Teacher’s Bios:
Patrick Oancia
www.yogajaya.com
Patrick Oancia is the director of YogaJaya. Patrick has been immersed in practicing raja yoga since 1996. He has traveled around the world attending advanced, intensive workshops and study in several countries. He has studied various hatha yoga asana traditions including Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Sivananda as well as regularly practicing meditation (Dhyana) and breathing techniques (Pranayama). He has also studied yoga, Indian, Taoist, Sufi and Buddhist philosophy.
In addition to the yoga that Patrick teaches at YogaJaya public classes in Tokyo, he also develops curriculum and writes essays based on a contemporary interpretation of yoga lifestyle, facilitates on intenational teacher training programs, and holds workshops and retreats around the world.
A Japanese born in Paris, Satoko was raised to feel as a world citizen, brought up in six countries by a family that thrived on traveling and on integrating into local cultures. She has traveled to all continents except Antarctica and loves to make personal contact with new places and people, making frequent visits to art exhibitions, interacting with interesting and creative people, and discovering completely new perspectives.
Following an example set by her parents, who made their home a center for social contact and interaction, Satoko became a skilled communicator in childhood and was at ease performing in front of others from an early age. Her teenage years in Kenya in particular had a great influence on her decision to study International Policy in University, followed by a Masters Degree in Developmental Studies in England. She then moved into the communications profession, building a career in the advertising industry with six years of work as a strategic planner while simultaneously studying advanced marketing at a school of business management.
Satoko’s natural interest in the arts spans contemporary art, sculpture, installations, and expressive arts. She spent a year at an interactive art school, coupling that interest with her love of activities that connect her to nature, such as swimming, cycling, farming, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and adventuring in wilderness. She sees nature as an inspiration to all creativity, simultaneously bringing us back to our basic instincts and binds all existence spiritually.
Her focused interest in spirituality has made a gradual and continuous ascent, starting from a few weeks’ stay in a Zen temple in Kyoto, bridging out to a 40-hour Yoga training course in Tokyo, to Vipassana in Australia, to completing a 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training program in Bali with Vibrant Living Yoga. Satoko’s ever-deepening encounter with yoga has profoundly changed her life in ways most unexpected, yet all simply a reflection of her most deeply rooted desires and intentions.
Satoko is the Managing Director of ParaImpacto/YogaJaya, enjoys her life as a constant explorer, a challenger of limits, and an experimenter in new domains.
Emil Wendel
http://www.beyond-the-asana.com
Emil Wendel was born in Switzerland and has been living in Asia since the mid-seventies, studying Sanskrit and Indian Dharma on the Subcontinent, as well as Chinese Philosophy and Taoism in East Asia.
He is presently conducting teacher training programs with YogaJaya, Yoga Arts of Australia, Brahmani Yoga and Shakti Spirit of India, and Radiantly Alive of Bali, in pranayama, guided meditation and yoga philosophy, the later a series of lectures encompassing the known history, the different disciplines and traditions, and the personalities and masters of Yoga.
When not in Nepal or India practicing and researching, Emil is conducting his own workshops and retreats in Europe, and Goa, as well as in Bali, Singapore, Australia, Thailand and Japan (since 2005 with YogaJaya).
Steph Davis is a rock climber, BASE jumper and wingsuit flyer from the United States. She is a top climber, specializing in free (no ropes) solo climbing the world’s most challenging peaks. Steph practices yoga and is a vegan activist.
In 2003, Steph became the second woman to free climb El Capitan in one day. In 2005, she became the only woman to free climb the classic Salathe Wall, on El Cap, and to climb Torre Egger, the most dangerous summit in Patagonia.
She was raised around Columbia, Maryland, the daughter of an aerospace executive. She grew up playing piano from age three. In 1990, at the University of Maryland she first began her love with climbing.
While at Maryland, Steph spent summers at Devils Tower in Wyoming. She became an exchange student at Colorado State University to improve her climbing, and moved there to keep climbing as she graduated from Colorado State University with a master's degree in literature. She started law school, but quit to move to Rifle, Colorado, to pursue climbing.
Her sponsors are prAna, Mammut, Five Ten, Clif Bar, and MSR/Thermarest. Davis has been profiled in publications including Outside, Men's Journal, W Magazine, and Sports Illustrated.
Steph has authored the book High Infatuation: A Climber's Guide to Love and Gravity. In High Infatuation, Davis writes on the universal themes of life, love, friendship, personal empowerment, and more, told through a career in climbing. The book follows the journey of this remarkable woman, and the readers learn what it means to live a truly adventurous life. She is also currently working on a second book called "Learning to Fly" about learning how to transcend fear, and discovering evolution and freedom through flight.
