our teachers
Clare Lovelace
I grew up in the secluded Herefordshire countryside and spent my formative years roaming around covered in mud, making friends with the trees. One of my earliest memories is playing ‘looking at grass closely’ with my Dad, examining the intricate root systems that were home to the most interesting and unique species of insects. My parents both instilled in me a fascination, love and respect for the earth that weaves through every part of my life.
As a teenager/young adult I lost this connection for a while. I became consumed with the need to conform and for a few years I gave little time or meaning to nature.
One day I left England to rediscover what I’d lost. A year of solo travel gave me space to realise that nature always has been and always will be by spiritual home. My journey took me to the East Coast of Australia where I started practicing yoga. I felt my spirit return through sacred movement, breath and meditation. I realised that what I’d been searching for was inside me and I learnt the tools to connect with my own heart. I spent immersing myself in the beauty of my surroundings, lounging in rivers, climbing mountains and falling asleep under the burning milky way. I fell back in love with the earth.
I believe that yoga does not just take place on the mat but intertwines with every element of our lives. My practice has taught me that genuine happiness is not based on external conditions but can be achieved by living simply and mindfully with generosity and compassion. This is a philosophy that I want to share with the world.
Clare founded Soul Tribe Studio in November 2018 and has called Walbunja country her home ever since.
Clare started teaching yoga in Sydney’s inner west in 2013 under the mentorship of Matthew Bergan. She has been teaching yoga as her full time gig ever since. She’s trained with Sarah Powers, Jasmine Tarkeshi, Shiva Rae, Donna Farhi, Simon Borg-Oliver and has completed thousands of hours of teacher training. In 2018 after teaching full time in Sydney for 5 years, Clare embarked on a big adventure in her little van which took her as far as Batemans Bay and Soul Tribe Studio was born. Clare is the founder, director and primary teacher at this highly successful and innovative studio on the far South Coast of NSW. Clare has been facilitating exceptional yoga teacher trainings since 2018 and has taught over 30 retreats and tens of thousands of classes across Australia and the world. Clare is passionate about making life beautiful, through the written word, song, music, mantra, movement & the spoken word. Clare brings a wealth of experience to all her teachings, drawing on her years of world travel, eclectic life choices and over a decade of working for herself, doing what she loves against all odds. Clare is a lover of life. She brings joy and gratitude to everything she does, and truly believes everyone has magic inside them. She’s passionate about facilitating spaces where others can realise how incredible they really are.
why do you love teaching at soul tribe?
I love being a part of the soul tribe community. I’ve felt supported both as a teacher and a student from day 1 and have met so many people I can call friends. As a teacher, I love being able to help people connect to their bodies, learn more about their bodies and move their bodies to support longevity and healthy living.
what’s your favourite pose?
The hover - it’s my favourite because it’s a total body exercise, a strong pose which is also a transition pose between many others, training strength and stability - great for day to day function like getting onto and off the floor.
what’s a funny story about yourself?
I’m not very funny and don’t tend to put myself in situations where funny things happen to me (call me risk averse) but I recently was shown a video of me singing karaoke to “I want it that way” by the backstreet boys with my sister in law in the old malua bay club, that was pretty funny to look at and now I’m wondering whether soul tribe should start karaoke nights
- what’s your star sign?
Virgo
- what’s your favourite thing to teach at the moment
I love connecting people to their deep core, which involves a connection to breath so spending the time to talk through breath and core engagement/relaxation before we get moving is my favourite. But also, the Hydrant donkey combo - great glute burner!
Joelle holds office hours at Soul Tribe through the week. For more information about Joelle, check out her website at www.tidalphysio.com and feel free to email her for more details at info@tidalphysio.com.au or through social media @tidalphysiotherapy
Vanessa Willis
Back in the late 80's Kodak made underwater disposal cameras so basically my whole teenage years are documented underwater. You can date me based on the Cherry Lane t-shirt I'm wearing for those old enough to know .
