Meet our Byron Bay teachers


John Ogilvie
John Ogilvie
John Ogilvie is one of Australia’s most respected and experienced teachers and founder of Byron Yoga Centre. John has been practicing yoga for more than 30 years and teaching for over 28. John developed his signature style of yoga, Purna Yoga after 20 years of disciplined yoga training including practicing both the Iyengar method and Ashtanga. His yoga journey has seen him learn from various yoga masters over the years in Australia and internationally.

The Purna method John teaches focuses on correct alignment. His teaching covers the basics with additional emphasis on refining alignment, corrections and adjustments. John’s teaching style is entertaining and completely accessible. His instructions are clear and simple, always with a focus on keeping his students safe and encouraging them to listen to their own body’s needs and only work at a level appropriate to the individual, at any given time.

John encourages students at all levels to build flexibility, strength and stamina of body, mind and spirit. Many students discover, as a consequence, that yoga becomes a way of life.


Kara Goodsell
Kara Goodsell
Kara manages the teacher trainings at Byron Yoga Centre, she coordinates the trainers, organises the timetables and creates course content.

She is a senior certified teacher who trained with John Ogilvie in 2006 and then apprenticed with him for 4 years. Kara is now a Certified Senior Teacher holding Level 1 & 2 500 hour Certificates, Certificate IV in Yoga Teaching and and Diplomas in Vocational Education and Training and Assessment and Design.

Kara has attended yoga workshops with other senior teachers, including Pattabhi Jois in India and several senior Iyengar teachers. Her own daily practice has evolved to include asana, meditation and extensive pranayama techniques.

Kara’s classes are alignment focused and give students the opportunity to deepen their awareness and practice with integrity and presence.


Marita Dortins
Marita Dortins
As a gymnast from a young age, Marita realised early on that she’s happiest upside-down – and when she found yoga, it was love at first Downward Dog.

She began teaching Iyengar-influenced yoga in 2002 after apprenticing with her first teacher. A few years later, Marita discovered vinyasa yoga, and relished the freedom of flowing through movement and connecting with breath – her yoga practice became a moving meditation. Marita’s teaching can now be described as alignment-based vinyasa.

When teaching, Marita aims to instill the peace and happiness that she experiences through yoga within her students. By both challenging and nurturing, she teaches people to stretch and strengthen their muscles, but also to breathe, to stand tall, and to live with compassion.


Bec Isaacs
Bec Isaacs
Bec teaches traditional hatha, incorporating correct Purna alignment and offering modifications for students. She emphasises body awareness, functional movement and breath, intentionally guiding students into the more subtle aspects of practice.

With an effective focus on stability of mind and preparing for meditation, Bec’s calm, centred energy and teaching style facilitates a powerful depth to her classes. She has a university degree in Kinesiology, biology and psychology and has completed over 1000 hours of study with Byron Yoga Centre, Creature Yoga and The Practice Bali.

Bec primarily works on the teacher trainings and is extremely dedicated to teaching and also to her own study of yoga, energetics, ayurveda and life. She continues to explore her practice under the guidance of her teachers and loves exploring and sharing this practice. Her passion for yoga shines through in everything she does.


Erin Tetarenko
Erin Tetarenko
Erin guides a holistic yoga practice and holds a nurturing space with an emphasis on developing awareness. She believes yoga is a technique for transformation and that by developing awareness, we create opportunities for shifts towards greater well-being and fulfilment.

Erin has been teaching yoga since 2010. She draws on 15 years’ experience facilitating positive change for clients in their health and wellness. Her background and educational accomplishments bring together yoga, exercise and health science (BSc), psychology (MSc Coaching Psychology), and mindfulness training.

She discovered yoga in university, finding it a compliment to playing competitive sport and studying exercise science. She later realised the importance of a dedicated practice in dealing with the adverse effects of sustained stress. She decided to deepen her yogic knowledge through teacher training. 15 years on her teaching is influenced by her mentors and the styles of traditional Hatha, Vinyasa flow, Restorative and Yin Yoga.


