About Us — Wellness Connection Yoga School
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ABOUT US

 

The Wellness Connection Yoga School offers the highest standard of evidence based Yoga Teacher trainings. Our courses are updated monthly so you can be assured of being taught up to date, well researched and applicable content on your Yoga Teacher training course.

We are a team of highly qualified Yoga Teachers who embrace critical thinking around all Yoga topics, mixed with a lot of fun. We pride ourselves in our ability to translate academic yoga content into light, accessible education for our trainees.  Each Yoga Teacher is a specialist in their particular area, ensuring the highest quality of information on all Yoga topics from Yoga Poses to Yin Yoga.

Our ethos is of equality, diversity and inclusion for all in Yoga Teacher training.  We understand that Yoga trainings are unaffordable for the majority of people. In order to address this imbalance we offer financial scholarships on all of our courses. We also offer student and under/unemployed rates as well as payment plans.

 

Our retreat studio is based in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa

We are situated in a protected ancient forest, full of yellowwoods, wild peaches, hard pear, pine wood, bastard saffron, wild olive and coastal cherry.

We pride ourselves on environmental sustainability with no impact on the land. Our studios are build from non-indigenous gum, in a post and beam style – which means no nails or screws, beautiful handcrafted beams connected together. The studio is wood and glass, floating about the land. We collect rain water and use solar power for electricity.

 
 

OUR TEACHING TEAM

 
 

Catherine Wilkinson

  • I LOVE yoga. I love to practice yoga, and to teach yoga. I have studied anatomy, physiology and movement science and I am passionate about using this knowledge to help yoga teacher trainees understand the many dynamics that are involved in Yoga today.

    My teaching aims encourage many, many questions and laughter, allowing each person to open up and feel comfortable in their learning,  encouraging each trainee to question, challenge, explore both their practice and their knowledge of Yoga I really aim to give you, your yoga practice and studies individual attention. 

    I have put together both the  200 hr and the 300/500 hr Wellness Connection Yoga Teacher Training courses. We have an incredibly high standard of evidence based up to date education, that I believe is creating excellent yoga practices and teaching.

    I have practiced many different styles of yoga for the past 25 years and have been teaching for the last 15 years. I teach in several ways: the individual postures broken down into strength, flexibility and skill requirements; the incorporation of the postures into flow yoga; and other exercise methods that help you to access the postures more easily through increasing flexibility, balance and strength.

    • 500hr Experienced Registered Advanced Yoga Teacher Yoga Alliance

    • 200 hr Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher Yoga Alliance

    • YACEP – Yoga Alliance Education Provider

    • BSc/MSc in Health Sciences

    • Jenni Rawlings: Pain Science, Strength for Yoga, Flexibility for Yoga, Osteoporosis and many more

    • Biomechanics of Stretching: Jules Mitchell

    • Greg Lehman: Biomechanics meets Pain Science

    • Adam Meakins: The Shoulder Complex

    • Vinyaysa Yoga – 200 hours TT

    • Advanced Ashtanga – 200 hours

    • 300hr Jason Crandell Yoga

    • Yogic Studies: History & Philosophy of Yoga

Jenni Rawlings

We are so fortunate to team up with the incredible  Jenni Rawlings for our Yoga Teacher Trainings.  Jenni is considered the world’s leading Yoga Teacher in Evidence Based Yoga Education, an expert in anatomy, biomechanics and movement science. Jenni is also the co-founder of Strength for Yoga, along  with Exercise Science professor Travis Pollen.

Please visit jennirawlings.com for more information on her many offerings.

 
 

Laura Norton

  • My love for Yoga started after 12 years of being a Classical Ballet dancer. After many injuries in the dancing world I turned to Yoga and Pilates and it was life changing!

    I’m a Comprehensive Pilates teacher, Aerial Yoga instructor, RTY500 Yoga teacher and LEAD 200HR AND 300 HR Yoga Teacher Trainer.

    I’m passionate about teaching people about their bodies and how to move safely. My classes are a balance of both strength and flexibility but most of all to have fun while doing it!

    I love my work as a Lead Teacher trainer.  My biggest love is to present a deeper understanding of Yoga postures, Anatomy and the joy of Yoga to inspiring teachers.

    • Lead Teacher Trainer on 200hr and 500 hr Yoga Teacher Training courses

    • YACEP – Yoga Alliance Education Provider

    • E-RYT 200 and E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher 

    • RYT 200 Ashtanga and Vinyasa

    • Advanced 1 R.A.D Ballet

    • Mat & Equipment Pilates teacher

Amy Watson

  • Amy is a qualified yoga teacher, pilates instructor and sports massage therapist. With a lifetime of somatic practice as a dancer and choreographer under her belt, she combines her passion for movement and anatomy to offer thoughtfully and creatively sequenced classes, which are suitable for all levels of experience and fitness.

    • 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training - Wellness Connection (2017)

    • 50 Hour Yin Yoga Teacher Training - Wellness Connection (2017)

    • Pilates Teacher Trainer

    • Ballet School owner

    • Sports Massage Qualified (REPSSA Endorsed) - HPFA (2019)

 

Monique Rodgers

  • Monique is Indian-South African Integrative Movement and Mindfulness Teacher, driven by the empowering tools of yoga, movement, meditation, and mindfulness. 

    Monique was YTT trained in Rishikesh, India and launched her yoga career in Ireland. Between 2016-2019 Monique struck a very happy balance – living 7 months of the year in France, 3 months in Ireland and 2 months in South Africa with her family. In these 3 countries, meeting people of different cultures, backgrounds and bodies, Monique founded the principles on which Golden Wild Movement is based.

    “Yoga is a practice that has been a constant throughout my life. My grandmother and grandfather taught me the fundamentals of joy and peace, we practised stillness daily. My mother taught me the light meditation I practice and now teach to my students. “

    • RYT 300HR Advanced Yoga Teacher Training, Wellness Connection, South Africa (2022)

    • RYT 200 HR Hatha/Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training, Rishikesh, India (2014)

    • Yoga and Physiology Diploma, New York University - Tandon School of Engineering (2021)

    • Positive Psychiatry and Mental Health Diploma, University of Sydney (2020)

    • Cognitive Science Diploma, New Skills Academy (2020)

    • Masters of Science, Movement, Mind and Ecology (2023)

    • Bachelor of Arts, Business French and Media (2015)

Tarryn Thomson

  • Tarryn Thomson is a qualified Occupational Therapist and Yoga Instructor. She completed her first 200hour Yoga Training in 2016 after graduating from the University of Pretoria in 2015.

    Tarryn has since completed her 300hour Advanced Training as well as additional trainings in Yin Yoga, Pregnancy Yoga and Aerial Yoga. She has taught on Teacher Trainings since 2019. Tarryn’s biggest passions lie in Yin Yoga and providing teachers a space to learn and have fun.

    • E-RYT500 and YACEP

    • Bachelors of Occupational Therapy (2015)

    • RYT 500 Yoga Teacher Training - (Wellness Connection, 2019)

    • 30 hour Restorative Yoga Training (2023)

    • 40hour Trauma-Informed Training (2021)

    • 20hour Pregnancy Yoga Course (Wellness Connection, 2021)

    • 50hour Yin Yoga Training (The Wellness Connection 2020)

    • RYT 200 Yoga Teacher Training - EonYoga (Pretoria, 2016)

Eeman van Dieman

    • 200hr Wellness Connection Yoga Teacher

    • Wellness Connection Yoga Photographer

    • BA Hons Photography