Those were the summers of care free, beach soaked, fearlesss days. It was never too cold or the surf too big to get wet. This picture is jumping off Square at Clovelly. I was probably 14.
Anyways, I started my yoga journey with all the virtuous reasons and now I realise what I have been chasing is the freedom and joy of living in the present. Jumping off a rock shelf fully clothed not caring I had to walk 5 kms home, through Waverley Cemetery, wet and salty. The thrill was always in the moment and moments were was always thrilling.There is something so wild and beautiful about youthfulness.
Yoga teaches me to get back into my body and stop living in my head. This is an ongoing challenge for me.
As a teacher, I believe everyone has the ability to connect with their own wild and beautiful Self, and I especially enjoy watching my students develop their practice and progress on their journey.
Currently, I love teaching slow, asana based inquiries. Supporting all people of all abilities to connect with their body, find balance and alignment and ultimately navigate their own inner journey.
Karen Hope
- why do you love teaching at soul tribe?
I adore teaching at Soul Tribe because being there always makes me feel sooooo good. Whether I am teaching or there to practice, the energy is always uplifting. The atmosphere is calm and entirely accepting. So much love around for everybody
- what’s your favourite pose?
Baddha Konasana
- what’s a funny story about yourself?
Having thought since I was young, I was very different to my mother - I’ve realised now the years have passed, I’m almost exactly the same! Which is kinda nice.
- what’s your star sign?
Sun in Taurus
Moon in Capricorn
Rising Scorpio
- where were you born
Lismore NSW
- what’s an interesting fact people don’t know about you
My spirit animal is panda bear.
There to remind me to take care of my personal space, keep my balance and feel at ease. I love that! And I’m ok with cold weather, mostly
- what’s your favourite thing to teach at the moment
Ashtanga standing sequence
Paula Simons
Hi I’m Paula from Soul Tribe and I teach the Yin and Singing bowl classes on Mondays @ 5:30pm & Thursdays @ 9:30am. I also teach the Gentle yoga class on Thursdays @ 11:30am.
I have loved yoga for a long time and enjoy how the practice makes me feel- easeful, strong and connected in all facets of mind, body, soul and spirit.
I am honoured to offer and share these practices at Soul Tribe, which is a ‘home away from home’, just walking into the studio is like receiving an unconditional loving hug. The people are amazing and inspiring, it’s a beautiful community to be part of.
When I’m not at ST you can find me working from my home, where I share holistic healing techniques such as Bowen, Reiki and Sound healings with Quartz Crystal singing bowls and tuning forks. I also offer (& can help you acquire) a Healy-an Individualised Microcurrent Frequency (IMF) device which is designed to support wellbeing through harmonisation of the Bioenergetic Field. If you’re interested in these modalities you can contact me on 0404272402
Looking forward to meeting you sometime soon
With love
Paula
-
Deepika Mistry
Soul Tribe feels like home to me. Since I arrived in Batemans Bay three years ago it has represented community, friendship, love and belonging. It is an honour to teach here alongside amazing humans who live yoga too. The studio is an important place to come together and share not only yoga but stories of life and all it brings.
Sharing the practice of yoga is me sharing from my heart and is one of the great loves of my life…something you may not know about me is that I am currently also studying to be an End of Life Doula, a person who supports people who are dying and their families. The process of immersing myself in this work has opened me up to confront my own emotions around death and dying and reminds me, how as a society we run away from death despite its certainty for all of us. I’m beginning to realise the need to have chats about death and dying and grief often and out in the open. My hope is that the more we do, the more we can confront the fear many us feel; the more we can change the narrative about the end of life.
I teach two weekly classes on Monday and Friday at 9.30am. I look forward to welcoming you to my classes at the studio where together we move, breath and lean into the wide open space of being still.
Namaste x
Website: https://www.satyayogasouthcoast.com.au/
IG: @satyayogasouthcoast
Eliza Milenkovic
What do you most love about teaching at Soul Tribe?
‘I love the amazing vibes I get to soak up from everyone. All the students have different styles, goals for practise and abilities and it makes it challenging and wonderful to teach and be a part of.’