Steph Davis is an active Web blogger and photographer at the site www.highinfatuation.com.
Steph Davis is a main facilitator on The YogaJaya International Teacher Training on the topic of Self Inquiry and Personal Empowerment.
Simon Borg-Olivier
www.yogasynergy.com.au
Simon was first introduced to yoga at age six learning breath retentions from his father, then the main bandhas from Basil Brown (an Olympic athlete). At age 17, a Tibetan Lama introduced Simon to the philosophy of yoga. In 1980, Simon started the physical practice of hatha yoga eventually learning with BKS Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois and TKV Desikachar. Simon commenced teaching in 1982.
Simon met his main teacher Natanaga Zhander (Shandor Remete) in 1985. Then in 1988, Simon met physiotherapist yoga teacher Bianca Machliss. Together Simon and Bianca have developed the unique Yoga Synergy system. Synergy-style yoga is intelligently designed in accordance with the principles of applied anatomy and physiology, but it can also be very dynamic and fluid. Since 1995 Simon has been teaching courses in the Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga throughout the world. Simon is co-author of ‘Applied Anatomy and Physiology of Yoga’, which is the main textbook for a course he developed and lectures in at RMIT University (Melbourne).
Chris Kummer
www.chriskummer.com
Chris is an experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT), who specializes in the anatomy of yoga practice. His passion is to further the understanding of yoga, movement and health in the worldwide community.
Since 2000 Chris has been teaching yoga and the ‘Yoga Anatomy Show’ in many countries around the world.
He has taught on over 40 accredited Yoga Teacher Trainings and conducted numerous workshops on yoga, breath, health and well-being. Chris is also a qualified naturopath and structural alignment therapist.
Chris’ first introduction to yoga came when he was only seven years old. This foundation developed into a life dedicated to inspiring others to greater health and well-being. Over the course of ten years he studied and trained in nursing, medicine, naturopathy, homeopathy, nutrition, herbal medicine and an array of therapeutic massage techniques in Germany and Australia.
When teaching, Chris focuses on creating body awareness, with a fresh and funny approach. His ‘Yoga Anatomy Show’ educates in a lively style on healthy postures and movements and their benefits. Chris places emphasis on the interaction of muscles, joints and the nervous system. He uses practical yoga asana to make the functioning of the body easily comprehensible. These explorations of asana and pranayama through individual body capabilities enrich the understanding of practitioners of all yoga styles and lineages.
Chris co-developed ‘KindaYoga’, a method to introduce young children to yoga and health from an early age. Find out more at: http://www.kindayoga.com
On his yoga path Chris has influences from a broad range of styles, including: Iyengar, hatha kundalini, therapeutic, vinyasa and ashtanga yoga. His main teachers are Yogacharya H.S. Arun, Clive Sheridan, Emil Wendel, Peter Clifford, David Muehsam, and life with its many opportunities for growth.
Koko's vision of the near future is a place where human beings have regained connection with the natural world. A world where all the living forms exist in harmony creating a caring earth community.
Diving deep into the techno party/festival subculture, koko has experienced a free nomadic lifestyle based on travel, music, and spiritual awakening.
In 2005, she completed a masters course in sustainable design at "Forum For The Future" in the UK. With her immense network of like-minded people throughout the world, she has been working on various projects on different levels to spread the word creating harmony in life through a conscious and responsible approach where we place earth, society, and spirituality in the center of our lives.
For the last 5 years Koko has been resident MC on the Fuji Rock Festival eco-conscious stage "Avalon". She is also active in video production and translation for environmental broadband media "green.tv" (japangreen.tv). She also worked on the production of sustainable consumption booklet with UNEP (United Nations Environment Program), creative communication support for various NGOs, production of internet streaming site "cosmosmile", and production of personal interviewing method ecoranger.
Born and raised in New Zealand, David has been living in Asia since 1990 and studying and practicing Ayurveda since 1997. His attraction to Ayurveda has been it’s ability to go to the core in helping us understand simply how life works, encouraging each of us to live a life of personal balance and collective harmony.
Over the years David has been fortunate to study with and be inspired by a number excellent teachers, including Dr Vasant Lad (a leading advocate of Ayurveda in the West), Dr Gupta (a fourth generation Ayurvedic doctor from Vrindaban, India) and Mike MacDonald (a student of Kirpal Singh and communications consultant whose teachings have a very metaphysical focus - looking deeply into the mind-body connection and in particular the importance of principle based relationships as the key to sustainable well-being).
