Teachers
Kristina Nicklason (Karunamitra)
Founder of Meander Valley Yoga
B.A. Dip. Ed.
Yoga Teacher Training with Muktanand Meanjin, 1995
Diploma of Satyananda Yoga Teaching 2006
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I came across yoga in the early 1980s when living on Tasman Peninsula, where I was fortunate to meet people who’d recently returned from spending time at an ashram (yoga centre) in northern India. Since a teenager I’d experienced back pain on and off. This was my initial motivation for practising yoga and has meant that I'm always diligent about back care when teaching.
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Equally fortunate was the opportunity I soon had to attend a Yoga Centre being built in north east of Tasmania, near where I grew up. As a newly qualified high school teacher, with the accompanying stresses, I found that yoga practices and particularly spending time at this Centre enabled me to better deal with stress. I discovered the very holistic nature of the yogic tradition; appreciating the importance of relaxation and meditation along with regularly stepping out of one’s routines to spend time in Yoga Centres.
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I continued as a Yoga student until I moved to Western Creek in the early 1990s. As there were no yoga classes on offer here at that time, I attended a one year yoga teacher training course in Hobart. I began teaching in Launceston and Deloraine in 1996 and upgraded my qualifications with the 2 year, government accredited Diploma of Satyananda Yoga Teaching Course, completing it in 2006.
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I now have around 25 years teaching experience and have continued to feel the benefits of all aspects of Yoga in my daily life. As much a practitioner as a teacher of yoga, I’ve attended many CPD courses over these years and spent some time in ashrams in Australia and India.
In 2006 Laurie (my husband) and I, with lots of help, built a strawbale yoga studio here at Western Creek. This was the fulfillment of a dream for me; being able to offer people, not only regular Yoga classes in a beautiful peaceful environment, but also weekend and longer retreats with both local and guest teachers.
Pia Koepper (Sivapriya)
M.A. Literature, Psychology and Pedagogy
Vinyasa Krama Teaching Certificate
Diploma of Yogic Science (Satyananda Yoga Training)
I have been practicing and teaching yoga for 20 years and finished the Diploma of Yogic Science and Teacher Training in the Satyananda tradition in early 2019 (guess who was one of my mentors during yogic studies – Karunamitra!).
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My journey into yoga started when I was looking for a cure for stress-related migraines at the age of 18. Over the years I have been able to establish a regular and deepening practice and a much closer relationship with my body and my being in the world. I haven’t had a migraine episode in the last six years and I have also been rewarded with other major benefits: A stronger, more flexible body, a calmer mind, and a deeper connection with my emotions and spiritual understanding. Yoga truly has changed and improved every aspect of my life and I feel very enthusiastic about sharing my experience and knowledge of yoga with the community.
What I love about the way we teach at Mander Valley Yoga is the deep connection to ancient yoga practices, and the very gentle, systematic approach, which makes it accessible and beneficial to beginners as well as experienced practitioners.
Antonia Gretschmann
Dipl.-Ing. Agr
Diploma of Satyananda Yoga Teaching 2009​
The first seeds of yoga were sown in my early life, when we tried the lotus seat or
bridge and headstand as school children.
When I first visited Karunamitra’s yoga class decades later, it was to gain more fitness and I guess, I expected a generic type of yoga.
This first session was such a positive experience on all levels, physical, mental and
emotional and the benefits stayed with me, so I continued with this holistic style of
yoga. After years of practicing, with Karunamitra’s mentorship, I felt ready to study
and completed my Diploma of Satyananda Yoga Teaching in 2009.
My further professional development includes:
Yoga for Balance of Body, Brain and Being
Yoga for Arthritis and Joint Injury
Exercise Science for Yoga Teachers
Yoga, the Mind and Meditation
Yoga for Special Needs
Yoga to Heal and Restore, trauma informed yoga teacher training
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Yoga is my friend helping me to flow with life. Through teaching, I enjoy sharing my love of yoga and its many benefits with students.
Jasmin Martin
200-hour Yoga Teacher Training
Accredited Practitioner Training in Trad. Thai Massage
Advanced Certificate in Integrated Cupping Therapy
Certificate in Traditional Thai Massage
B.A.
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My arrival to a world of dedicated yoga practice is very recent. It began when I moved to Tasmania after working overseas for ten years.
In 2019 I joined my first ever yoga class in Launceston - a Vinyasa flow. How and what was taught though wasn't really satisfying, and this set me on a hunt for classical Yoga in Tasmania.
Fate would have it that I was housesitting not far from Western Creek and I quickly found Atman Darshan and Karunamitra's classes, and from there a whole world opened up.
My knowledge of yoga though goes back to my training in traditional Thai massage (TTM), whose roots are in classical yoga and Reusi Dat Ton (Thai medicine physical therapy). I first trained in TTM in 2009 and then again in 2018, learning two different styles.
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Traditional or classical nature-based medicine has been my life since my early twenties. In 1995, I underwent training in Northern European shamanism for close to twenty years, and through this was fortunate to develop a deep interest and respect for nature and the non-dual way of being, both of which have been ethical and spiritual compasses ever since.
In 2012, while living in Germany, I studied to be a Heilpraktiker (naturopath) focusing on sports medicine, nutrition, cupping and traditional Chinese medicine. In 2016 I commenced practice as a registered therapist in Norway and have continued in Tasmania.
In 2022-2023, my practice of yoga; the connections I made through Atman Darshan; and reading through Karunamitra's extensive Satyananda yoga literature, helped me to overcome emotional and physical burnout. My experience with self-healing prompted me to undergo a two-year course in Qigong for health and wellness, as well as complete a 200-hour yoga teacher training course (2024).
All these different and varied experiences have enabled me to deepen my awareness and understanding of how classical and traditional forms of medicine, whether Thai, Chinese or European, treat the whole person, especially the energetic or subtle body.
Yoga, Daoist and shamanistic philosophies, in the way they speak of healing and finding self again, are very closely aligned. All three are powerful tools and keep me very passionate about life-long development as a practitioner and teacher.
I look forward to welcoming you to one of my classes at Atman Darshan soon :)