What’s your favourite thing to teach right now?
‘finding the options that suit you! I’ve gone through pregnancy and injuries that have changed my style of yoga forever now I just do ME and I am trying to pass that on to my students’
‘My favourite pose in Downward Dog, I feel so strong in this shape’
Lulu Henley
Meet Lulu, a passionate and dedicated yoga teacher whose love for the practice shines through in her classes. Lulu's love for yoga began when she moved down to the South Coast of NSW in 2021. A lost girl at the time, found yoga which supported and helped guide her to discover her passion for the healing and transformative power of yoga. Lulu was in total awe when experiencing pure states of bliss, practice after practice, feeling into the healing and grounding benefits for the mind and body.
A lifelong yoga student, Lulu aims to create and facilitate a warm and welcoming space, intending to guide students through an experience to assist them in deepening their connection to themselves and the practice, through synchronisation of body, mind, and breath, cultivating a sense of grounding and inner peace. Lulu loves using optional hands-on assists to instil awareness and softness in the body, helping you deepen into poses and melt into savasana at the end of practice.
Yoga is an integral part of Lulu’s life, leaning into its support daily with meditation, movement, breath, prayer, and chanting. Lulu loves to teach vinyasa, gentle, yin and ashtanga classes. Always with an emphasis on building mind, body, spirit connection.
Sarah Mamo Bloom Mindfulness
What’s your sun, moon and rising
Aquarius sun
Taurus moon
Pisces rising
What’s an interesting fact people don’t know about you?
I'm really into sustainable, self-sufficient living, homesteading, making herbal remedies and food from the plants and herbs growing in my garden or local area, making sourdough and crocheting. I love to give back to mumma earth so we can continue to live in symbiosis supporting each other.
Why do you love teaching at soul tribe?
I really love the community and connections I have made at Soul tribe, it's the first time I feel that I've really belonged to a community that is so safe, loving and supportive, where everyone can show up as their most authentic self in all of their phases and that is welcomed and embraced. I'm so super grateful that I get to be a part of that and hold space to allow that for others too.
I love teaching slow, gentle, dreamy practices and meditation with a focus on connecting to your breath. I'm currently the studio manager at Soul Tribe studio and look forward to greeting you when you arrive for classes and watching you float out the door after your practice.
Caitlin Hopkins
Why do you love teaching at Soul Tribe?
I feel super honoured to be teaching at Soul Tribe as it's where I learned to become a yoga teacher back in 2020 and have since been fortunate to come full circle and teach in this incredible space. I love the community the space creates, the teachers, the overall feeling of warmth, openness and inclusivity Clare and everyone involved have co-created. I also love the rogue peacocks which roam around haha!
What's your favourite pose?
Any back bends! We spend so much of our lives hunched over computers, cars and chairs. The body naturally wants to curl inward when we feel vulnerable or anxious. So back bends to me are an act of rebellion!! When I bend backwards I feel courageous and confident and I love that!
What's a funny story about yourself?
a) I have extremely long toes which means I can do all sorts of strange things with them. I can peel and eat a banana with my feet.
b) The worst injury I have ever sustained was from dancing on a pool table in cowboy boots and jumping off into a crowd after a light fixture almost landed onto my head. I spent the rest of the evening walking through Bondi with a bag of peas shoved down my cowboy boots and a palm frond as a walking stick lol.
What's your star sign?
Pisces sun, gemini moon, gemini rising
What's your favourite thing to teach at the moment?
In terms of asana, I'm loving throwing all sorts of funky transitions into my flow classes plus borrowing some free movement from other modalities to keep things spicy. I am also enjoying experimenting with pranayama practices before and during asana practice to support the flow and keep the mind anchored in the present.
Lucy Lichtenstein
One day I walked into a yoga studio in Sydney, and I literally never left! It turned my life upside down in the most beautiful way! I noticed how quickly I felt at home within myself and the community. I started to experience life in a different way, and in 2017 I became a yoga teacher.
