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Our Teachers
Who We Are
Don Francis
Paula Vintiner
Your Own Yoga Founder & Teacher
Flow ~ Yin - Kohā ~ Teens ~ Sensory ~ Teacher Training
"You will find me dancing barefoot on the grass, light with breath and carefree, with an unwavering knowledge that to move and to breathe and to find stillness in the spaces between, is to truly live a life."
Paula has been a student of movement since the age of 3, when she began baby ballet classes back in her hometown of London. She danced all the way through to adulthood and in 2013, discovered that Yoga was the key to fulfilling the urge to move, but with a consciousness and care that would honour her body through her mid-late 30s.
Through Yoga, Paula discovered the joy of bringing rhythm and the flow of breath into union and the many levels on which this could facilitate peace deep within, in the midst of the challenges of navigating this modern world.
Your Own Yoga was born in 2017 and is truly a reflection of the famous words spoken by Krishnamacharya, "If you can breathe, you can do Yoga!" as Paula wholeheartedly believes that Yoga is for anybody and EVERYbody, without exception, and should be explored with the personal wisdom that each and every Yogi holds of themselves, within themselves, to honour their sacred and unique bodies.
When she isn't on the mat (or barefoot on the grass), you will most likely find Paula at home baking bread, enjoying a mouth-watering meal cooked by her husband Andrew, or lounging in the garden with their retired greyhound, Fleurie.
Tess Brown
Lauren Albans
Your Own Yoga Teacher
Restorative Yin - Teens ~ Cacao & Sound Journeys
"What is meant for you won't pass you by."
Lauren is qualified in a variety of somatic embodiment practices such as Trauma-Informed Yin and Restorative Yoga, Trauma-Informed Somatic Embodiment, Somatic Dance, Laughter Yoga, Shaking Medicine, Tibetan Sound Bowl Healing, Cacao Journeys, Reiki and Myofascial Release Massage. In her offerings, Lauren creatively weaves in the power of contemplation through compassionate self-enquiry through journaling, poetry and vision boards.
In 2021, she founded Journeyin in 2021 a platform where she could bring all her offerings, workshops and retreats locally, across Aotearoa and the UK.
Her passion lies in creatively integrating these somatic embodiment modalities to create joyful, fun, supportive spaces, foster community connections, and invite opportunities for individuals to regulate their nervous systems through creative self-expression.
Currently, Lauren is progressing towards completing a 200 hour certifcate in trauma-informed embodied practices, social justice and system change along with pursuing her passion for floristry and flower farming, at Blooming Flower Farm in Maraekakaho.
"My hope is to provide participants with opportunities to delve into a self-empowered realm of curiosity, where they can observe, recognize, and navigate their own boundaries of comfort. They are encouraged to listen to their bodies as and when they can and explore at their own pace, fostering inner resilience, self-compassion, and patience for their body, mind, and soul.
I am not here to fix, heal, diagnose or elicit emotional responses. Having a trauma and mental health aware lens enables me to better navigate support for others and stay within my scope of practice. It is humbling and inspiring to witness others stepping into their power, whilst always growing and learning alongside community."
