Joanne Avison

Joanne originally became a Teacher when Yoga completely restored her health and mobility after illness and injury. Her studies developed to include Structural Integration as a manual therapy, eventually teaching both in the USA and the UK. Jo remains passionate about how movement and manual practice meet and how they are applied through a vivacious understanding of animated anatomy & touch skills; uniquely expressed in everyone.

Jo's early studies were in the creative field of Art & Design and she spent the last 25 years working in Human Development. When she married a Chocolatier and learned the creative skills of the artisan, she had no idea that Chocolate - as a material - would train her profoundly in a key aspect of the human body.

After illness, injury and child birth Jo came to Yoga to restore her health and developed a fascination for how the body works. Chocolate was left behind for a career in Yoga (the work of Vanda Scaravelli) and then Structural Integration where she studied - and then worked - with Tom Myers for many years, teaching and developing Anatomy Trains for Movement Teachers.

As her teaching developed, she discovered that there are similarities between some of the properties of Connective Tissue, and those of chocolate as a 'working material'. Thus Jo was inspired and driven to explore the nature of fascia and continues to find magic in both! Joanne went on to work with Caroline Myss, training over a period of five years, to graduate from the CMED Institute in Sacred Contracts. There she was able to take her on-going studies in Human Development to a new level and discover where the world of the 'psyche' and the 'soma' (body) meet; in the animated expression of Archetypal Pattern - in the "architecture" and its connective tissue. Thus her work remains as exciting and diverse as the people she works with.

Jo is also a mother, author and private practitioner working from her studio in Sussex when she isn't teaching in the UK or abroad.

Alex Waldenmaier

Alex, originally a skilled Ballet Dancer, has studied for many years in England, Switzerland and India to master several different Yogic forms. He brought Gyrotonics to the UK and is an advanced CranioSacral Therapist. His Yoga teaching includes Philosophy, Ancient Psychology and Contemporary Meditation. Alex now runs the Centre for Change Academy in Tübingen, Germany, where he lives and teaches.

Alexander Waldenmaier has had 25 years of experience in movement, dance, yoga, meditation and hands-on treatment. Alex first became a professional dancer in 1981, in Stuttgart, Germany. From ballet and dance, he was inspired to take extensive travels to India and Europe to study Spanda Yoga, Kashmiri Shaivism Yoga, Sahaj Yoga, White Cloud Yoga and the yoga of Vanda Scaravelli, to further his deep understanding of the moving body.

The teaching of Yogic Disciplines - Meditation, was brought to him in the traditional one-to-one practice of teacher and student, throughout more than a decade of his life. Alex went on to study the Julio Horvarth method and was one of the first people to introduce the Gyrotonic Expansion System™ to London.

For many years he has presented workshops in London and Germany for the Pilates Foundation. He went on to study with the Upledger Institute and become an Advanced Practitioner in CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release specialising in Post Traumatic Stress Disorders and attended a Pilates mat work training with Body Arts & Science International.

Just recently Alex participated in a Human Dissection Program in Bolder Colorado and certified to teach Anatomy in Clay core data I. He is currently working towards a Diploma in Psychosynthesis. His work has been dedicated to an exploration of consciousness, through intensive study of Far East Psychology, movement, hands-on work and meditation practice. Alex holds Primary E-RYT500 Certification from the Yoga Alliance USA and European Yoga Alliance and holds workshops in Yoga Intensives, the yoga A-Z, Yogic Disciplines, Self-development and a variety of popular short courses that include bringing the body, mind and spirit to a natural state of meditative synthesis.

Alex is teaching the Yoga on the Art of Contemporary Yoga course and takes primary responsibility for the Contemporary Meditation Faculty, Advaita and Ancient Psychology in the school. He also runs the first Centre for Change Academy in Germany, where he lives and works in Tübingen, near Stuttgart. Alex also runs a Pilates Training programme www.cfcpilates.de at the Centre and full details of all the courses there can be found on the Centre for Change Academy website www.cfcacademy.de

Linda d'Antal

Linda has been teaching Yoga for over 25 years. Her beautiful work is a mixture of Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow and her own exquisite style of movement that is both graceful and accessible for others to understand and learn. Her teaching is light hearted and humorous and everyone in her classes enjoys working with her and leaves wiser and happier in their practice.