My journey as a teacher (and forever student) has taken different twists and turns. What started out as Vinyasa, Embodied Flow, and Yin, also progressed into Chanting, Sound Healing, and Tantric Hatha.
Yoga for me is a way of being, seeing, and living in the world. I experience it as one of the greatest opportunities for reflection, awareness, and self-responsibility.
Yoga shows up everywhere. It’s in the decisions I make, how I navigate challenging times, in the joyous moments, in the way I show up in life, and how I relate to myself, others, and the world. It's a reminder of my connection to all.
Holding space, sharing insights, lessons, teachings, and guiding students back to that peaceful and enlivened place within is a great honour. I see how much the practice supports people in their lives, and allows them to feel more connected, empowered, and part of a community. This is a gift I’m grateful to be a part of.
You can practice with me in Yin class, chanting circles, workshops, and retreats at the studio and beyond.
I often bring sound into my offerings in the form of the Native American Flute, Crystal Sound Bowls, Harmonium, Koshi Chimes, and other enchanting sound toys.
See you in circle and on the mat!
Lucy is a yoga teacher, chanting facilitator, and ceremony facilitator, with a special interest in Bhakti yoga, sound healing, and sacred ceremonial spaces.
She's passionate about sharing the powerful practices of mantra & sound, and creating experiences for people to reconnect with and remember who they are.
Lucy lives on the land in her tiny house and is also passionate about nutrition and healthy living.
She loves teaching at Soul Tribe because it's more than just a yoga studio... It's a warm, welcoming, open, and inclusive space for connection, community, healing, self-awareness, and wellness
Website: https://lucylich.com/
IG: @lucy.lich
Michelle Yount
Hi, I’m Michelle and I have recently embarked on my Pilates teaching journey. I discovered the joy of Pilates while I was pregnant with my son as a great pregnancy-safe way to maintain strength - and I haven’t stopped since!
I teach Pilates for beginners but can modify to all levels of comfort and experience. So whether it's your first time in a studio or you’re a seasoned pro, come join me on the mat!
Star sign
Taurus
Where were you born:
Sacramento, California:
Interesting fact:
In 2003, I visited Australia on a student exchange program and fell in love with this beautiful country. 10 year later, after meeting my Aussie husband in New York City, I made the leap and got to call Australia my home. I am now lucky enough to live on the beautiful South Coast where I get to raise my two little boys.
Why do you love teaching:
I love being a part of Soul Tribe and the sense of community and connection it brings. Whether it’s practicing yoga (Yin and Soul Flow are my fav!) or teaching a pilates class I always feel uplifted afterwards.
Mary Castrisios
My introduction to yoga was 20 years ago on a very cold winter’s night. It was held in an old beautiful sand stone church at the end of my street. So off I went, leaving my 2 year old baby behind for ninety minutes of bliss. I tried to look like I knew what I was doing….. Sure I know what a downward dog looks like…… HELP!
Then came Shavasan. The beautiful old building had those old fashion radiators that hang from the ceiling, clicking and buzzing. I can still remember the glow of red that radiated out of them and the connection to the sound. That’s what got me in, inner clam a deeper connection to my body through space, movement, sound and the beauty of my surroundings.
In 2017 I studied Meditation with the Australian Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness which then lead me to Yin yoga.
I love the slow-paced mediative style of Yin yoga it helps me to create space in my life. The best part about teaching and sharing Yin with our community is seeing people slow down and the effect that it has on them.
I like to integrate sounds throughout my classes, through the way of Tibetan bowls and Koshi charms.
Teaches that have inspirited me Lisa Forde principle of the Australian Centre for Meditation and Mindfulness, our beautiful teacher Clare Lovelace, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Sarah Blondin and the greatest teacher nature.
Kylie James
Hi I’m Kylie.
I have the privilege of teaching Soul Flow at Soul Tribe on Monday and Wednesday nights at 7pm. Come practice with me!
A little bit about me…
My Sun is in Aries, Moon in Leo and Rising in Pisces.