Dan Stephenson
Dan Stephenson
Dan enjoys teaching an alignment-based flow, working with the energy in the room. He weaves in breath, meditation and philosophy, encouraging his students to deepen their practice, from purely physical exercise, to embrace an overall yogic lifestyle.

He is passionate about sharing the knowledge he has learnt over many years. Having completed his first Level 1 training in India in 2017 Dan has since undertaken his Level 2 with Byron Yoga Centre plus completed an Acro Yoga teacher training in 2018. He loves seeing people grasp new concepts and become confident with new skills. This in-turn has helped deepen his love these practices.

Dan has a profound interest in Eastern philosophies and has studied many different modalities including Reiki, studying Tai Chi at a Chinese Shaolin temple, learning about Buddhism and meditation while living in a Buddhist monastery, and travelling across India to study different forms of Yoga.


Tabata Villares Ogilvie
Tabata Villares Ogilvie
Tabata has been practicing yoga for 15 years and loves to combine Yoga with Astrology to bring the stars to each class. Tabata is currently writing a book about sacred women’s yoga and Ayurveda practices. Her passion is women’s health and teaching yoga according to the moon cycle. She hosts the Sacred Woman’s Retreats in the new Shakti Temple at Byron Yoga Retreat Centre and also teaches on the trainings.

In 2010 she began a self-discovery adventure leaving Brazil for Findhorn in Scotland. She then moved to Totnes in the UK for a Masters Degree and learnt more about yoga, meditation and astrology, also travelling to several spiritual and sustainable communities on different continents.

Back in Brazil in 2013 Tabata lived at a Tantric Ashram studying Biopsychology and Tantra. From that moment on her yoga teaching started to develop and she found her personal style of teaching – the combination of her passions: Yoga and Astrology.

Tabata has also written an incredible book ‘Burst Into Bloom’. It will give you an overview of Yoga and Ayurveda, and the interconnection between these disciplines and a woman’s cycles. Tabata shares her life experience, transformations to realise her full potential and her true path in serving women in the journey to go beyond what we reflect in the mirror to find our PURPOSE in life and our inner fulfilment of happiness and bliss.
Includes incredibly empowering topics such as a women’s cycle, hormones, fertility, pregnancy, early pregnancy loss, and menopause. Click on her image to learn more.


Elle Laureau
Elle Laureau
Elle is one of our retreat hosts. She has been teaching yoga over 10 years and has a strong focus on alignments and core. Her classes are designed to be safe and accessible for all levels.

She originally trained as an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher and now enjoys leading more gentle classes, always with mindfulness practices as a central theme. Elle guides her students to focus on the breath and her classes are gentle and relaxing for the body and mind. She describes her classes as like a dance with the breath, calming and nurturing.

Meditation is also an important part of her teaching style and practice as she has been fortunate to study Zen Buddhism for the last 8 years.

She simply loves teaching yoga and bringing all the benefits of this ancient practice to the students so they can enjoy vitality, calm and serenity in their yoga practice and daily lives.

Vivian Cunha
Vivian Cunha
With over a decade fully immersed in the world of Yoga, Vivian’s journey has been a profound exploration of its myriad dimensions. Her passion lies in delving into the subtleties of this practice and making its treasures accessible to individuals of all walks of life and body types.

Vivian’s commitment extends beyond the mat, as she aspires to weave the teachings and practices into the very fabric of daily existence. Her quest is to infuse meaning and practical application into every facet of life, fostering a harmonious integration of body, mind, and spirit.

Vivian works both facilitating teacher trainings and retreat sessions. Guided by luminaries from the Vedanta and Krishnamacharya lineage, she continually deepens her knowledge, illuminating her path and inspiring those who journey alongside her.

Beyond her dedicated practice, Vivian also finds joy in facilitating divine Kirtan sessions, tapping into the transformative power of mantra and sound.

Vivian’s genuine warmth, expertise, serenity and unwavering commitment quietly position her as a light in the Yoga community.

