WELCOME TO
BUMBLEBEEÂ
YOGA
If you can breathe, you can do yoga
We believe that yoga is for every person in every body.
Our mission is to make the practice of yoga accessible, enjoyable, and an integral part of people’s lives.
We specialise in adaptive yoga for bodies with different abilities, stress management and self-care workshops, mental health education, and yoga through the lifespan, including kids, golden years, and everyone in between!
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We are based in Adelaide, South Australia.
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We have lots of ways to get involved!
Click the links below to explore more:
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Private classes and partnerships with community organisations to create custom courses and workshops
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Blog and social media content, exploring science, philosophy, wellbeing, and all things yoga
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Meet Leah
Owner and Director
Movement has always been a huge part of my life. I fell in love with yoga when I was studying psychology and working in mental health, alongside working in the fitness industry as a dance teacher.
I traveled to India to complete my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training and graduated with a Diploma in Yoga Education in 2018 at the stunning Govardhan Ecovillage School of Yoga in Maharashtra.
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I began teaching in gyms and fitness centers, but my real passion was using yoga, meditation, and mindfulness in my mental health work.
I had seen the benefits of yoga for so many types of people while I was working in psychiatric hospitals and disability centers in Asia, and knew that this was something special.
I launched The Be Kind Project in March of 2019 as a nonprofit because I wanted to be able to bring yoga to as many people as possible. You can read the full story here, but long story short, we had some trial and error.
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In 2019 I completed my training in Adaptive Yoga for (dis)Ability with Australia's leading adaptive yoga teacher. From there I was all in, with a renewed passion for making yoga as accessible as I could possibly make it, and Bumblebee Yoga was born.
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Since then, I've also had the privilege of completing the Love Your Brain Yoga for Brain Injury Teacher Training, and working with the organisation to be the first program providers in South Australia.
I also completed training to become a Mindfulness Facilitator, deep diving into the neuroscience of wellbeing and how we can use these practices in everyday life.
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Alongside yoga, I work in mental health. I currently have a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), and am currently completing my PhD in Clinical Psychology, where my research is exploring how self-compassion influences prosocial behaviours.
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Bumblebee Yoga started as a small passion project, but now I can't imagine my life without it. I am so proud of the community that we have created together, and I can't wait to see it grow and evolve!
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Meet some of our other teachers down below!
Hayley
Hayley is a Librarian, former school education facilitator on water literacy, English as a Second Language teacher, yoga and yoga nidra facilitator, author of the Captain Plop series of picture books on water education, ThinkBeings (a picture book on emotional intelligence and self-esteem), and Peace of the Puzzle: a novel.
“From 2007 to 2017, I had the privilege of helping to develop and then run a number of school education programs under SA Water’s Brainwave program, including writing picture books for younger students. It was a phenomenal experience in which I was able to realise and combine long-held desires of writing books and working with children. This led to writing for young children on the theme of EQ and self-esteem, two topics I had spent considerable time studying on a personal level.
2007 was a pivotal year for me, as it is also the year that yoga entered my life. After developing my own personal practice, I travelled to India three times, to experience different yoga modalities, culminating in doing my instructor training there.
I love sharing yoga with all age groups and am very excited to have the opportunity with Bumblebee Yoga’s school programs to combine so many of my passions (yoga, working with children, books and emotional intelligence). In addition, after undergoing the experience of brain surgery, I am likewise excited for future opportunities to facilitate yoga for those who have experienced any kind of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).”
Hayley’s other interests & hobbies include:
Travel; volunteering at home and abroad; reading; neuroscience and neuroplasticity - including how it relates to the quantum field; meditation; gardening; hiking (most satisfying experience so far was walking the entire 780-odd kilometres of Spain’s Camino de Santiago); cooking healthy food.
Emma
Yoga came to me at a time where I needed it the most and it changed my life in the most beautiful way. I became immersed in the world of yoga and holistic health in 2020 when I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. Yoga practice was my guiding light, it gave me the space to connect fully with my mind, body and soul and it was the only time where I truly felt at peace. It gave me the strength to overcome the challenges I was facing and blossom into the person I wanted to become. Going through these profound shifts in my life and awakening to the powers of yoga I knew I wanted to be that same guiding light for others.
I completed my yoga teacher training this year through Power Living Australia and have had the wonderful opportunity to work closely with my dear friend Leah. We both share the drive for making yoga accessible for every body and offering the practice as a self-compassion and self-acceptance experience. My classes are a journey of self, where we cultivate connection through the body, breath, mind and soul.
It is my passion in life to support, educate and inspire others to live a happy, healthy and fulfilling life! In addition to being a yoga teacher I studied at Endeavour College of Natural Health where I completed a Certificate in Lifestyle Coaching. I specialised in nutrition, meditation teaching, wellness practices and musculoskeletal studies. I am currently studying a Diploma in Counselling where I aim to become a wellness counsellor where I can support others on a deeper level.
I am delighted to be a part of the Bumblebee community and cannot wait to create connections with you all!
WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY
Bumblebee Yoga is one of my favourite hours of the week. Leah is a lovely instructor who works with you to get the most out of yoga and is always happy to accommodate everyone's needs. She always says anyone can do yoga and she makes that possible. Leah makes it such a supportive environment, I highly recommend her yoga sessions.
Erin
Leah is an amazing yoga instructor, she has a great deal of yoga knowledge and has a caring, kind, and patient nature. Her classes are lots of fun and always to the ability of the participants. I would definitely recommend Leah (Bumblebee yoga) to anyone looking to start or expand their yoga experience.
Kerry
Leah ran a fun and light-hearted mixed session of mindfulness and gentle yoga. I found the session easy to follow and appreciated Leah's accessible approach. She focused on teaching us how to find the benefits of the exercises through the process, rather than on achieving perfect poses. I am not very flexible, but I was supported to adjust the poses to suit my body and receive the benefit I needed from the pose. Leah is clearly very knowledgeable and a friendly, supportive guide. She put so much work into the session and I really appreciated all the information she provided. In the session I attended, she explained about the physiology of emotional regulation and how to incorporate yoga and mindfulness practice to support your mental health. I look forward to establishing the practices I learned today in my life moving forward and to attending more sessions whenever I can. I would recommend Bumblebee Yoga to anyone looking to try a supportive and soul-nourishing practice.
Freddie
Yes, the way Leah shared her practise was very inclusive and inviting. I have been practising yoga fairly regularly with a studio who are very high end in their approach, it was lovely to have the balance of very inclusive and accessible yoga with Leah. The way she structured sessions and discussed positive psychology/neuroplasticity/mental health was also really fascinating and though provoking.
Anonymous