About Jo
My Teaching
I am an experienced yoga teacher living near the south coast of Wellington. I began my own practice in 1996, have been teaching since 2001, and have worked hard to continually improve as a practitioner and teacher along the way.
I am particularly interested in how we can use yoga to manage our well-being and quality of life, not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally.
Yoga is transformative. It helps us to know ourselves, to be more at peace and happier in ourselves, to be better people. I am here to help you understand, and feel, the transformative power of yoga.
I offer in-person yoga classes in a boutique home studio in Southgate and also Zoom yoga classes.
I also offer private one-on-one lessons.
Along with these regular classes I hold workshops in and around Wellington throughout the year. These workshops allow students to explore and deepen particular aspects of their practice.
I aim to teach in a very clear way. My simple teaching cues are great for finding the biodynamic and energetic alignment in poses. They also help students to deepen awareness and understanding.
At the end of one of my classes you can expect to feel different: lighter, more at ease, more at peace, more open, more perceptive, more alive.
I weave yoga philosophy into every class.
Since 1996 I have barely missed a day on the mat. It’s not that I’m wildly disciplined, but rather that this practice is so beneficial to me that I love it and I want to practice yoga.
Whether I’m feeling energetic or tired, whether I’m happy or emotionally upset, yoga is the primary tool I use to support myself. It calms me, gives me perspective, challenges me, balances me and gives me strength.
I continue to study, explore, be interested in and curious about the diversity of practice that yoga is and the ways in which it can be used for physical, mental and emotional well-being.
About Iyengar Yoga
I teach Iyengar Yoga because I can see the intelligence and depth in this method of yoga. Certified Iyengar Yoga teachers receive extensive on-going training and are peer reviewed in assessments
The defining characteristics of Iyengar Yoga are:
- poses are generally held for a time
- sequences are dynamic with different sequences for different objectives
- there are progressions and alternatives for every pose, giving accessibility
- props can be used to support you in the pose
- precise verbal cues are used to engage your mind and deepen your awareness.
Qualifications
Each year I engage in on-going education.
I have studied at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune, India in July 2010, July 2018 and December 2019.
In 2017, 2018 and 2019 I attended 10-day retreats for senior students with Senior Australasian Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Peter Thomson, in Thailand.
I hold a Junior Intermediate Level 3 (2017) Iyengar Yoga Teaching Certification.
I have a BA in Sport Science from Massey University majoring in Exercise Prescription (2004-2010) and a BA in Political Science from Otago University (1987-1990).
I completed a Yoga Therapy course with Stephanie Quirk (2012-2014) and a Butekyo Breathing Course (Nov 2016).
Whether it’s through discovery on my own, getting to yoga classes or workshops with senior New Zealand or Australian teachers, reading yoga reference books, listening to podcasts, or keeping an eye on inspiring teachers online, I’m always finding more ways to explore the practice of yoga on and off the mat.
Jo Peden
Certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher
