About Kathleen
Creating the ripple effect.
Welcome to The Yoga Pond. My name is Kathleen Altarelli. I’ve enjoyed teaching as a Registered Yoga Teacher (Yoga Australia) in Brisbane for almost a decade. I’ve taught hundreds of students; from children, teens and adults, to pre and postnatal, in yoga studios, gyms, outdoor spaces, day cares, schools and corporate settings.
I discovered yoga over 20 years ago through my background in dancing and music, as a form of movement and expression and over the years I’ve found that it’s gifted me with so much more. It helped me greatly in my stressful teen years, kept me strong throughout pregnancy, childbirth and parenting. And, like an old friend, every time I’ve returned to my mat after absence, it always has a way of grounding me, making me feel more like me; keeping me balanced and supported both physically and mentally.
I love to help students find this balance and strength for themselves and the simple joy of building a sustainable yoga and meditation practice starting right from where they are. My mission is simple. To discover what lies below the surface of what we see; in ourselves, our surroundings, in each other. We start with ourselves and create the ripple effect outwards. With our yoga practice, we build strength and vitality in our bodies, present awareness in our minds and these are connected by the bridge that is our breath.
My teaching and learning primarily comes from the Hatha and Vinyasa traditions. I studied my first yoga teacher training with Swami Atma Gyanam Saraswati from The Yoga Tree when I lived in Norfolk, UK, back in 2013. Upon my return to Australia (my homeland), I studied with Bliss Baby Yoga and Yogababy in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga and Zenergy Yoga in Children’s Yoga and Yoga Therapy. I’ve recently completed training as a Mental Health Aware Yoga Teacher under the guidance of clinical psychologist and senior yoga teacher Dr Lauren Tober.
My classes cater for all abilities and levels of fitness and flexibility. As an inclusive and engaging teacher, my classes will feel familiar to previous Hatha and Vinyasa practitioners and welcoming for those who are completely new to yoga. We focus on a combination of strength and balance, movement and stretching, breathing techniques and mindfulness practices; and there is always plenty of space for relaxation and contemplation. I am inspired to teach from a place of creativity, theming my classes to what moves us – the seasons, the elements, nature, and simply just being a part of the whole. (The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root word “yuj”, meaning to yoke, to unite or to join together.)
I teach weekly classes in Bunya and I am also available for private lessons, corporate classes, semi-private classes and covers.
