Husband and wife team, Paul and Lauren Vercoe have a combined 10 years of experience in yoga and are passionate about sharing yoga with everyone they come into contact with. Coming from very different paths before finding yoga, Lauren was originally from a dancing background and Paul had 26 years of soccer under his belt (explains those tight hamstrings!)...and it was because of some serious adductor injuries that he discovered the amazing healing properties of yoga.
Paul's teaches with an energetic, challenging and fun-filled style and yet nurturing with love and compassion (with a smattering of bad 'Dad' jokes thrown in to keep things on the light side). With a background in soccer, cycling, gym and running, he is passionate about teaching the elite athlete through to the weekend warriors of team sports, runners, rowers and cyclists (or any sport really!).
Lauren teaches with a beautiful creative flow and her classes can be challenging, gentle, cheeky, humourous, deep, philosophical....and all within the space of 75 minutes. She has a passion for both pre and post natal yoga and understand first hand the strength that it provides to ladies who are pre natal and the healing powers of yoga in post natal stage.
They both trained with Dominique Santana Salerno at the Australian Yoga Academy and teach a flowing style of Power Yoga that caters for the absolute beginner through to the experienced yogi.
Lauren and Paul believe that adhering to a consistent and 'sincere' regular yoga practice is not only a statement of personal empowerment, it gives you the potential to be in control of your own life and consistently develop endurance, strength, flexibility and determination in body and mind, which then becomes a way of life and is prevalent in all other parts of your life, work and relationships.
What does Kozen mean?
KO: Child (Japanese)
ZEN: Contemplative still mind, pinnacle of achievement.
KOZEN: To achieve a child-like contemplative state of mind, a place of serenity.
THE KOZEN YOGA TEACHERS
**All teachers are YTAA - Yoga Australia accredited**
Sally M
Sally has always felt a deep underlying connection to Yoga. In July 2009 she completed her Advanced Diploma on Yoga Teaching with the Australian Yoga Academy. She feels honoured and humbled to have practiced with some amazing teachers in various locations throughout South East Asia, where she discovered a lot about the art and science of Astanga Yoga and AcroYoga. And she looks forward to taking her practice even further in India at the end of this year (2010). The aims of her own personal practice are to gain a body of optimum health and strength, control over the senses, a clear, calm and well disciplined mind; a heart full of unconditional love and compassion; and a life filled with peace, happiness and contentment. Sally hopes to share these values with her students.
Sally W
Sally was first drawn to yoga about 6 years ago and explored many different styles. Sally’s passion for yoga lead her to complete a Yoga Teacher Training at the Australian Yoga Academy and the hopes to share the wonderful healing benefits of yoga with as many people as possible.
Sally loves the balance of inner peace and relaxation that is created in a class, while at the same time, stretching the body and building flexibility. Sally believes a yoga class always leaves a person feeling more energised, while the joy of bringing awareness to the present moment creates a more happy and fulfilled life.
The chosen path of yoga has introduced Sally to many beautiful people and fantastic opportunities and hopes to travel to India next year to further her studies and learn more about this beautiful, ancient philosophy.
Louise
Louise FitzRoy completed her yoga teacher training with the Australian Yoga Academy in 2008. She began teaching at the Australian Yoga Academy and Bridge Yoga in Melbourne. Louise joined the Kozen team from its inception in 2010 and since then has used her anatomical love to train AFL athletes and specialising in injury prevention, core strength and flexibility training. Last year, Louise spent several months in Italy studying and practising Satyananda yoga in the north east region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
A country girl at heart, Louise has a strong passion for sport, health and fitness. She writes about health and wellbeing issues for a variety of publications, including Australian Natural Health. Louise’s enthusiasm and passion for yoga is evident in her teaching methods, ensuring each class is adapted to suit individual needs. Maintaining a present state through the practise of yoga has enabled Louise to develop not only as a teacher and student, but in everyday life as well.
Clare
Clare has had a passion for yoga and its benefits for over 14 years. She was introduced to yoga as a teenager through the influence of her mother, and over the last few years decided to develop her passion by completing her yoga teacher training at the Australian Yoga Academy. Over her years of yoga practice, Clare has discovered not only the physical benefits of yoga, but also the emotional and energetic benefits that a consistent practice can bring to your life – including a sense of balance, a calm mind and a strong will. Through her teaching, Clare is excited and grateful that she can now share her learnings and yoga’s benefits with so many people.
Lisa A
Lisa is a passionate yogi who has practiced yoga for over 20 years in a variety of styles including classical, ashtanga and whatever was on offer at her local gym. She took the plunge into teacher training in 2009, wanting to deepen her own practice and to connect with the beauty of yogic philosophy, never really imagining that she would end up actually teaching. She probably should have known, that once you set out on a yogic path, all kinds of wonderful things happen. Now she can’t imagine not teaching. Lisa’s favourite yoga asana is the smile, and she encourages her students to strive for lightness, vitality and balance, both on and off the yoga mat. Her philosophy is to sincerely try to meet each student at where they are at in their yoga, helping them to get the most from each pose, each practice. While teaching firmly in the power flow tradition, Lisa likes to mix it up, integrating other modalities such as Kinesiology and Chinese medicine into the practice to enhance yoga’s benefits. Lisa is a health professional by background, and when she is not teaching or practicing yoga, she works in youth mental health at the University of Melbourne, and before this at beyondblue: the national depression initiative. This background gives Lisa a passion for what yoga can achieve for mind and spirit as well as the bleedingly obvious physical benefits. Lisa’s ambitions are to raise happy, healthy compassionate children, to speak fluent Sanskrit and to be the first yoga teacher in space.