Marjorie Coelho
Marjorie Coelho
Marjorie stands as a dedicated and highly qualified Ayurvedic Practitioner adorned with a wealth of expertise in the realms of treatments, consultations and detoxification programs. She runs her own practice in the Gold Coast, where her passion for comprehensive wellness takes centre stage.

She was closely mentored by a Vaidyacharya (Ayurvedic physician/doctor and spiritual master) for a few years, receiving profound and precious teachings from a traditional lineage of Ayurveda that she applies on her practice with the blessing of her mentor. Her collaboration with esteemed Panchakarma Specialists Ayurvedic Doctors has seen her adeptly guiding individuals through profound detoxification programs. Her remarkable ability to facilitate transformative journeys towards holistic health is witnessed through countless stories of rejuvenation and vitality.

Her calm and nurturing essence serves as a testament to her commitment to holistic living. Her life, intricately woven with the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and Yoga, radiates authenticity.


Andrew Olson
Andrew Olson
Andy is a teacher trainer at Byron Yoga Centre. He came to yoga after a long history in competitive sport and loves the balance of strength and mobility that asana can offer. His style of teaching educates students on how to get the most out of their bodies. Creating intentional and considered classes to increase your body awareness and build resilience.

He is also a practicing physiotherapist and uses his extensive knowledge about the body to teach yoga anatomy. He has a passion for taking this complex subject and making it practical and easy to apply directly into your teaching.

He began teaching yoga while travelling through India and spent extensive time in Dharamsala and Goa teaching students from all around the world. Since moving to Byron Bay he has deepened his knowledge with further training at Byron Yoga Centre and is constantly looking for ways to improve as a teacher.


Alli Black
Alli Black
Alli Black has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 30 years. It is apparent in her fun, easy going approach to teaching that she loves all aspects of yoga, asana, meditation, philosophy and relaxation.

Alli has undertaken her Certificate IV in Yoga Teaching with Byron Yoga Centre and is certified with Judith Hanson Lasater as a Relax & Renew ® Restorative Yoga teacher. Alli has developed a chair yoga program specifically for teaching elders and has run workshops in meditation and restorative yoga.

She has also has trained with AntiGravity®Yoga and Rainbow Kids Yoga. Alli has attended workshops with Leslie Kaminoff, Nicky Knoff, Eleanor Brower, Glenn Ceresoli, Tony Rothberg, Michael Nazar, Maria Kirsten, Jen Crecsenzo, and John Ogilvie.

Ali’s intention is to make yoga accessible to everyone. She likes to adapt her teaching in response to the students, so they can discover their own individual practice.


Judy Krupp
Judy Krupp
Judy is founder of The Yoga Room in St Ives, Sydney. She has enjoyed a full-time career as a yoga teacher and senior teacher trainer for over 30 years, and her reputation is acknowledged both here in Australia and overseas.

Judy originally completed her Iyengar training in South Africa, and now teaches a multi-faceted approach, blending the art of asana practice with the science and mechanics of movement.

She teaches with both humour and passion and encourages her students to move beyond their perceived limitations. Judy’s teachings focus on a therapeutic approach to the practice, making yoga safe for all.


Maria Kirsten
Maria Kirsten
Maria Kirsten was a senior yoga teacher, yoga therapist and occupational therapist. She passed away peacefully after a short cancer illness in April 2021. We have left her bio here to honour her memory and in kindness to anyone who knew and therefore loved her, (it was impossible not to love Maria).

Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Maria knows that she is a very special teacher and a wonderful soul. Vibrant in her nature, dynamic in her delivery, graceful and humble in her teachings and compassionate beyond measure. Maria passionately shared her knowledge, wisdom and heart with our community for many years, and reached so many people through her work, both with Byron Yoga Centre, and with her own project, Yoga for Grown Ups.

Maria was dedicated to sharing accessible yoga with all kinds of people, and that’s exactly what she did (always with a laugh, or two). She lived in integrity, gave endlessly and inspired many.



