Level 01, 26a Ponsonby Rd Ponsonby,
Auckland 1011


info@eastwest.co.nz

Sheryn Gieck

Sheryn Gieck

He uri nō Ngāti Pāoa, Ko Sheryn te ingoa. Sheryn is a long time Yogi. She started Astanga Yoga 32 years ago and since has had a committed practice, studying under Sri K. Pattahbi Jois and world renowned Astanga teachers - John Scott, Dena Kingsberg, Lino Miele, Peter Sanson to name a few. She did her Vinyasa teacher training 15 years ago. She has been a teacher and studio owner of an Astanga studio and later a Vinyasa studio in Wellington, and now co-owns Eastwest with Amelia, her daughter. Sheryns teaching is to support each student to turn inward, build awareness in their body with their breath, and bring more stillness to the mind. Sheryns other love and dedicated practice for the last 17 years is The Work of Byron Katie..a practice for the mind, which questions the thoughts that are the cause of our stress. It has been life changing for her and after a 5 year training she is a Certified Facilitator of The Work.

Amelia McCombie

Amelia McCombie

Ko Hapuakohe te Maunga, ko Mangawara te Awa, ko Tainui te Waka, ko Ngāti Pāo te Iwi, ko Amelia te ingoa. With both parents dedicated practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga, Amelia has been surrounded by this practice for as long as she can remember. For Amelia Yoga is home. It is a practice that has supported her to live with greater stability, awareness, and ease. She has been teaching Yoga for 10 years and has completed over 1800 hours of in-person training with a variety of world renowned teachers including her teacher Dena Kingsberg. She has a regular practice, and this practices provides a tūāpapa (foundation) from which she lives from. Her classes are steady, stabilising and spacious, with an emphasis on turning the attention inwards, connecting to yourself and your body, and building awareness of the breath to bring more stillness to the mind. She holds deep reverence for yoga as a traditional and transformational path from India, and looks forward to sharing this practice with you.

Nathan Reynolds

Nathan Reynolds

Nathan stumbled upon yoga in 2009 not knowing much about it, other than its mystical eastern roots, and it took some years before he had established a solid regular practice. As a builder and runner Nathan experienced all the physical benefits of a regular practice of vinyasa yoga and the hot sequence at EastWest Yoga. He also enjoyed the experience of a clearer mind for problem solving at work that would arise on job sites. A few years into his practice he walked into a yin class while living in Bali. It was this early experience of Yin Yoga that was transformative for him. With a life focused on “Yang”-like practices which required muscular effort and endurance, he found such incredible solace and stillness in the yin yoga practice. Since that time he has under taken training under Jo Phee, to become a teacher of Yin Yoga. With the guidance and mentoring of Kirsty va de Geer, he now teaches at East West Yoga.

Barbara Orrego

Barbara Orrego

Barbara is originally from Chile, the first time she stepped on a mat was in her early 20s, but wasn't until she moved to Auckland in 2015 that she committed to a daily yoga practice, experiencing deeper benefits beyond the physical. Inspired by how much Yoga has changed her life, a background as Physiotherapist, and a strong passion for mind-body awareness, she became a teacher in 2017. Barbara teaches Hot Yoga and Vinyasa, through this energising physical practices combined with breathwork and meditation, she will help you to do the best you can, she aims to inspire you develop awareness and become your best self. 

Eridani Baker

Eridani Baker

Ko Aoraki te mauka, Ko waitaki te awa, Ko Uenuku te whare tipuna, Ko Kāi Tahu te iwi, Ko Eridani toku ikoa. Yoga was part of my upbringing, I studied within the same lineage as my godparents. My yoga study has been largely Jnana focused. I lived for a year at our Ashram (ICYER) in Pondicherry studying in the Guru Kula format, 4am till 10pm daily. I also have a degree in massage therapy and am currently working towards a Masters in Psychotherapy. I am passionate about highlighting the value of a te ao Māori view within any health practice offered in Aotearoa. Whakawhanaungatanga is important to me, I enjoy making connections with others.

