Praise for Awakened Soul Yoga…
hear from our satisfied clients
I have been a student of Ondine for almost 12 years now. What a formidable teacher and what an amazing practice and journey it has been! Ondine teaches from the heart and from an incredible ‘lived and learned experience.’ Her years of practice and acquiring knowledge across the globe is embedded in her approach to teaching and learning. All this translates into a learning environment where each student is treated as an equal and as an individual on their own quest to understand Yoga in all its forms.
Over the years we have covered vast areas of yoga – the asanas, the various styles (Hatha, Vinyasa, Yoga Nidra, Yin, Restorative), Meditation, Pranayama and the yoga texts to ensure we have a thorough grasp of an immersive and complete yoga practice. In addition, we have had the joy of attending incredibly well run and organised yoga retreats onshore and offshore where the attention to detail and tailored approach has been unmatched in its planning, content and execution.
Ondine practices and delivers what she teaches time and time again. In her humbleness, her vision and her true commitment to living a yogic path she has transformed my yoga journey and I am all the better a human being for it! Simply put, I practice yoga because of Ondine and her teaching.
I have been practicing yoga under Ondine’s guidance for nearly 10 years, having attended her lunchtime classes for many years up until Covid. In previous years I had tried and failed to enjoy or benefit from yoga classes, partly because I am naturally quite stiff and unsupple and mostly because I never felt motivated or capable of improving.
Ondine’s classes changed that for me, not immediately because I still had to persevere with my own attitude problem (very ‘un-yoga’ thoughts which berated myself for not being any good and always ‘getting it wrong’). But Ondine is a very intuitive yoga teacher and was able to ease both my reluctant body and mind into an acceptance of what is possible and what is reasonable.
I remember a real breakthrough moment was when Ondine praised my vinyasa in a class. This combined with getting a very positive bone density report which revealed improved results over the previous year and which I attributed to the increased work I had done under Ondine’s guidance.
Since Covid I have been a regular participant in Ondine’s Zoom classes and I attend whenever she holds live sessions in Sydney. I also took part in a delightful day retreat and would dearly love to attend more of these lovely oases of peaceful and enriching activity.
That Ondine is an experienced and gifted yoga practitioner is beyond question. Her real talent however is in her communication skills, her ability to teach and encourage, and her generosity in sharing her own approach and philosophy to leading a healthier outer and inner life.
I am looking forward to continuing my yoga practice with Ondine, both online and in person. I can without reservation commend her yoga teaching skills and her thoughtful concern for the wellbeing of her students
Ondine is a very talented and proficient yoga teacher with many experiences and offers an authentic yoga practice and teachings. Ondine has a pleasant manner and is very respectful as she carries out a slight adjustment of you here and there with a cheeky quip, which is non-judgmental and makes you laugh at yourself. As one of her older students, I have found Ondine’s classes very rewarding in that I come away with a calm mind, being more present and having a more balanced attitude to life with no expectations. Ondine’s teachings have assisted me not only from a mindfulness perspective but my practice with Ondine as my teacher has improved my posture, flexibility and strength. I feel very lucky to embrace yoga now and to have found a wonderful teacher in Ondine who has enriched my life.
Ondine is a fantastic yoga teacher. Having done yoga intermittently throughout my life, I came to Ondine’s class 10 years ago, on a friend’s recommendation. I love her classes, either in her studio or online because she creates a wonderful atmosphere of calm, acceptance and inclusivity. All her instructions are precise and clear, her classes well-prepared and her manner is caring and observant. This was all the more important as we transitioned from her studio to zoom classes during covid. I am continually amazed how well she remembers everyone’s injuries and aches and adjusts her teaching to suit each individual. As I age, it’s reassuring to know that with Ondine, I know I am in a safe environment. There’s no pressure to perform. Instead we are encouraged to listen to our bodies and only move as it “feels right.”
I have enjoyed how Ondine incorporates her yoga philosophy with gentle humour, both in class and outside it in our many discussions about life. Her guided meditations are great too. I am thankful she has continued these online.
Over the years I have enjoyed Ondine’s yoga retreats in beautiful bushland venues, with carefully prepared classes in yin and restorative yoga followed by bountiful vegetarian meals and much camaraderie.
I feel very fortunate to have Ondine as my yoga teacher and look forward to continuing my practice under her careful tuition.
Thank you so much Ondine for the holistic coaching call. I have been wanting to improve my diet for the last 2 years, but I was putting it off thinking it was too much of a challenge. From just the one hour I spoke with you I learnt so much about digestion and how our body works with food. I had some really big wow moments, where I realised that I had been taught certain things all my life that were actually very ineffective.
Within 7 days my life already looks VERY different. I’ve been able to implement very effective changes, that haven’t even taken much more time then usual. My approach to food has completely shifted. I now enjoy it, as opposed to it feeling like a chore. I don’t snack anymore, I understand my digestion process in a completely different way through Ayurvedic science.
I’m connecting with my food and body and have actually learnt some spiritual lessons, just from the way I eat! I’m so surprised how easy it’s been and felt how much of your passion and attention went it to it. This has 100% been the best investment I’ve made towards my health.
Two years ago I was seeking a return to simplicity and respite from the static of endless yoga lifestyle trends. And I feel so fortunate to have found my way to Ondine, a teacher who embodies the true integrity and grace of yoga. The depth of Ondine’s training, commitment to her students and personal practice shines through in her classes. I relish them for their quiet rigour, unique asana sequences and Ondine’s authentic, generous and good-humoured guidance on the path of practice.
The yoga community means so much to Ondine but, oh boy, how much being part of Ondine’s yoga community can mean to her students.
As a yogi friend of 40-years experience said after discovering Ondine’s classes “You are so lucky to have found her”. And Ondine’s retreats are just magic. I would go to every one if I could and I have friends who come from as far away as north Queensland to attend.
Ondine also has had such a traditional grounding in yoga you know you are in safe hands that stretch back throughs scores of years of traditional teachers. Her classes seem to have a different focus each week and she also adjusts them depending on weather and what she can tell of the “general mood” in the room.
She gently incorporates humour and the capacity to make older, injury and stiffness-riddled students like me, feel at home and capable of belonging and advancing. I would highly recommend her classes … and already have to so many of my friends that sometimes retreats also act as reunions.
I’ve been learning Hatha Yoga with Ondine for over 2 years now and find my weekly class a welcoming, challenging and incredibly rewarding experience. As someone who’s never been a fan of exercise I started off incredibly stiff and shakey but with Ondine’s guidance and support I’ve seen my abilities grow week on week. The many months of stretching, bending and holding has transformed my fitness, flexibility, strength and overall happiness. The class is something I look forward to, and rarely miss – it brings the perfect calm and realignment to my week.
Lunchtime yoga classes have become like a vitamin tonic to me. I walk into class feeling grumpy and tired, and walk out feeling revitalised and cheerful. Ondine is a patient, caring and knowledgable teacher whose enthusiasm for yoga is quite contagious. Since starting classes I am stronger and more flexible, my posture has improved and I am a lot more focused.
Ondine’s teaching style is traditional, precise, and comes from deep experience and knowledge of Yoga. You can practice at your level, and your edge will be gently pushed so that every class you take yourself just a little deeper. If you are looking for a traditional yoga class, and want to learn ‘real’ yoga, Ondine and her school is the place. I am so pleased to have found the real deal in a teacher, I can’t recommend her enough.