yoga for

trauma

hi i’m liz

When I walked into that hot yoga room back in 2011, I never realised the positive impact it would have on my life.

What started as a physical practice became something much deeper.
Yoga changed the way I responded to challenges, related to my body and understood wellbeing—and eventually changed the direction of my career.

Today, I'm a Registered Yoga Therapist and Senior Yoga Teacher based in Canberra, working with people who want an individualised and accessible approach to yoga. I specialise in trauma-informed practice and offer private yoga therapy as a complementary approach for people navigating injury, illness and other health challenges, alongside online coaching for those who want to build a sustainable home practice.

It changed how I responded to challenges. It helped me understand my body differently and gave me tools I could draw on away from the mat. After nearly 15 years of failed attempts to quit smoking, yoga became part of what finally helped me stop.

Eventually, it changed my career too.

Before yoga took over, horses were a huge part of my world. I rode, bred and competed with my Arabian horses at national level. I had also spent around a decade working in the public service.

I could never have imagined that yoga would eventually become my profession. Or that the horses would make way for a very different path.

I wouldn’t be in the place I am today, without Yoga.

IN THE MEDIA
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A woman with long dark hair, wearing a red jacket and light blue leggings, sitting on a blue couch, reading a book titled 'The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali'.
A woman in a purple tank top practicing yoga outdoors, raising her arm in a pose, with a background of trees and grass.

my path to yoga therapy wasn't a straight one

I was In 2004, I fell from my horse, tearing my ACL and injuring my back. I discovered Pilates during my rehabilitation and experienced first-hand how adapting movement to the individual could make a difference.

Years later, yoga added another dimension.

I began teaching yoga in 2012 and Pilates in 2015. Since then, I've taught more than 1,000 classes across Canberra, Melbourne and Bali—in yoga and Pilates studios, gyms, schools, childcare centres, outdoors and online.

I've taught people in large group classes and one-to-one settings, and facilitated workshops exploring yoga for depression, anxiety and better sleep, as well as Yin Yoga and myofascial release.

wellness-story trajectory. I've experienced depression and, before my ADHD was diagnosed, workplace bullying. I've experienced miscarriage and the loss of my mother to a rare cancer after being separated from her during the pandemic.

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A woman in a purple tank top practicing yoga outdoors, raising her arm in a pose, with a background of trees and grass.

Why trauma-informed yoga matters to me

I was diagnosed with PTSD when I was 11.

My life since then hasn't followed a neat wellness-story trajectory. I've experienced depression and, before my ADHD was diagnosed, workplace bullying. I've experienced miscarriage and the loss of my mother to a rare cancer after being separated from her during the pandemic.

I've also lived through the impact of two significant fires, almost exactly 20 years apart.

That second experience ultimately became part of the inspiration for my podcast, Yoga for Trauma: The Inner Fire of Yoga.

These experiences don't mean I assume I know what another person's trauma feels like. I don't.

They have, however, deeply influenced the way I teach.

I believe people deserve choice, autonomy and the freedom to practise in a way that makes sense for their own body and circumstances.

For me, trauma-informed teaching isn't about asking “What's wrong with you?”

It's about becoming curious about what you need. To guide people toward positive change. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I meet you where you are. Helping you listen to your body and build sustainable routines that fits into your life.

That it's mind training.That was the moment I understood that yoga is about far more than movement. It is a spiritual practice. Postures are a very small part of it. Unfortunately it's marketed in the west to make most feel it's necessary.‍ ‍It wasn’t the sweat or the calorie burn that did it. It was the mental clarity and inner strength I built on the mat. Meditation, or gentle movements. In fact, home practice can offer the same benefits. If not more. Because it’s personal, adaptable, and time-efficient.rough my programs I offer he opportunity for transformation through yoga. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. I believe in meeting you where you are. Teaching you how to listen to your body. And creating sustainable practices that fit into your life. My goal is to help you feel more balanced, grounded, and capable. Whether you're working through stress. Healing from an injury. Dealing with medical condition (s). Or simply looking to move with more intention.

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Yoga is much more than the poses

One of the biggest things yoga taught me was that yoga isn't about performing the perfect posture.

You don't need to be flexible. You don't need to fit a particular body type. And you certainly don't have to turn yourself into a human pretzel.

Movement is only one part of yoga.

Yoga can also involve breath, meditation, self-study, awareness and learning how we respond to ourselves and the world around us.

That's why my approach isn't built around memorising universal alignment cues or trying to make every body look the same in a pose.

Your body isn't generic. Your yoga practice shouldn't be either.

experience, training & professional credentials

  • 650 hours yoga therapy qualification through the Biomedical Institute of Yoga and Meditation (2024 - 2026).
    Yoga as Medicine CPD Dr Timothy McCall 2019.