Alexandra Rangecroft

Alexandra Rangecroft

Alex is an experienced and dedicated Yoga teacher (500h E-RYT) and Reiki master offering 1:1 sessions, workshops, retreats and trainings alongside her public yoga classes. Growing up in a holistic minded household in the UK, Alex was taken to meditation classes and first taught Reiki (energy healing) at the age of 14. It was here that the seed of inspiration was planted for Alex to continue to live a holistic lifestyle and to be of service in the world around her. After years representing GB in gymnastics and then gaining a degree in contemporary dance, Alex found yoga when she began to look for a more sustainable and nurturing way to move, live and flourish. Teaching yoga since 2014 and having completed a diverse array of trainings, Alex brings a grounded, authentic and embodied sense of knowledge and wisdom to her sessions in a relaxed and welcoming environment

Brydie Colquhoun

Brydie Colquhoun

Brydie is Ngāpuhi, and from Ahipara, Aotearoa. She became curious about wairuatanga and spirituality when her Te Ao Māori dance career merged with her yoga studies. Brydie completed her 500YTT yoga training in India. This process of quietening the thoughts and unifying the body, mind and soul guides her classes, she is passionate about maintaining the ancient core principles of Eastern Yoga in a western environment. ​ Brydie believes that how we walk through our life goes hand in hand with the relationship we have to our hinengaro, tinana and wairua. She uses breath and mindful movement to draw students into their present experience.

Celia Loo

Celia Loo

Celia's yoga journey began in 2009 when she attended her first yoga class after losing a bet to a friend. She then took a leap of faith in 2014 and quit her full-time job, to attend her first Yoga teacher training. Since then, she has attended many trainings and workshops of various styles. Celia’s style of teaching is influenced by her education in Psychology, Yoga, and Thai Massage, and can be described as a fusion of movement, mindfulness, sound alignment, and self-therapy. She hopes to enable practitioners to feel free and safe on their mats, to practice whatever yoga may mean to them that day. Afterall, it is not about just touching your toes; it is about what you learn and feel on the way down.

Summer Knight

Summer Knight

Since beginning my journey to practise at a young age, I have found a home within this personalised yoga. Growing and evolving to support me within the present moment. Which is something I aim to cultivate for others through my teaching practise. Around the time of my beginnings in the fine arts degree at Elam, I quickly launched into a luscious and expansive 200 hr YTT at The Contemporary School of Yoga NZ. Diving in to learn and absorb more about the body as a physical, alongside the mental and spiritual body, this is where my passion surrounding the connection of these three ‘bodies’ arose. My yin classes are simplistic and soft, whilst grounding you in both body, and breath with a calm voice and approach. Creating comfortable space for people to come and be at ease is something that comes naturally for me, and I welcome you to come join.

Blake Mandell

Blake Mandell

Blake fell in love with yoga as a university student, and since then his practice has been constantly evolving. He believes the practice has a way of meeting people wherever they are at and is grateful to share his experience of yoga with others. Hailing from NYC, he has used yoga to manage the stress and busyness that often accompanies modern life. His classes offer personal reflections mixed into equal part physical challenge and spaciousness.

Carolina Sanchez

Carolina Sanchez

Originally from Mexico, Carolina’s journey with movement began through dance at a young age. Introduced to yoga by her grandmother, a lifelong practitioner and teacher, she deepened her connection to the practice after moving to New Zealand in 2018 — turning inward and reconnecting. This path led her to complete a 200 hr Yoga Teacher Training in 2022 at Basecamp and a 25 hr Yin Yoga training in 2024 with Kirsty van der Geer. Now a group fitness instructor, she teaches Power, Vinyasa, and Yin Yoga, holding space for others to explore movement, build confidence, and feel supported on their journeys. Emphasising the connections between mind, body and breath.

Emily Ruygrok

Emily Ruygrok

Emily has spent the last eight years exploring a diverse range of yoga and movement practices, integrated belief work and spiritual philosophy. She first practiced and studied both Hatha and Ashtanga yoga while living in India, where she spent a year immersing herself in traditional yogic wisdom. She later on developed a passion for intuitive freeform movement modalities as well and became a certified Embodied Flow Yoga and Embodied Ecstatic Dance facilitator before working as an assistant teacher on a number of embodiment teacher trainings. These modalities led her to interest in embodied belief work and she gained all three levels of certification in Theta Healing, which she now shares in 1-1 sessions and infuses into workshops and retreats. Her core passion is helping others connect to their body's innate wisdom, embody positive and empowering beliefs and find freedom to live as their authentic selves.