Our Amazing Instructors

Nicki’s yoga journey began in childhood, leafing through her Gran’s old yoga picture book. She was fascinated by the image of Lion Pose, with its playful roar and tongue sticking out — a pose that still makes her smile and remains one of her favorites today, always reminding her of her Gran.

While yoga has been a part of Nicki’s life for many years, in 2018 she felt called to dive deeper, completing her Yoga Teacher Training at Kawai Pura-Pura in Albany. This step opened a new chapter, allowing her to explore yoga more fully and to share its gifts with others. Since then, she has continued to nurture her practice through further training in Hansa Flow with Vincent Bolletta, and with Maria Kirsten in Yoga for Older Grown Ups.

For Nicki, yoga is not just about movement — it’s about connection, balance, and joy. She is inspired by the words of B.K.S. Iyengar: “Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.”

Nicki teaches Strengthen, Gentle, Yogalates, Chair and General Yoga classes and is also a Level 2 Reiki Practitioner

Mignon Opmeer’s journey with movement began at a young age in her home country, the Netherlands, where dance and body awareness quickly became a natural part of her life. After moving to New Zealand in 2017, she expanded her focus to yoga and has been sharing her practice with a wide range of students ever since. Along the way, she discovered the joy of guiding others toward strength, flexibility, and balance.

She is a registered yoga teacher (RYT 200) and a registered children’s yoga teacher (RCYT) with Yoga Alliance. Mignon teaches both adults and children, including kids’ yoga classes at Orewa Primary, and classes for staff and students at Albany Primary. She also leads beach yoga at Stanmore Bay for Auckland Council’s Out and About program, regular classes at Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre, and occasionally at Northern Arena in Silverdale.

Mignon’s classes are welcoming and accessible for all levels. Known for her warm and encouraging approach, she enjoys learning from her students just as much as she enjoys guiding. Yoga is a shared experience of growth, connection, and discovery.

When she’s not on the mat, Mignon can often be found hiking or travelling, soaking up the beauty of New Zealand’s landscapes.

Meet Sophie Rado, Sophie is a yoga teacher with a deep love of movement, mindfulness, and holistic healing. Originally from the UK, she has called New Zealand home for many years, where she lives with her husband Nick, their two children, and their fluffy pets.

With a background in professional dance and musical theatre, Sophie has spent over 15 years teaching yoga and guiding students toward balance, connection, and wellbeing. She is trained in a wide range of practices including Yoga, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Reiki, Barre, Pilates, Peter Hess Sound Massage, and First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand®.

Her classes are known for being grounding and nurturing, creating space for students to feel supported and renewed.

Sophie also enjoys riding her bike, dance, musical theatre, travelling, doing anything creative like painting & crafting and spending time with her friends and family. 

• Diploma in Yoga Wellpark College of Natural Therapies.

• Diploma in Psychology of Stress Management (2008)

• Bliss baby, Pre Natal and post natal.

• Master Reiki Practitioner, Third-degree master training with Rainbow Heart Reiki 

• Certified Barre training & Pilates Mat with Xtend Barre (2013) Refresher training with The Method NZ (2021 & 2023)

• First Light Flower Essences of New Zealand® Flowers of Transformation

• Sound Massage, Peter Hess Level 1 (2021)

• Thai Yoga Massage beginners training (2023)

• NZ certificate in floristry

Meet Aleasia

Aleasia is a yoga and barre teacher with a genuine love for movement and a belief that it should feel good. With years of teaching experience, a background in sport and a warm, down-to-earth style, she creates classes that are strong, mindful and welcoming. Expect to be challenged, encouraged and reminded that you always have a choice, to listen to your body, build strength and move in a way that supports you, both on and off the mat.

Anna is a warm, compassionate yoga teacher who has been teaching yoga since 2010. With her natural sense of humour, and intuitive teaching style, she creates space for students to slow down, unwind and become deeply present in their bodies.

After growing up in Auckland, Anna lived abroad for almost 20 years and has taught and studied Yoga in Bali, Hong Kong, Dubai and Australia. Having navigated her own journey with chronic stress, she understands firsthand the profound healing that comes from having a regular stillness practice (one of the reasons she now chooses to specialise in Yin and Restorative Yoga).

Anna brings extensive experience in the more subtle aspects of yoga; she weaves pranayama, meditation, yoga nidra and subtle anatomy awareness into her classes, to help her students access deep relaxation and connect to the essence of who they are.

She lives in Orewa with her husband and 2 lively boys and loves calling this special community home. When she's not teaching yoga, she can be found at the beach, doing the school run, meditating, having chai at Drifters or playing her crystal sound bowls.

Anna is RYT500 and E-RYT200 certified with Yoga Alliance, and also works as a Consciousness Guide and Sound Healer.

Monique discovered the supportive benefits of yoga in 2012, in the midst of her communication degree and a serious family injury. She noticed many of her interests were present in a yoga class, from creativity to music, the power of language, and a focus on fitness and mental health all rolled into one. She went on to complete her 200 hours yoga teacher training at a hot yoga studio in her hometown of Wellington in 2018, with her final exams in Bali.

Monique now resides in Matakana where she began teaching in 2021. She enjoys teaching a challenging vinyasa, along with a sense of playfulness, highlighting an importance on the breath and awareness of the mind. She intertwines nuggets of philosophy and relevance to help you take your yoga practice off your mat and into your daily life, often including themes around her appreciation for nature, interest in astrology and inviting a sense of resilience; something that yoga gave to her.

After extensive travel in Monique's other career as a travel nanny, she is enjoying incorporating a slower pace of teaching Yin, after completing her 100 hours training in Greece in 2024.

Meet Eleanor Fala, Elle has recently moved to the Hibiscus Coast from Melbourne. 

Elle is both serious and irreverent. She makes the complex feel approachable and weaves a thread of ease through tricky thoughts and shapes. Elle loves a strong flow, deep stillness and all the in betweens. The constant? Curiosity and compassion. 

Elle is mostly barefoot, often hands in dirt, loves to chase waterfalls.

A certified Master Health Coach, Elle loves to move - vinyasa, slow flow, yin and more.

"I love attending Elle's vinyasa class. She changes the class up each week. She's so bubbly and energetic, but soothing, taking us on a beautiful journey each week." 

~ Nicola Y.