharing of movement practices.
Theresa Moodie:
Theresa is a qualified Yoga teacher and acupuncturist who blends the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques, movement and breath to support mind-body wellness. With a background in fitness, coaching and acupuncture, her approach is holistic and rooted in many years of experience.
Theresa has taught and studied internationally, led wellness retreats and trained future yoga teachers.
Currently her work weaves together yoga, acupuncture, exercise science and bodywork to offer a comprehensive, accessible approach to well-being.
Theresa’s Yin classes are designed to share insights into the understanding of the meridian pathways, they sometimes include acupressure points and story telling to support internal balance and well being.
*Theresa’s recorded Yin yoga classes are available by request.