Hi and welcome to Soul Space! I am so happy you are here. My name is Lauren and I am a yoga and mat pilates instructor and the lady behind Soul Space. I am originally from Southern California and am now gratefully living in the very Southern and very beautiful Southland, New Zealand! I am a lover of tramping, coffee, spicy food, dogs, and am navigating the world of being new mama to my sweet girl, Gianna.

I started practicing yoga when I was a pre-teen, often tagging along to yoga classes with my mother at a studio down the road. I was immediately drawn to the mental and physical healing properties that the yoga practice offers. Though I was a typical teenager and I was often distracted from doing yoga, I always found my way back to my mat and found that I could apply yogic principles to my daily life with great benefit. After practicing consecutively for a few years, I began to feel an undeniable positive shift of peace and clarity in all aspects of my life.

I felt called to begin my journey to become an instructor and enrolled at the Kaya Yoga Remedy Yoga School in Huntington Beach, CA. After my 200 Hour Training was complete, I completed a 50-hour mentorship program with Gilbert and Ashley Naungayan.  I taught regularly at Kaya Yoga Remedy after completing my training, and then moved to New Zealand where I began teaching at local Invercargill studios. Since then, I have completed a number trainings to advance my knowledge in anatomy, philosophy, and specific styles of yoga, including Trauma Informed Yoga, Yin Yoga, etc. 

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My teaching evolved as I started working with elderly and disabled students and began to witness the incredible transformations that were occurring, not only in the physical body, but in the emotional body through a regular, gentle and mindful yoga practice.

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I have completed my mat pilates teacher training through Barre Body. I believe that mat pilates is a powerful way to increase muscle strength and endurance in a way that accompanies the yoga practice beautifully. 

Teaching will always be my number one passion. My goal in teaching is to guide students safely and effectively through their own unique journey and to help them to receive the amazing transformational benefits that yoga has to offer. I truly believe that yoga is for everybody and look forward to hosting you in this beautiful space. 

​I look forward to practicing together! 

Hi everyone! My name is Meg (Megumi). I'm from Japan, the land of sunrise. I’m a yoga teacher but also an Ashtangi. Yoga came into my life for the first time in Japan almost 10 years ago. I fell in love immediately. While travelling I met many teachers and practised many types of yoga such as Hatha, Ashtanga, Yin, Kundalini, Iyengar, Bikram and more. And then I went to India to learn Ashtanga at Mysore. Through yoga and surfing, I am being myself physically & mentally. Connecting to beautiful people and nature here keeps me smiling. Yoga isn’t just a practice.  It’s a place to find a community and a way of life :)

[RYT500h / YIN50h]

My yoga practice began in 2015 when I returned to Southland after a long stint living in London.  As a runner, I was drawn to the therapeutic aspects of yin yoga but curiosity led me to try out different styles.  Developing a regular yoga practice brought me a wealth of physical, spiritual and mental benefits so profound that I felt compelled to do my teacher training to share this with others.

There is so much to explore with yoga.  It’s rewarding to show up on the mat each day and see what unfolds.  I love that yoga is for everybody and every body and is ‘just-for-you’ all at the same time.  I never regret coming to my mat and am excited about my continuing journey as teacher, student and practitioner.  

 

RYT200h