Lisa M
Lisa's love of yoga was born in her late twenties when she was introduced to an inspiring meditation master visiting from USA. This path took her to India to serve on staff in an international ashram where she intensively studied yoga, meditation and philosophy and offered seva (selfless service) for 12 months. On her return to Australia and family life, this transformational experience sustained and centered her through two beautiful pregnancies and the magical years following with her husband and two gorgeous boys. Lisa completed her formal yoga studies at Bhava Centre, School of Yoga and Creative Dance in Warrandyte, which she eventually became Director of for several years, before focusing her attention closer to home. Lisa also completed a Creative Dance Teaching Diploma at Mangala Studies in Carlton. Her love of dance, artistic expression through form, inspiring music, chanting and creating sacred spaces saw her weave together her own fluid heart-centered yoga practice which she feels delighted and blessed to share with students through her love of teaching. Lisa is also a devoted mother and wife, is always looking to deepen her practice and develop her teaching skills and sees life as her yoga practice.
TESTIMONIALS
I came to Kozen Yoga feeling a bit tired and not very relaxed. The calming presence and peaceful space cleared my head. I was guided through a beautiful class of exactly what I needed. The instructor really paid attention to my needs and abilities that night, and I left feeling so happy and centred. The yoga practice at Kozen Yoga is just wonderful. It's meaningful, calming, energizing and blissful. It's a class I would recommend to anyone who wants a positive and happy yoga experience and really wants to do something amazing for their body.
I started practicing Yoga at Kozen six months ago when I was very ill with depression and anxiety. At the time I was learning about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Mindfulness as a way of understanding the link between my thoughts, feelings and behaviours. Yoga at Kozen complements these therapies by facilitating connections between the mind, body and spirit. It helps me to soothe and control my active mind, strengthen and relax my body and enrich my spirit through meaningful relationships with Lauren, Paul and other devotees. Initially I was just going to give it a try, but now that I have invested time and energy into this ancient practice I find it much easier to manage my illness, even on a bad day. Thank-you Kozen for providing me with a safe environment to relax, smile and practice gratitude for my wellbeing. See you at the next class!
Angela R, Hawthorn.
My experience at Kozen Yoga has been nothing short of fantastic. I thought getting up at before 6am every Tuesday would not last for very long, but now, three months down the track, the alarm going off doesn't even bother me.
The classes are well paced and designed to cater for all, from beginner to the more advanced, which is always comforting. Once the class is over I feel energised yet calm and prepared perfectly for the day ahead. Friends and family have noticed positive changes, not only in my mood but the tone in my body which makes it all the more worthwhile and rewarding
Emily Dale, Hawthorn.
Being fairly new to yoga I have found the encouragement and enthusiasm of Lauren and Paul at Kozen Yoga outstanding. I have been a regular at Kozen classes now for the last few months and have noticed the difference in my body, with increased flexibility and definition in places I didn’t know I had! The variations in each class gives me a full workout for both my mind and body and I walk out of each class feeling refreshed and energized. I would recommend Kozen Yoga to anyone, beginner to advanced, and especially for people wanting to try a new fitness routine that really does make a difference in all areas of your life. Thank you Lauren and Paul for introducing me to a whole new world of yoga and I look forward to our next practice.
Kim Mastrowicz, South Yarra.
Lauren & Paul are not only outstanding Yoga teachers,but outstanding people. and Being new to Yoga per seafter having been introduced to KOZEN Yoga by Danica,the manageress at LULULEMON ATHLETICA in Camberwell(who quite frankly adores both of them !!),I have truly realized how genuinely empathic, warm, friendly & caring these guys are. Their classes throughout February at the Store have been so popular,that it will be sad to see them go,for in my mind, they have again been a type of fixture that we all have looked forward to twice every week.This was vindicated by Lauren's last Sunday morning class attracting over 50 people (a record in itself !!) & with Paul & Lauren being named as Ambassadors to the Camberwell Store,which,in its own right(& in my mind)is a huge honour & greatly deserved.To conclude,anyone aspiring to do Yoga with such nice people,including those who actually go there,MUST check out KOZEN Yoga first off----mediocrity obviously doesn't sit well with Lauren & Paul !!----.
Louise FitzRoy completed her yoga teacher training with the Australian Yoga Academy in 2008. She began teaching at AYA and Bridge Yoga in Melbourne. Louise joined the Kozen team from its inception in 2010 and since then has used her anatomical love to train AFL athletes to aid injury prevention. Last year, Louise spent several months in Italy studying and practising Satyananda yoga in the north east region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
A country girl at heart, Louise has a strong passion for sport, health and fitness. She writes about health and wellbeing issues for a variety of publications, including Australian Natural Health. Louise’s enthusiasm and passion for yoga is evident in her teaching methods, ensuring each class is adapted to suit individual needs. Maintaining a present state through the practise of yoga has enabled Louise to develop not only as a teacher and student, but in everyday life as well.