Swami Pujan (Stephan Kahlert)
Swami Pujan (Stephan Kahlert)
Stephan who is also known affectionately by his students as Swami Pujan, has over twenty five years’ experience as a meditation practitioner and teacher in the Soto Zen, Vipassana, Vedanta and yoga traditions. He has taught overseas on many occasions in his capacity as a meditation teacher. Stephan trained as a yoga teacher with John Ogilvie in 2005.

He teaches meditation and Hindu philosophy on retreats and teacher training at the Centre. His style is light-hearted, humorous, engaging and fun. Along with his wife Bettina, Stephan regularly travels to India to deepen his practice.


Bettina Kahlert
Bettina Kahlert
Bettina first did yoga more than 30 years ago and became serious during pregnancy 20 years ago. She trained as a fitness instructor 20 years ago and more recently complemented this with Pilates teacher training. Bettina has done 4 different yoga teacher trainings, most recently with John Ogilvie and has recently been studying the use of yoga nidra in rehabilitation, recording a CD in India.

Bettina’s classes emphasise the core, pelvic floor and the bandhas. Bettina has been lucky to meet with and learn from several spiritual masters, including B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabi Jois, T.K.V. Desikachar and Clive Sheridan.


Chris Thompson-Lang
Chris Thompson-Lang
Chris started practicing yoga asana while he served in the Military. It reduced stress and was particularly helpful in processing traumatic experiences from his time deployed to Afghanistan.

After 14 years service, he left the Military and went straight into yoga teacher training, completing his Level 1 in Bali and then Level 2 and the Certificate IV with Byron Yoga Centre. He has also studied with Trauma-Sensitive Australia, Trauma Centre Trauma-Sensitive Yoga and completed the Byron Yoga Centre Remedial Yoga course with Maria Kirsten.

He currently balances his time between family, working with Byron Yoga Centre to deliver Trauma-Aware Yoga Teacher Trainings and running Frontline Yoga which provides Trauma-aware Yoga to the Military, First Responder and Emergency Services community.


Chloe Thorogood
Chloe Thorogood
Chloe has been teaching yoga in schools and yoga studios for over a decade. She is a registered E-RYT® 500 senior teacher with Yoga Alliance and therefore any course undertaken with her can be credited as professional development hours.

As a qualified high school teacher Chloe has an intricate understanding of the education system and the practicalities of teaching yoga and mindfulness for teenagers. She has worked in schools in New South Wales and the UK with young people from year 7 to 12, exploring various techniques and practices that are simple and sustainable for both staff and students.

Chloe is currently working in schools in Newcastle NSW in a learning support and wellbeing role. She was previously working in London sharing yoga and wellbeing education in schools. Prior to this she was a trainer at Byron Yoga Centre for several years.


Emma Louise Roger
Emma Louise Roger
Emma Grant has been practicing yoga since 1996 and teaching since 2001. She has trained in pregnancy and postnatal yoga, and has studied Ayurveda at Naturecare College (Sydney), as well as with Ayurvedic Doctors in India. She has maintained her practice of Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda throughout her pregnancies and into motherhood.

She has also trained and studied with Swami Satchidananda of Integral Yoga in the U.S., Pattahbi Jois of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Desikachar, son of Krishnamacharya in India.

Emma created Red Tent Yoga in Sept 2009 in Byron Bay, a space for women and their families. Emma currently teaches weekly yoga classes for mums with their bubs and toddlers, prenatal yoga and workshops as well as Ayurveda and Massage. She also teachers nationally and internationally on the Bliss Baby Yoga teacher training program.


Jade Abbott
Jade Abbott
Jade is an ACA (Australian Counselling Association) registered counsellor, a Yoga Alliance accredited E-RYT500 senior yoga teacher and a musician.

Jade’s personal yoga practice began in 2007 and she has been teaching since 2015. She is trained in the specialised areas of pre and post natal yoga, yoga for seniors, remedial yoga, restorative and yin yoga.

