Hi, I'm Kara - proud owner and team leader at Yoga Ground!

I moved back to NZ from London in 2013 after 17 amazing years working in sports marketing and travelling the world but decided it was time to come back home; to be nearer to family and friends, and to pursue a more wholesome life closer to nature.

I was employed as an Account Director, working in PR, events and marketing for nearly three years, but after my mum passed away I re-evaluated my priorities and realised it was time for change and to do some of the things I always wanted to do. "Operation Wholesome Life" needed a boost!

A passionate yogi for over 15 years, I enrolled in the Power Living 200 hr teacher training course. This proved to be a life-changing experience! 6 months later I had quit my job and had a beautiful yoga studio of my own.

I received the keys to Yoga Ground from Vincent Bolletta and Susan Allen (owners for the previous 8 years) in January 2016 and what an exciting time it has been since then!

With a degree in Psychology and a career background in mass participation sports I had spent a great deal of time strategising on how to make sports and physical exercise accessible, habitual and fun for people. This passion for helping people to overcome barriers to healthy lifestyles is part of what drives me to create a great experience for our students at Yoga Ground.

For me, the key elements are accessibility, authenticity, and community, and having an amazing team of experienced and inspiring teachers!

Yoga can be so uplifting and transformational and we all experience our own individual journeys, but it is also about the amazing connections we make and the group energy that is experienced in a class community/environment. There is something so powerful and nurturing in being part of something bigger and sharing a love of yoga with each other.

I have completed 100 hours with Ashram Yoga and have trained in Yin Yoga and Traditional Chinese Meridian theory as well as Qi Gong and Reiki as well as numerous workshops and online trainings with international teachers.

Liana is one of our longest standing teachers at Yoga Ground, she has been with us since 2013. She has primarily trained under reknown Yoga teacher Vincent Bolletta including his Hansa Flow training and 200hr Yoga Therapy course.

Liana has also completed a Space and Flow Immersion in Greece with Raphan Kebe and Yin training with Jo Phee.

Liana is an accomplished dancer. She has been dancing since she was six years old, professionally for 20 years.

Her style of Yoga teaching embodies the grace, discipline and strength that dance requires. Her classes are also playful. She has a cheeky sense of humour and is super down to earth.

Liana also offers one-on-one private classes for groups and individuals.

Clare is passionate about health and wellbeing.  Clare is an Occupational Therapist, she has a Post Graduate Certificate in Health Science (endorsed in musculoskeletal management).

She also has a background in the fitness industry (FIT certified).  She has been practicing yoga for a number of years and began teaching following her initial teacher training with Donna Farhi in 2012.  She has also completed a 200hr teacher training with Kawai Purapura Yoga Centre.

Clare is currently studying toward a Graduate Certificate in Yoga Therapy.Clare is committed to ongoing study, self-practice and developing her teaching skills. She has completed a children’s speciality teacher training with Amanda Reid of Samadhi Yoga. 

Danielle has been teaching yoga since 2016, and found her passion while she was travelling abroad. First drawn to the philosophy, then to the physical poses, she found the practice of yoga was able to help answer some of her big questions about life, and offered a sense of satisfaction that nothing else had.

Her interests lie in creative endeavours such as making kombucha and crystal jewellery, spending time with her foster animals, and reading about other people's experiences. She has experience in childcare, and offers classes and courses for kids and teens.

Through her own challenges with mental health and trauma, she is passionate about helping guide you towards a healthier relationship between the mind, body, and breath. Dani has trained in trauma-informed yoga, yoga for mental health, and is currently pursuing an education in yoga therapy. She uses these skills in her offerings particularly at Mt Eden Prison and Mercy Hospice, but brings the key concepts of compassion, curiosity, and acceptance into all of her classes. She emphasizes inclusivity and accessibility, steering students away from performative yoga and towards the subtle sense of felt experience.

Influenced by the love and devotion of Bhakti yoga, the raw elements of nature, and by the principles of Embodied Flow, her teaching style invites you to get curious about body, breath, and movement. She advocates for a holistic approach to practicing- incorporating mind, body, and spirit, plus a balance of intuition and tradition, to bring you towards the best version of yourself.

Ashlee first discovered yoga as a long distance runner who didn’t have the patience to stretch - her running coach said he would let her off the hook if she committed to attending at least one yoga class per week. It took her awhile to get into it, but she kept it up as a way to help with her running.

2 years later Ashlee was in Melbourne studying towards her Masters and came close to burn out - experiencing panic attacks and anxiety. It was at this time that she stumbled across Power Living, a branch of studios in Australia, and discovered that the healing benefits of Yoga extended far beyond the physical and into the mental and emotional as well. She formed a deep connection to her Vinyasa practice, and since returning to Auckland has been a committed practitioner of Vinyasa, Power Yoga and Yin styles.

