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.
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.
my path to yoga therapy wasn't an easy one
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.
Why trauma-informed yoga matters to me
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.
but there’s more to me than just yoga
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![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
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![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
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![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
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![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
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![A thermomix TM7 model with the screen on]()
Thermomix® Consultant
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![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
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![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
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![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
how i can work with you
online 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 Via live zoom sessions and the Thinkific platform.
online 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.
Sessions are available online Via live zoom sessions.
wellness designed for you
You don't have to attend a studio to have a meaningful practice.
I also offer private coaching. That bringstogether 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.
Sessions are available online Via live zoom sessions and the Thinkific platform.
learn about thermomix® with me
As a thermomix® Consultant I offer in person cooking demonstrations (Canberra and surrounds) and online ones for Australian residents.
I would love to show you how amazing this machine is.
I’m a lazy cook, but I l want to eat healthy food and save money on groceries. Plus teach my daughter to cook and help her eat less junk.
coming soon!
in person yoga therapy - Canberra
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.
home studio
(estimated October 2026)
The renovations are nearly finished. Then the ‘red tape’ so to speak will be next..
A boutique studio that combines fitness and Pilates equipment. Aimed at people who want to exercise smarter and look after their bodies rather than thrashing them. Equipment includes:
Pilates Reformer
Pilates Wall Unit
Pilates Wunda Chair
Pilates MOTR
Barre
Pilates Matwork
Suspension training
TRX
Hypervibe (vibration plate)
Free weights
Concept Rower
Myo Fascial Release Tools
2027 yin yoga, myo fascial release and ‘myo yin’ yoga teacher training
A combination of pre-recorded lectures and classes (via Thinkific platform).,zoom coaching and a weekend intensive (live online or in person).