Annika Saigi

Studio Founder

Yoga Teacher Trainer

Karen Gruber

Yoga, Pilates & Aerial Teacher
Yoga Teacher Trainer

"Throughout my life, I have sought ways to support and encourage others to find autonomy and strength within themselves. My journey includes teaching Buddhist-based meditation, training as a counselor, and working as a freelance artist and designer. These experiences have helped me build skills in holding space and serving the community.

I see yoga as a way to connect with the physical manifestation of deeper experiences and sensations. Through mindful movement and breath, I gain insights into my emotional and mental state and approach larger life concepts gently. I believe that we are the experts of our own lives and know what serves us best. In my classes, I provide a space for flow, observation, and body awareness, using this foundation to explore the inner world and nurture strength and compassion.

Pilates entered my life through vintage dance, where it supported strength and range of motion. Teaching dance led me to gain a Pilates qualification, revealing how it complements various aspects of my life. Pilates builds strength, targets specific muscle groups, and creates body awareness and control. It has enhanced my dance and yoga practices and daily activities like carrying groceries. Pilates is a way to care for my body to continue doing what I love.

In my teaching, I support others to meet themselves where they are and build from there. Small, targeted movements lead to meaningful, long-term growth on and off the mat, which is the focus of my classes. I look forward to sharing this practice with you."

Rebecca Browne

Yoga, Pilates & Aerial Teacher

Laura Kernahan

Yoga & Aerial Teacher

"I have always had a passion for any form of movement that allows me to get lost in the present moment because I believe this is where life truly lies. You will usually find me somewhere out in nature or hanging upside down, sometimes both at once.

I believe that working out shouldn't be another chore that needs to be completed, so I bring a love for FUN(ctional) movement or anything that makes you feel like a giant kid inside. This has led me to many hobbies, including Yoga, Aerial Yoga, Lyra, Climbing, and Pole dancing, leaving me with a blend of passion, knowledge, and experience that allows me to approach each person with an understanding that everybody is different. I love to push the edges of my students' comfort zones, taking time step by step to help them overcome fears and smash their goals. My classes focus on keeping your body safe, having fun, and building the strength to carry us through daily life."

Paige Lamb

Yoga & Aerial Teacher

"I first found yoga as a means of support for my anxiety. Meditation and pranayama have since been a regular practice for me. The more yoga I did the better I coped with life and the more I shared yoga the more I saw how it can help everyone.

I made my journey into teaching to share how yoga helped me - observe yourself as you are here and now so you can better move forward. Moving forward has led to me now teaching Aerials and becoming a personal trainer because, to me, movement is medicine!"

Mihaela Zotta

Yoga, Pilates & Barre Teacher

"I believe in the serendipitous moments that reveal themselves when we least expect appropriately at the right time.

Yoga came into my life when I needed something extraordinary to happen and, ironically, something incredibly human.
Yoga is like coming home and being in a place of warmth, nurture, and safety.  

I embarked on my YYT with the intention of self-inquiry and reflection. I discovered a path of healing and forgiveness, an instant bond with a feeling of peace and contentment.

My struggle with high anxiety is long-standing, and the techniques I’ve learned through my practice (and continue to learn as a forever student) have not only reminded me how to breathe, to move, to think... (you know, the basics) but above all, allowed me to flourish.

Flourish into me that is not too shy, scared, or awkward to step into my own power.

Becoming more me.

I love teaching a warm and nourishing flow (body and mind) and wish to create the same experience on the mat where you too… can become more of you."

Mary Backhouse

Yoga Teacher

"Hello, I’m Mary.

A local all my life, I’ve dabbled in yoga for years. First at evening college, then at a gym, and finally discovered and stepped through the door of Nin Yoga in 2021. 

That’s where the transformation began. I completed YTT and haven’t looked back. I’m so pleased to have challenged myself. What a rewarding experience. 

I enjoy the time I can be with myself, the inclusivity and friendship of yoga, and the change I see in myself and others after a class. 

I distinctly remember driving home after a few weeks of classes and thinking, “Wow, I feel good”. 

Come along and join me on the mat, where I hope you, too, can find that “feel-good” moment. "

Catherin Zimbounellis

Yoga & Pilates Teacher

Katie Hathaway

Yoga & Pilates Teacher

"Hi I'm Katie.  

Like many people, I came to yoga to help manage the anxiety and stress of everyday life. I started with restorative yoga and gradually developed a more physically active practice. My own practice is slow and mindful; I love the meditative aspects of yin yoga, the soothing rhythms of lunar flows, and the deep vibrations of sound baths.

