Your Teachers

Karma Rae

Creator, Owner, Yoga Teacher

Styles – Hatha, Restorative, Vinyasa, Contemporary

What is yoga to me?

Yoga is action (‘Karma’ in Sanskrit terms)… the action we take as humans to arrive in the present moment involving our mind, body or soul or all of the above. We have the opportunity to connect and immerse ourselves into a state that is often hard to access in our busy lives. Through the power of yoga anyone can achieve that ‘feel good factor’ and I encourage people to explore and discover their potential while being mindful of their individual needs. It’s an ongoing learning process… learning to breathe, move, become present and still, be mindful or meditative… yoga is not just about practising postures (‘asanas’ in Sanskrit terms)… it is a journey for all your senses that is sure to affect your mental and physical well-being in a positive light.

As a passionate teacher, my goal is to guide you through your own journey, giving you freedom to practise yoga that suits your needs and goals. Combining traditional and contemporary yoga which incorporates a variety of styles with an emphasis on awareness of anatomical alignment and ease of movement. Classes themes, content and style vary every 2 weeks giving you the opportunity to explore different postures, movement sequences, and breath awareness. Guided mindfulness and meditation are also incorporated into each class giving your body the opportunity to relax and calm the ‘monkey mind’. In a holistic sense, I aim to offer students a little bit of respite from our everyday lives… even if it’s only for an hour, but with consistent practice you will reap many more benefits (e.g. increase of strength, mobility, flexibility, de-stressing, and the list goes on). At the end of the day, I always encourage people “to listen to your body’s needs and this is your yoga”!

My Journey

I have been doing ‘stretching’ and ‘strengthening’ pretty much my entire life in a multitude of elite level competitive sports: gymnastics, pole sport, cheerleading and acrobatics. After pushing my body to extremes for 30+ years, enduring multiple injuries, surgeries, and continued battles with ankylosing spondylitis my body told me it had had enough. So, I found solace in Yoga and have been practising for a number of years. It has given me the opportunity to remain mobile, manage my ailments, and create a purpose for myself again. It has also opened up the possibility to practise mindfulness and relaxation… ultimately calming my often busy ‘monkey mind’. It has created a new sense of positive well-being that now resonates throughout my life.

I also knew in my heart my career path needed to take a new course, but just didn’t know what or how. In 2018, I had a ‘light bulb moment’ and thought that I could combine my 18 years of teaching experience along with my enthusiasm for nurturing the mind and body and share this with the wider community. So, I decided to quit my ‘day job’, qualify as yoga teacher (200RYT), and create a purpose built yoga studio… a truly serene space where the community can experience an aesthetically peaceful environment to practise a variety of yoga in.

I now live between Tonga and New Zealand with my 3 furbabies. When I’m back in CHCH I will be opening up the studio doors. So best to keep an eye out on our FB for updates on when classes are available.

Lastly, Karma is my real name, so naturally I have called it Yoga by Karma. However, it is not only a name to me or my studio, but a belief in what goes around comes around… being good to your mind, body and soul could only resonate positive well-being through the rest of your life and others.

Qualifications

200RYT at Contemporary Yoga, Auckland, New Zealand
20hrs of training in Trauma-Sensitive Yoga with the Center for Trauma and Embodiment at JRI Yoga Program, 2019
25hrs L1 Yoga for Fertility, Baby Bliss Yoga, Australia, 2021
65hrs Prenatal and Yoga Teacher Training postnatal Yoga with Bliss Baby Yoga, Australia 2022
ExerciseNZ SMEAEP endorsed yoga teacher
Registered with REPs
Comprehensive First Aide
5+ years contact yoga teaching hours (10-16hours/week)
Bachelor of Arts in English, Theatre and Film
Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology with Honors
Certificate in English Language teaching to adults.
On-going life-long learning & research into evidence-based practices

Previous life

Rehabilitation coach
Gymnastics coach & choreographer
Youth respite care worker
Private speech & language therapist & tutor
Academic lecturer & programme coordinator
English language teacher
And all the rest 🙂

Favourite quote:
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
– My dearest parents, Gina & Paul Rae