In 2020 Ashlee returned to Power Living in Australia to complete her 200 hour Teacher Training. Ashlee is passionate about the mind-body connection, and the profound impact that a decided movement practice can have on your entire sense of well being. and seeing her students walk out of class a little bit lighter than when they came in!

Nikki’s classes are strong yet grounded, guiding her students to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, giving skilled yet simple cues from her deep understanding of the human body and subtle energies. She creates an environment for transformative experience and has a delightful and quirky sense of humour, Nikki encourages students to reclaim the joy within their practice and life.

Nikki regularly speaks at wellness and corporate events, teaches workshops and leads retreats. Nikki is at the forefront of revolutionising the practice of yoga, she is passionate about upholding a high standard of teaching in NZ and has created a 250hr Teacher Training Program and continued education programs designed to mentor and educate teachers, personally guiding them along their path to greatness.

Previously the owner of the Urban Ashram yoga studio for 9 years in Auckland, she has been a featured teacher at Wanderlust festival NZ/Aus, she has been the yoga teacher to the NZ Warriors, the Blues and many other national sporting teams, Nikki gives back to the community by supporting Youthline, she is also a solo mother to her gorgeous teenage daughter. Off the mat you will usually find her flipping handstands at the beach or blissing out in nature.

Brendon found yoga while living overseas, seeking direction and purpose. The bliss that he felt after Savasana was enough to keep him coming back. The more he practised, the more he discovered about himself, and after a few years of integrating the practice into his life, he felt the calling to teach.

He completed his 200hr teacher training through YogaKoh under the guidance of Xinia Alderson (KPJAYI L2 Authorized), at a month-long immersive training at The Farm in Whangaruru, in Aotearoa's Northland.

Prior to joining us at Yoga Ground, Brendon has been teaching at the Yoga Collective & The Yoga Loft. Here, he has had the benefit of teaching a wide variety of people, from teens to seniors, and athletes to office workers. Throughout these experiences, he has developed a teaching style which is challenging yet fun and accessible to all levels.

The practice of yoga has been a pivotal and anchoring aspect of Kerry's life for the last 8 years.

Curiosity led her to complete her 200hr YTT in 2021 with Inspire Teacher Training. She began teaching in 2022, exploring body and breath awareness through Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin.

Her knowledge deepened with additional training in YIn Yoga with Fiona Liu as well as Trauma informed Yoga and her 300hr YTT which she completed with Raw Yoga. She is 500hr RYT, registered yoga teacher.

Kerry currently teaches at some of Auckland’s leading studios as well as private drug and alcohol treatment centres.

Joti has been practicing Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan for 24 years and gained her KRI Level 1 teacher training certificate with her original UK teacher Guru Dharam Singh and his partner Siri Sat Kaur, both long time students of Yogi Bhajan.

From her first experience of Kundalini Yoga back in the 90s, Joti knew this was a practice that could be integrated into her life for greater success and personal happiness. Today she attributes much of her accomplishments as a documentary filmmaker and ghostwriter for international film directors to the practice of daily sadhana and teaching of Kundalini Yoga.

Her classes offer a warm, safe, lighthearted experience that result in a tangible sense of elevated awareness and deeper connection to the mind, body and soul.

Meet Emma.

Emma was drawn to yoga during a particularly challenging time of her life and it has continued to be her inner sanctuary and compass. Having spent over 20 years working for large corporates, she is especially passionate about how yoga can support with work based stress and the effects of more sedentary (desk based) roles.

Emma trained with Adele Kinghan of RISE Yoga, completing her 200hr Embodied Flow Training in 2018.

Combining gentle movement with more dynamic poses, she likes to create an environment which is accessible for all, where playfulness and curiosity is encouraged.

Along with being a Yoga Teacher, Jess is also a qualified Multidimensional Energy Healer, Meditation Teacher, Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach, and a Massage Therapist. She has studied Chinese Medicine Acupressure, Breathwork, Sound Healing, Shamanic Journeying, Plant Medicine, and loves to keep learning.

During her 20s Jess was stuck in patterns of bulimia, anxiety, and depression, spending years feeling totally lost, and convinced she was wasting her time on Earth.

After discovering yoga and meditation, her life began to transform from the inside out. Following a near death experience, Jess gained the clarity that she needed to embrace her soul’s truest calling, to guide others on their own healing journey. Eventually she trained as a Yoga Teacher, spending years living and teaching in Spain, Bali, and Costa Rica. Jess is now happy to be home in NZ, providing energy healing and teaching slow, grounded yoga classes.

Jess' training includes:

RYA Teacher Trainings:

2013 Hot Yoga Auckland 200hr

2014 Zuna Yoga 300hr

2015 Yin Therapy 50hr