I was born in Wollongong, but have lived in Batemans Bay most of my life. I’ve travelled around Australia, but have not yet ventured overseas.
Something you may not know about me is that I recently purchased a harmonium and have begun learning some of the Sanskrit mantras. I hope to bring these into my classes soon
I love teaching at Soul Tribe for several reasons…
The culture. Clare has created such a welcoming, supportive space. A place where people can come as they are, free from judgement. I feel supported, safe and free to be vulnerably me
The staff. They are all passionate about yoga, accepting and genuine. They truly care about the practice and have become like family to me. They have taught me so much about myself and all things yoga. I’m looking forward to continuing learning from them all
The community. I feel so blessed to be a part of this amazing community of kind, compassionate and generous souls. I’ve attended so many fun and interesting events, and made so many friend along the way. Friendships that I’ll cherish forever!
Kim Hawkins
I’m Kim. I moved to Batemans Bay from Victoria during the Black Summer fires. I live here with my dog, B, and we both love living near the beach in this big-hearted town.
I came across Shanti Yoga in 2001 by chance and did my teacher training a few years later. I really connected with Shanti Yoga’s low-key approach with its emphasis on the breath and on letting go. As my teacher says: “We teach best what we most need to learn.”
After a long break, I returned to teaching classes in May 2023. I was delighted to be invited to cover some classes at Soul Tribe earlier this year; I love the feeling of community and I really enjoy being in the studio space, as both student and teacher. Thanks, Clare, for letting B attend classes!
Thanks, everyone, for the warm welcome. I look forward to seeing you on the mat soon
Jennie Andersen
Hello Beautiful Humans, I am Jenn. Also known as Zenn Jenn
I have finally achieved my dreams of becoming a Yoga teacher. It was an idea for a solid 5 years and I never did anything about it rather than make excuses along the way. My main excuse was; "There's too many Yoga teachers - who am I to become one?"
After doing an incredible self-discovery journey with myself these past few years; I made the courageous decision of finally becoming a Yoga teacher!
My new belief around this fear of achieving this dream is, "There is SO many amazing, inspiring, wonderful Yoga teachers. Who am I not to become one!"
My goal is to share this magic with anyone who chooses to show up on the mat and create space for themselves. That in itself, takes a lot of courage, and I am here to show each beautiful human that they are forever doing enough for themselves and in this world. Through this magic of Yoga, I hope to encourage students to accept themselves as they are and bring love into their lives by showing up for them. Spreading this magic to everyone in their life and around the world.
The magic of Yoga has truly saved my life on all levels. Six years ago, I went to a yoga class after my therapist encouraged me to give it a try. I was so petrified at first, not knowing what to expect. My excuse to never go to a class was, "I'm not flexible, I can't do Yoga." - Little did I know back then, Yoga is so much more than meets the eye!
Yoga is healing. Yoga is love. Yoga is acceptance. Yoga is trust. Yoga is gratitude. Yoga is honouring you, honouring and appreciating others and the world we live in. Yoga is so many things, but most importantly; yoga is about coming home within. Learning to appreciate yourself in such a kind and gentle way.
"Showing up on the Mat", is that first, most difficult part to Yoga and to anything in life! Once you do, the rest is simply just being with your body and breath. My hopes are to inspire my students who walk into my space - to fall in love with the parts of themselves they may have forgotten, or may not even know yet.
To allow time, movement, breath and flow to heal the parts of themselves that feel scared, lost, unsure, unworthy, stuck - and to show them that they are their own greatest teacher. We are our own teachers. There is a blessing in every moment.
Through the art of Yoga, we begin to open our eyes and see through the lens of love, curiosity and what is actually possible for us. Through building resilience, patience and acceptance in every moment by simply just 'showing up on the mat'. Allowing us to practice Yoga ON and OFF the mat.
I am truly grateful and honoured to be able to share this Magic of Yoga and SoulTribe.
Dreams are possible. Thankyou Clare, I appreciate you so much!
Hope to see you Beautiful Humans on the mat.
Zenn Jenn