David distills his studies and experiences into a very practical and contemporary approach to Ayurveda － treating it essentially as a language of energetics that helps us understand ourselves and our relationships, thus offering a valuable set of tools that aid us in taking responsibility for our own lives, facilitating transformation and helping us overcome the challenges of modern life along the way.
David’s path of self-discovery has included inquiry into Taoism, Buddhism, acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and nutrition. His personal interests include sustainable design and lifestyle, music, art and education. He currently resides in Bali and is a regular teacher at our YogaJaya teacher trainings.
Iva Drtina-Hall
Iva Drtina-Hall was raised in the Czech Republic and Canada and has been active in yoga, dance and self inquiry practices for over 20 years.
Iva’s interests have always been in body movement. From an early age, she explored all facets of body awareness, from ballet to jazz dance, African dance, gymnastics and yoga.
Her interest in health, nutrition and alternative medicine began when she studied a degree in Physiology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Iva’s aim as a yoga teacher is to be able to help initiate the process of transformation within every student. She invites all to participate not only in asana (poses) but also in the practice of pranayama (breath control), and Dhyana (meditation).
Iva hosts retreats and workshops internationally as well as facilitating on teacher training programs.
Philippe Brawerman
Philippe was born in Belgium where he lived the early part of his life as a child fascinated by the wonders of the world and with a special interest in mathematics and physics. The ideas discussed in quantum physics were particularly appealing - that we consist of matter and energy and that our position in space is never certain.
As a competitive skier Philippe became aware of the body in space in a different, more physical dimension and would employ breathing techniques during training that would later re-appear in his life in a yogic context.
After completing degrees in engineering and an MBA, Philippe started working as a software developer at IBM. His career in the high tech industry progressed rapidly as he took on different responsibilities in a number of different companies. To maintain balance and clarity and to restore perspective Philippe chose to precede each change in job with a long trip. He spent long periods of time in Asia, where he was increasingly exposed to the philosophy and sensibility of yoga.
His corporate career culminated in him becoming president of Cisco Systems EMEA in the early 90's. He experienced the stellar growth of the company and gained experience in managing a very large corporate entity in a rapidly changing environment. Philippe finished the 90s by exiting the corporate world with the knowledge that he had achieved what he had aimed to professionally and with the wish to pursue other aspects of life. Extensive travel, photography, diving, treasure hunting and fatherhood have all been part of this new chapter.
The start of his yoga journey coincided with the end of his corporate career. He started practicing regularly and reconnected to a systematic form of body work that he greatly enjoyed. Since then yoga has since become a place where he feels at home and in 2009 he completed a Yoga Alliance certified teacher training programme with Jim Harrington in Cape Town. He currently teaches yoga with his partner Jessica.
Jessica Heynis
Jessica was born in South Africa into a conservative society shaped by many years of apartheid. She was always very aware of what it meant to be 'other' or 'different' and found education and travel to be powerful tools to investigate not only difference, but also what it is that people and places have in common. Jessica pursued a course of study in Economics, earning a series of scholarships that eventually allowed her to complete a PhD in Economics at the University of Cambridge. Her area of study related to the use of economic tools to examine questions not traditionally within the economic realm. After completing her PhD she returned to South Africa where she taught Economics at the University of Cape Town and worked as an economist for a private bank.
It was around this time that she started practicing yoga on a regular basis. Initially yoga was just another form of exercise, but with time she noticed that life outside the yoga studio started looking slightly different. Her career as a left-brain dwelling economist started to resonate less and she realized that she was increasingly interested in exploring the world of yoga in greater depth. She left the academic and corporate world and concentrated on building a personal practice and exploring a series of long-neglected right brain activities. She has since completed a teacher training program with Jim Harrington in Cape Town in 2009 and currently teaches yoga with her partner Philippe.
Jessica loves many things, one of which is a quotation by Walt Whitman that reads: 'Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.' She believes that the world is there to be explored and that one must seek to integrate both in oneself and in one's way of life the many contradictory experiences and opportunities that life in a modern, contemporary society has to offer. On any given day this may include swimming, cycling, hiking, diving, skiing, drawing, playing the piano, pursuing her interest in art or design or architecture or literature, travelling, baking or dressing up, never forgetting to breathe. |
“It was amazingly wonderful. The schedule was tough, but once I settled in, I experienced a transformation in terms of confidence. This training excelled in transferring the philosophies and experiences of variety of teachers. It was not limited to just remembering words, but it really focused on deep meaning. The curriculum was also unique, going beyond yoga, yet connecting it all to yoga. Also, not only was there a connection between the teacher and student, but also amongst the students themselves, via group work. It was the best of all the trainings I have ever attended.”
