ByronYoga

Written by Pete Jackson

To some, Tim Limbert is not your typical yogi. He is not only male, but also middle aged and working full time in the analytical world of tax accountancy. Tim is also a teacher training graduate of Byron Yoga Centre and takes to his ‘other’ practice like he takes to his kayak, which is as often as weather and conditions allow, close to home on the pristine waters of Byron Bay. While accountancy reflects Tim’s desire to help others budget their bills, yoga reflects a desire to help others enhance their life through regular practice. How does Tim manage to merge the daily grind of accountancy number crunching with regular yoga?

Can you imagine moving house across three continents and four countries in less than a year, from a temperate to tropical climate, all for the love of yoga? How much more challenging is it when you consider the move also meant a major shift from a successful career in dance to life as a yoga teacher in a country more renowned for tea than yoga!

From North America to Byron Bay, Leigh Allardyce's life has been anything but predictable over the past 12 months. A chance meeting after completing her yoga teacher training in 2009 with Byron Yoga Centre has seen Leigh since relocate to the lush beauty of Sri Lanka, taking her new found devotion of yoga with her. 

Native to Columbus, Ohio in the US, Leigh says she was born a dreamer. “My first career choice at age six was to be an astronaut,” she recalls. “I guess you could say, even though I was so young, I already had my sights set on something heavenly.” Her self confessed stargazing days though soon gave way to something more earthly. “At age eight, I managed to merge my desire for physical fitness and performance into a new passion, dance.” And it was through ballet that Leigh’s life turned a corner.  

Written by Pete Jackson

It’s a brave thing branching into business for the first time. Ask anyone about their first few months or years and you’re likely to hear of long work days, low financial return and the unforeseen and unexpected happening. It’s even more challenging when your business partner is your housemate, and you’re still getting to know each other as friends as well as business partners. For Deanne Velissaris and Miriam Stratz long days with a paintbrush and gentle guidance from John Ogilvie, founder of Byron Yoga Centre, is beginning to pay off with their new studio in Melbourne.