Over the years Jade has completed trainings, immersions and workshops in Europe, Indonesia, India and Australia, gaining insight from practicing with many renowned teachers including Simon Borg-Olivier, Maria Kirsten, Carlos Pomeda, Elena Brower, Lizzie Lasater, Clive Sheridan and Gwyn Williams among others.
A mother of two spirited daughters and partner to Rory, Jade’s love of music, often brings sound and soul to the yoga room. Jade has practiced yoga through both of her pregnancies and continues uses the tools of yogic practice to support her body, mind and her parenting.

With a belief that yoga should be adapted for the individual, not the individual adapted to the yoga; Jade’s warm nature shines through in her teaching.


Meet our Retreat Hosts


Elise Ottaway
Elise Ottaway
Elise teaches a powerful slow flow with an emphasis on body awareness, alignment and the mind body connection. Her intention is to create a space where students can connect, grow and develop a deeper understanding of themselves.

Elise’s background in personal training and holistic wellness took her on her own wellness journey that led her to yoga five years ago. Since then she has travelled to India where she completed her 200 hour Level 1 training in Hatha and Ashtanga, and more recently her Level 1 with Byron Yoga Centre. She also regularly attends short courses and workshops.

Elise our Retreat Manager and also works a Hosts. She loves being able to connect and share her passion yoga with the guests. She believes that there is some form of yoga for every person, and it is her goal to try and help students find it.


Morgane Marin
Morgane Marin
Morgane is influenced by the styles of Purna, Iyengar and Vinyasa yoga.

She believes yoga can reconnect, heal and transform.

Her teaching is a mindfulness form of yoga, encouraging students to go deeper into the practice by moving and holding postures with conscious breathing, subtle awareness and focus on correct alignment.

In 2015 she left France and began a journey to the self. After exploring Australia, she travelled to Asia where she was first introduced to yoga in Cambodia. Yoga quickly became part of her daily routine and has supported her ever since.

Morgane completed her 500 hours Level 1 and Level 2 Teacher Training with us at Byron Yoga Centre where she also undertook her Yin Yoga Training. She has also completed a Prenatal Yoga Course online through the Kashmir Shaivism School of Yoga in India.

Morgane is one of our retreat hosts as well as our Administration Manager and Kitchen Manager.


Ross Adams
Ross Adams
Ross has a love for sharing the ancient wisdom teachings of Yoga and Mindfulness, teachings that have profoundly changed the course of his own life. His favourite thing is when others feel for themselves the healing, nourishing and transformative effects of these simple and time tested practices and principles. He is particularly passionate about helping to facilitate mental wellbeing.

Ross qualified as a yoga teacher in 2013 joining the Byron Yoga Centre team in 2016 where he continues to facilitate retreat groups to this day.

He has completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Yoga Therapy with world renowned teacher and yoga therapist Dr N. Chandrasekaran, as well as trainings in various meditation techniques, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Trauma Aware Yoga, Zen Thai Shiatsu massage, and Reiki.

Ross loves swimming in the ocean, enjoying yoga, meditation, and good food… learning, teaching, playing, and walking…and enjoying time with his wife Mariana, their two sons Benji and Jesse, and their cat Shanti, in the Northern Rivers of New South Wales, Australia.


Mariana De Castro
Mariana De Castro
Mariana is a retreat host with Byron Yoga Centre, sharing Purna Yoga and Flow classes with our guests, as well as workshops including Intro to Ayurveda and Elements of Alignment. Her classes are simple yet powerful, combining elements of asana, pranayama, mantra, yoga nidra and meditation. Her calm and generous presence creates a space of nurturing, healing and connection.

She has been teaching for over 15 years since graduating as a yoga teacher in 2003 from the University of Yoga in Santa Catarina in Brazil. Then in 2014 Mariana completed her Certificate IV in Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultancy and has since undertaken prenatal and postnatal trainings with Bliss Baby Yoga, a Level 2 training with Radiantly Alive in Bali and a Level I training with Byron Yoga Centre.

Mariana is a mother of two boys. This ‘off the mat’ learning, being a mother, has transformed her teaching, helping her to feel more mature and grounded