About Bridget
Welcome!
I’m Bridget, tea drinker, ocean lover, mother, yoga student and teacher. I’m really glad you found me – I’m already looking forward to us getting to know each other. I’ll start first…
I discovered Iyengar yoga back in 1998, at a lunch time class at my then workplace. The practicality and systemic path of learning really appealed to me. It wasn’t long before I was in class 4 times a week, soaking up all the incredible wisdom passed down from BKS Iyengar to me, through my teacher Kay Parry at the Iyengar Institute of Bondi Junction.
Back then there were no 200 hour teacher training courses, it was an apprenticeship. I qualified to teach in 2008 and I’ve continued doing assessments. In 2023 I proudly achieved my Level 3 Teachers Certification.
I established Seabreeze Yoga and began teaching full-time soon after my eldest daughter was born in 2010.
I love learning and continue to learn on many different levels – Yogically that means I attend classes and receive ongoing mentoring with senior teacher Kay Parry. I am eternally grateful to have the opportunity to partake in Abhi Iyengar’s weekly online classes from RIMYI, the heart and soul of Iyengar Yoga in India. Such a gift.
My approach
I teach practical, no-nonsense, logical classes. I love beginners and I love questions – I answer any and all questions, and if I don’t know the answer I will endeavour to find out.
My main interest is following your health, growth and progress over the long term. I want to teach you how to use the practice of yoga to age gracefully, to minimise the disturbances from our physical, mental and emotional bodies. I will find ways to teach you asana, pranayama, and a little bit of yoga philosophy so that you can understand it, really grasp it. Constantly changing my approach to keep you interested.
I understand that every ‘body’ has it’s own unique challenges, and that that very same body and mind can be incredibly different not just over the years, but from day to day. Our emotions, hormones, accidents, traumas, life stressors – both big and small, even the weather changes our physical, emotional and mental well-being. I’m experienced in adapting the postures for your specific needs on that particular day. As your practice becomes more regular, I will become more familiar with you and your body and what you need to flourish.
I’ll demonstrate the pose clearly so you can see.
I’ll use concise, simple language to explain.
Sometimes I may physically adjust you to gain better actions.
I will teach you how to use props such as belts, bricks, chairs and the wall for both obtaining better alignment and deepening the pose.
Each week the class is sequenced in a particular way for a specific outcome.
I watch the students in the class and adjust my language and explanations for maximum benefit – I can see if you need help or adjusting. I will listen to your concerns and adjust the practice to suit your needs.
The Monthly Cycle of Iyengar Yoga
The classes are themed in a monthly cycle – during the first week of the month, the focus is on standing poses. In the second week the focus is forward extensions and twists. Week three is backs – back extensions, strengtheners and/or dealing with back aches. The final week of the month is restorative, where we endeavour to relax, replenish energy and remove tension. There may also be some breathing exercises and Pranayama. A few times a year there is an extra week – during this week I take requests from the students attending the class, and we include things that we maybe don’t practice that often – it’s a kinda fun week!
You will hear me say the Sanskrit name of the poses, as a mark of respect to the lineage of teachers before me. But don’t worry no-one knows what I’m talking about, they just watch the demonstration and follow along. At the beginning of every class we lie out for a few minutes to quieten and prepare for the class, and at the end of every class we lie out for relaxation or Savasana.
Workshops are run at intervals throughout the year and are structured differently to classes. The focus can be physical or mental, for example back-care or insomnia. Because of the longer time-frame of 2 hours we can explore that theme in more depth. Workshops are practical – doing, experiencing and learning.
What is Iyengar Yoga?
Iyengar Yoga was developed by B.K.S. Iyengar, and named after him by his followers. He is the forefather of yoga as we know it today. Through his unparalleled devotion to practice and study, he developed and systematized his approach to yoga – Iyengar Yoga follows in the tradition of yoga as he lived it.
BKS Iyengar taught that we access the mind through the body. His discipline of Iyengar Yoga emphasizes precision and alignment in the practice of asanas (yoga postures) and pranayama (breath control), along with the physical practice of yoga postures. It focuses on the integration of body, mind, and breath, with the aim of achieving physical and mental well-being. The practice is known for its attention to detail. The use of props (such as blocks, straps, and bolsters) enables you to experience the asanas more deeply. This approach to yoga makes it particularly useful for people working with physical limitations or health problems.
As you move towards a longer-term practice you may feel that as you are able to focus more intently on the physical pose, your mental and/or emotional state has changed. Maybe you have more energy or motivation. Perhaps you notice you have more agility and strength or maybe you sleep better or have more concentration on the days you practice.
B.K.S. Iyengar’s teachings gained international recognition when he published his book “Light on Yoga” in 1966. This book became a seminal work in the field of yoga and helped spread Iyengar Yoga worldwide. Iyengar’s emphasis on precise alignment, use of props, and therapeutic applications of yoga has made it accessible to people of all ages and physical conditions.
Throughout his life, B.K.S. Iyengar continued to refine his teachings and train inumerable students. He founded the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India, which remains the most eminent center for the practice and study of Iyengar Yoga. B.K.S. Iyengar passed away in 2014, but his legacy lives on through his teachings, his son Prashantji, grandaughter Abhijata and the global community of Iyengar Yoga practitioners.
I practice and teach the Iyengar yoga system as it really resonates with me as a complete personal practice. I look forward to sharing it with you at Seabreeze Yoga Cronulla as I’m sure it will do the same for you.
Teacher Training
The yoga industry in Australia is largely unregulated, it’s relatively easy to sign up for a 200 hour teacher training course and become a registered Yoga teacher. This results in a wonderfully diverse range of teachers (which I am in favour of) and sometimes a complete lack of experience in actual teaching. (Not so great)
The Iyengar method, in contrast, is the only system I know of where would be teachers are independantly assessed by a panel of 4 senior teachers from around the country. They are assessed in theory, practice and teaching, and need 3 years regular class attendance to even be considered for a teacher training program.
As you can imagine the same standards are applied to the trainers, we must have passed 3 levels of assessment before we are able to train teachers.
Sounds onerous I know, but I do believe this system, while not foolproof by any means, does ensure that all Iyengar teachers are of minimum standard upheld by Iyengar Yoga associations worldwide.
I use a mentoring approach, where the trainees are guided through practice and teaching in a more organic process. It's personal, there's lots of time for one-on-one or small group assistance and learning. This small group is open to those wishing to learn, develop and deepen their yogic understanding.