My classes strongly focus on the connection between movement and breath. While we may sometimes focus on some of the technical aspects of asana (poses), I really just hope that you leave the mat feeling a little calmer and a little more connected to your breath and your body.

I genuinely believe that yoga has something to offer anyone who is open to it. You don't need to be flexible, fit, young, strong, or anything else. All you need to do is show up on your mat, be present, and accept whatever comes up.

I hope to see you on the mat sometime."

Jane Elizabeth

Yoga Teacher

"Hello, I've been practicing yoga for 25 years. I was trained as an instructor in Nin Yoga's amazing teacher training program and am proud to now be on the teaching staff. What I value about yoga is its cultivation of a sane and gentle way to pay attention to what's happening in your mind, body, and heart at a given moment in time instead of being at the mercy of one's internal systems and whatever happens to be stimulating them. A wonderful side effect of this particular method of developing your attention is that you can become physically much stronger.

I hope to give people in my classes access to this invaluable skill—of noticing—and to gently give them enough of an understanding of yogic principles that they realize that the concept of perfection in asana practice is completely incoherent. My priorities as a teacher are function-focused asana, the gradual development of very fine-grained attentional capacities, and gentleness. I could only identify these priorities once I claimed my practice as mine. I encourage everyone to develop a sense of personal ownership over their practice in the same way."  In addition to her class teaching, Jane takes private clients.

Aleisha De Fague

Yoga Teacher

"If you’re anything like me, you probably spend a lot of time wrapped up in your own thoughts.

Through yoga, however, I can be more present.

To me, yoga is a practice that asks you to devote your wholehearted attention to how you feel and how your body moves. Move with your breath and be mindful. And to try to connect your body awareness to each inhale and exhale.

This is both the challenge and the reward of the practice, and something that has kept me coming back to the mat so often I decided to teach yoga so I could do it even more, embrace the creativity that comes with sequencing classes, and share that with others.

I love meeting new people and adore the Nin Yoga community and studio spaces that feel playful and welcoming."

Jacqueline Felangue

Reception & Graphic Design

"I came across Nin Yoga by chance soon after it opened, and it has been one of the best parts of my life’s journey ever since.

I have obtained extensive experience as a graphic designer over the past 15 years. I also have a passion for overall health and well-being, and it is a pleasure to be able to encapsulate both of these in one space.

I love being a part of such an amazingly supportive community that has grown exponentially over the years, and I look forward to seeing this space continue to reach everyone out there who shares the same vision of self-growth: to strengthen the mind, body, and spirit."

Therese Vella

Yoga and Pilates Teacher

"I first discovered Yoga at a local gym & initially, I didn’t get what all the fuss was about. It was only later on that I thought maybe there is something to this Yoga business.

I ended up doing my Yoga teacher training at Nin Yoga & now I really can’t live without yoga in my life. I feel we are all looking for that deeper connection to ourselves & for ways to find contentment in whatever life throws at us. And as a bonus, we get to move & feel good in our physical body too.

I also teach Pilates as I like sharing my love of movement with people. I really love teaching people how to connect with their core & to have awareness about all that their body can do. Pilates promotes health, strength & fitness & helps us to be the best version of ourselves. You can catch me at Nin Yoga, teaching reformer Pilates & the occasional Yoga class. Look forward to seeing you there."

Charlotte Dabb

Studio Photographer

"Hello! I’m Charlotte, a photographer, mental health support worker and baby yogi. My mission is to share love, colour and playfulness, and to inspire people to live more embodied and joyful lives.

Growing up in the Blue Mountains has given me a deep appreciation for the natural world, and I strive to channel this into my work. I love travel, yoga, retreats, geek culture and photo shoots. I’m passionate about mental health and wellbeing, and have a history in environmental activism.

As a woman with ADHD combined type and generalised anxiety disorder, I've often struggled to feel grounded, embodied and secure within myself. Yoga has absolutely changed my life in this respect, allowing me to feel more connected to myself and the world around me. Nin Yoga offers such a safe, kind and down-to-earth space that's unlike anywhere else. Undertaking my Yoga Teacher Training journey with Nin Yoga was one of the best experiences - it wasn't always easy, but it was so worth it. I am so excited to continue learning, growing and creating in this beautiful, messy life!"

Aaron Attard

Builder and Fixer of Everything

"Aaron probably doesn’t know it, but if it wasn’t for the support this beautiful man has given Annika all these years, she probably would never have discovered yoga in the first place.

Thank you for all the late nights, early mornings, hours, sweat, and patience."

- Annika