    Lifeforce Healing Institute Level 1 Certification 2016 - 2018

  • 500RYT Byron Yoga Centre 2012 - 2013

    200RYT Power Living 2020

    Qualifications in Yin yoga with Sarah Powers (2014) Jo Phee (2017 & 2019) Bernie Clark (2018)

    Qualification in Restorative Yoga with Judith Hanson Lasater (2014)

    Rainbow Kids Yoga 2012

  • Diploma of Fitness Canberra Institute of Technology 2017

    Mat work, advanced mat work, reformer, advanced reformer, Cadillac and wunda chair - Studio Pilates 2015-2017

    The Barre Clinic Barre2022

Logo for Yoga Australia featuring a spiral icon and the text 'Yoga Australia'
A circular logo with a light green background, featuring white text that reads, 'YOGA AUSTRALIA REGISTERED YOGA THERAPIST,' with a central design of concentric circles and the initials 'YA' inside.
Circular logo with the words "Yoga Australia" at the top and "Registered Level 3 (Senior) Teacher" at the bottom, with a central design featuring concentric circles and the initials "YA."

I wear many hats

  • A woman with dark hair, wearing a sleeveless top and leggings, is kneeling on her right knee and holding a dumbbell in her right hand while resting her left hand on the back of a folding chair in a room with white paneled walls and tiled floor.

    Barre Instructor


  • A woman with dark hair, wearing a light-colored jacket and several beaded bracelets, stands outdoors with her eyes closed and hands in prayer position, surrounded by trees.

    Yoga Therapist & Teacher

  • A woman with dark hair, wearing a sleeveless top, holding two dumbbells with 'VERPEAK 2 KG' written on them, in front of a staircase with white spindles.

    Advanced Personal Trainer

  • A woman is outdoors holding a hula hoop in front of her with her arms raised, and trees are blurred in the background.

    Pilates Instructor

  • A thermomix TM7 model with the screen on

    Thermomix® Consultant

  • Smartphone displaying an audiobook titled 'The Inner Fire of Yoga: Trauma and Healing' with a photo of a woman in a prayer pose. White wireless earbuds are in front of the phone.

    Podcast Host

  • Woman with black hair wearing a red jacket, holding a Rode microphone, sitting at a wooden table with a laptop and camera in a room with a plain white wall.

    Guest Speaker

  • A young man with dark skin, short black hair, sitting on a wooden bench in a beige room, wearing a gray polo shirt and cream-colored pants, with shadows cast on the wall behind him.

    Survivor & Lobbyist

A green lightning bolt above two dark green leaves.

Qualified With

Logo with the word 'yinspiration', featuring a stylized lotus flower above the letter 'y'.
Logo for BIYOME, a bio-medical institute of yoga and meditation by Celia Roberts.
Circular logo with light green background. Text reads 'YOGA AUSTRALIA REGISTERED YOGA THERAPIST' around the circle, with a central logo featuring the letters 'YA' inside concentric circles.
The logo for LifeForce Yoga in purple cursive font.
Logo for Rainbow Kids Yoga featuring a rainbow-colored lotus flower with children practicing yoga around a globe in the center.

how i work with you

yoga therapy

As a registered Yoga Therapist and Senior Yoga Teacher, I offer private yoga therapy for people looking for an individualised, complementary approach to support their wellbeing while navigating injury, illness or other health challenges.

Rather than giving you a generic sequence, we'll look at you—your needs, goals, circumstances and what is realistically sustainable in your life.

Together, we can develop a therapeutic yoga plan designed around the individual rather than forcing the individual into the practice.

Sessions are available online and face-to-face on Canberra's Northside.

Yoga Teacher Mentoring

I mentor yoga teacher trainees and established teachers who want to develop greater confidence and depth in their teaching.

My mentoring explores areas including mental-health awareness, sequencing, functional approaches to alignment and moving beyond memorised universal cues.

Most importantly, I want teachers to discover their own voice rather than becoming a copy of somebody else's.mentor yoga teacher trainees and established teachers who want to develop greater confidence and depth in their teaching.

Build a wellness plan that works at home

You don't have to attend a studio to have a meaningful practice.

I also offer private coaching alongside access to my 12-week online coaching program, bringing together yoga, Pilates, myofascial release, accessible movement, self-study, nutrition and mindset.

The aim isn't to give you another impossible wellness routine.

It's to help you develop tools and practices you can actually use in your own life.

yin yoga, myo fascial release and myo yin Yoga teacher training

Coming in 2027! A combination of pre-recorded lectures and classes, zoom coaching and a weekend intensive (live online or in person).