Teachers

Joanna Collins

Joanna Collins was born in Dublin and spent her youth training in London. Her yoga practice stems from a dance background namely classical ballet, contemporary and modern, so her teaching is rooted in an innate and precise sense of physicality. Her study of yoga evolved through dance leading her to continue training in India where she spent 18 months experiencing yoga as a way of life. Her main practice there was in the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition, gaining a teacher training certificate in Yoga Education from Yoga Vidyha Dham Institution as well as practicing with V. Venkatesh (Atma Vikasa, Mysore) and V. Sheshadri (Mysore Mandala Shala).

She completed her teacher training in Los Angeles at the renowned Yoga Works studio in Santa Monica. Her practice there adapted to more Vinyasa flow based style. In addition, she studied under Saul David Raye,Erik Schiffman and completed an advanced teacher training course with David Swenson. In Dublin, Joanna has studied continuously with her teacher David Curtis and was apprentice to him on the Vinyasa Flow Teacher Training course in 2009. Joanna is specifically drawn to the discipline of Vinyasa Flow Yoga because of the precise alignment and placement it demands on the body and its connection of breath with movement.

Geraldine O’Neill

Geraldine teaches an ashtanga vinyasa flow yoga class. She first started yoga to compliment her fitness programme and improve her flexibility in sport. Through time, she witnessed many other benefits from yoga, beyond the physical. She qualified as a gym instructor in 1997, under the NCEF’s training programme, and freelanced as an aerobics teacher for many years. During this time, she participated in regular ashtanga classes with Tony Purcell, one of the most experienced Dublin based teachers in ashtanga yoga.

Over the years, Geraldine has experienced other schools of yoga and her own practice has evolved from there. She trained as a Vinyasa Flow Teacher with Dave Curtis and is certified by Yoga Alliance. Geraldine is currently participating in a Level 2 Teacher Training programme and regularly attends workshops, both here at home and international. She trained with international teacher Shiva Rea earlier this year.

Geraldine presents a challenging sequence of asanas that flow from one to another, combining breath and movement to help uplift the body and soul.

Peter Duffy

From farming background where he experienced nature in all it’s moods and manifestations to actively engaging in sport and later dance and yoga, Peter has long had a fascination with the body.After a serious road accident in 1984,he started attending Irish Yoga Association classes regularly.

These gave him a wide and comprehensive insight into the understanding and practice of hatha yoga. After attending other teachers’ classes and workshops, and practicing regularly, he trained and qualified as an Iyengar teacher in the late 90’s, and has been teaching to the public and a wide variety of groups since.

After qualification he has attended numerous classes and workshops given by senior international Iyengar teachers and others, and for many years took 5 and 10 day yoga retreats at the Satyananda yoga centre in Athenry Co. Galway.

Alongside yoga practice has been his involvement in other forms of bodywork, movement and dance, including movement training for acting, massage, feldenkrais method,tai chi, butoh and more recently contemporary dance training and performance. In teaching he likes to be clear, precise yet intuitive, flavoured with a sense of humour and tailored to suit the needs of the particular group of students and circumstances. Having benefited so much from yoga himself, he enjoys helping and passing it on to others.

Caitriona McColgan

Caitriona was born in Ireland and took her first yoga class aged 18. Having travelled to India where she studied Ashtanga with VJ Amar, she continued to experiment with various styles including Hatha, Bikram and Iyengar. It was the Vinyasa Flow teacher training course she did with Dave Curtis that really sealed the bond with her practice both physically and spiritually. “Vinyasa Flow just felt right for my body”. Coming from a dance background and having received an Arts Council Award to study at the renouned Perri Dance College New York Caitriona’s classes are about exploring and enquiring into the body with a strong focus on the connection of movement with breath and precise alignment. From Caitriona’s classes one can expect a strengthening practice balancing flexibility and stability so as to increase stamina while also providing relaxation and meditation techniques to cultivate inner stillness.

Caitriona currently teaches our Improver’s Class at St Marys College Rathmines Monday evenings at 8pm and our Beginner’s Level 1 at 6.30pm.