Last week, we had mufti day at kindy.

She got dressed in her black bunny rabbit tights and tie-dye Pokemon shirt and walked off, only to have baby daddy and her run back 10 minutes later to quickly change back into the burgundy school uniform. Whoops! Wrong date.

As we walked into the school gates yesterday, dressed in full burgundy shin-dig, we glanced at the glittery rainbow vomit which was a primary school fully decked out in its coolest of cool clothes. We all looked at each other, ran home, threw on the bunny tights, but this time a mini mouse shirt with matching ears because the Pokemon shirt was MIA, and raced back just in time before the school bell (its literally the song "Beautiful World" by Coldplay, that's her school bell song, and yes its stuck in my head every single day).

I remember moments like this happening often when I was in primary school. English was not my mother's...

With so many fancy new humans on this email list over the past couple of months, I thought I would take this time to re-introduce ourselves to you.

We are Nin Yoga. Three studios in Western Sydney, as well as a Yoga Teacher Training and an Online Platform.

We first started in the Colyton (my own local) Neighbourhood Centre, every Wednesday night first at at 6pm. I created a public Facebook event and was not expecting anyone else to come except my biggest cheerleaders at the time, my long term buddies. I obviously forgot what the word "public" meant and my first session required many nervous wees before teaching.

"Who are these people! They trust me to teach them yoga? ahhhh!" (otherwise known as good old and reliable imposter syndrome)

After two months of lugging cushions, yoga blocks, yoga mats, incense, tea, candles, speakers & singing bowls, I was curious to see how possible it was to find my own studio.

A few months ago, Penrith Regional Gallery approached Nin Yoga asking if we would feature in a documentary showcasing the stories behind Queen Street.

Queen Street is a totes wild card back in the day Annika. I grew up in the area (and still live down the road) and used to spend my days jigging high school to roam on these streets and eat copious amounts of sloppy gravy on chips from Red Lea chicken (education and health were obviously a huge priority for me in year 11 and 12).

I went to a decent school. They were not the problem. I just had trouble focusing, and the teaching style there was not right for me.

Plus, the bits and bobs that were Queen Street and the surrounds are just so much more interesting a 16 year old 

Fast forward a large handful of years later, and I have signed a commercial lease on the corner.

I especially remember asking the property manager, who had a striking resemblance to Gru from Despicable Me, if I needed...

Hayyyyyyyyy, we just wanted to quickly show up here to give last-minute reminders of two offerings this weekend: a yoga, art, and sound healing workshop on Saturday and a Womb Yoga workshop on Sunday.

Intuitive Rituals was first conceived by three yoga teachers from the Nin Yoga community: Karen Gruber, Mihaela Zotta, and Dolce Fisher.

They specialise in movement, art, and sound healing and will host a workshop this Saturday at our Penrith Studio from 1 pm to 4 pm

"In a safe and warm group environment, you will be supported to move and shift through physical and mental layers so that you can unearth what your intuition is calling out to you. You will be guided through various experiences such as flowing yoga asana, meditation, yoga nidra, a sound bowl experience, intention setting, and intuitive download. Our offering has been curated to support you in all modules of expression (physical, meditation, and visualisation) so you can...

We want to use this email to CELEBRATE! 

As you may or may not know, we have been collecting sanitary items for menstruators in need throughout August for Share The Dignity.

We sent emails, posted on social media, and asked before and after class for help getting our hands on these items to pass on to those who couldn't otherwise afford them.

Well, cause of these group efforts, we donated 685 packets of tampons and 141 packets of pads 

Featured down below in Marys boot! 

When we first signed the lease for Nin Yoga St Marys in 2017, I dreamed of locals coming together to feel safe and supported so they could, in turn, do the same for others.

Nearly seven years have passed (it's literally our seventh birthday at the end of the month!), and this community has become that and so much more.

Thank you to the students who trust us to hold space for them every...

This morning, I was FB messaging one of the instructors from Body Barre Air (which is rebranding as Nin Yoga Castle Hill literally next week, ekkkkkkk), and we were sharing stories on navigating this thing called life. We are similar ages, and she also has two daughters, just a tiny bit older than mine. 

We talked about running a business, unexpected kind, and not-so-kind surprises that are out of our control, and just general mum life things.

She also talked about how she is always here to help us navigate these new waters for Nin Yoga as we open up in the Hills area. She has been the face and the go-to teacher for this Castle Hill community for nearly a decade and is loved and trusted by all of her regular students.

I then sat with this feeling of her offering to help, and I thought about why I found it so hard to accept help myself.

I thought about my father and how he really needs help right now and seems to...

There are eleven more days of winter.

And what comes after Winter?

ITS SPRING!!!

Whether you notice spring because of the flowers blooming or your sinuses filling, it's on its way as we will let go of the bed socks and oodies for another nine months.

And to celebrate this momentous occasion, we have three big announcements:

1. Nin Yoga Castle Hill is Opening on September 2nd!

“Whatttttttttt!!!!!!!! I thought you were done with opening studios?”

“Youuuuuuuuu said you would never offer reformer!”

Look, we obvs have no idea what this universe has planned for us in the grand scheme of things...

I am thankful to our friends at Body Barre Air for trusting me to take over their community as my own starting Sepetember.

We have finalized the schedule, which is valid for all your trial deals, casual passes, and memberships.

2. Nin Yoga will also have its first-ever...

I once remember not being allowed to sit with a particular group of girls at school because I had not yet gotten my period.

It was primary school, so I was maybe 11ish at the time.

It was cold, and having just come out of class I saw a bunch of girls sitting in a circle under the shelter.

I wasn't really close friends with any of them, but for some odd reason, I thought it would be a good idea to break the ice and get to know them (I must have been feeling exceptionally confident that day).

When I answered the question quietly and honestly, I walked away thinking something was wrong with me.

I was a late bloomer, but it was eventually my time to shine.

I was also much too shy to speak to anyone about it, let alone go to the store to buy pads.

I had a weird relationship with my mum at the time, and there was absolutely no way I could speak to my dad.

I would make shift with what I could find, which usually...

I would love to introduce myself and tell you all that is shifting with your beloved Pilates, Barre, and Yoga community in Castle Hill 

My name is Annika Saigi. I am 35 years old and the daughter of two immigrant parents (Thailand and Hungary, random right?).

I am also a proud mumma of two baby girls (now 5 and 1), engaged to the man of my dreams, a yoga teacher and aerial teacher, facilitator of a bi-annual Yoga Teacher Training, co-host of the Australian Yoga and Wellness Festival, and owner of a yoga studio in St Marys and Penrith known as Nin Yoga.

Nin Yoga is about to turn 7 next month, but before I had these studios, I used to teach at a studio called Aerial Fit. I actually quit my day job managing a video game arcade for over a decade to go on part-time with Bek and Becca to teach Lyra, Silks, Aerial Yoga, and Hatha Yoga at their Castle Hill studio.

Because Bek and Becca trusted me to...

I have been ITCHING to tell you something.

Something that if you asked me if it was a possibility in June, I would have been like, "Mateeeeeeee, what are you even on about?".

Something that just continues to prove that there is only so much we can plan in this life.

Nin Yoga is merging with a dear friend in Castle Hill! From September 1st, all of our students and members will be able to book at that location, our third location!

Long story short, Body Barre Air, a studio I used to teach at, maybe 8 or 9 years ago, is looking for a new studio mumma.

Considering I already half knew the vibe of the community, and am still friends with the current teachers, and resonate with all their offers and core values, I actually didn't know how to say no.

That being said, I didn't say yes right away, either. I got the message with the offer while sitting by the first roasting marshmallows with the family. I then read the message out loud...