Linda is an asset to the AOCY teaching staff. Her gentle way of working with students to ensure they fully understand their own practice and work within their own limits is inspiring and inspired. She also demonstrates and teaches touch skills, which are an important part of the AOCY training and essential to Linda's gift for empowering those she is teaching.

Linda has travelled all over the world, studying with authentic masters in all kinds of Yogic forms. Her participation in class is extremely valuable and appreciated by everyone in the school. She manages to impart her own abilities to her students with generosity of spirit and encouragement so that they may develop their own style and ways, while understanding the nature of the movements.

Shane McDermott

Shane has spent many years developing extensive and advanced skills as a manual therapist and Kriya Yoga Teacher. He has developed an understanding of spinal pathology and related integrated movement that is astounding in its accessibility and value to movement and manual practitioners. Shane is also passionate about individuals using their own intuitive skills to heal and transform their own lives.

He is also a gifted wild life photographer www.wildearthilluminations.com will allow you to share his wonderful relationship with nature.

Shane McDermott's journey started with a fascinaton for the physical body and, more importantly, 'how it works'. This led him to the CHEK Institute where he studied and taught with Paul Chek, working all over the world for six years. From here he also studied and taught with Diane Lee and completed A.R.T certification. Shane went on to Kinesis to facilitate 'integration' of the various techniques he had mastered, and is a certified KMI practitioner (Structutal Integration), as well as a Yoga Teacher. He has worked in the style of Kriya Yoga for many years.

Shane has continued to develop his profound understanding of the human body through accurate treatment and training in Bio-mechanics, Human Dissection, Clinical Nutrition, Soft Tissue, Muscle Energy and Intuitive work. He is a graduate of CMED Institute (Caroline Myss Education Institute) where he spent several years training in Sacred Contracts. Shane's gift is the humourous and delightful way he makes complex subjects (such as Spinal Pathology) lively and accessible. He has a profound understanding of how it takes time to understand a principle, then learn to apply it wisely in practice and thus build the experience in the practitioner's instinct. His workshops are animated and informative; clearly presenting the straightforward and profoundly intuitive principles from which he works and teaches.

Shane is also a passionate photographer and spends much of his time photographing wild animals, particularly endangered spieces, for both art and conservation. He is a Primary Faculty member of the Art of Contemporary Yoga Teacher Training, working with both Yoga Technique, Pranayama and Anatomy & Physiology. He is a gifted bodyworker and will also be guiding touch skills and body reading, to enhance safe practice and accurate adjustment. Visit the website - it will lift your spirits!

Philippa King

Philippa trained as a School Teacher and worked as a TV Presenter and now teaches Cuban Salsa. As a certified Massage Therapist, she runs her own massage practice. Philippa will be Course Supervisor, present for all the contact hours at the back of the room; ensuring the sessions run smoothly and supporting both Teachers and Teacher Trainees throughout the training. Her work is intuitive, invisible and invaluable.

Philippa began her career as a Residential Social worker and went on to train as a School Teacher (BEd Distinction). She then became a Children's TV presenter and producer in Hong Kong, working in TV journalism (Children and Medical). When she became a mother, Philippa trained at the London College of Holistic Medicine and certified as a Massage Therapist. She now runs her own Private Practice in Massage & Aromatherapy in Sussex. Philippa also has a passion for Cuban Salsa and became a teacher of Salsa Dance. Her popular classes and workshops in Salsa also included exploring the Yoga of Dance, combining Yoga with Salsa, very successfully.

Philippa has been working with Jo Avison for several years as a Course Supervisor, assisting her in workshops, overseeing the classroom, the student's experience and ensuring that all aspects of logisitics and management are run smoothly. Philippa has an enviable attention to detail and works with her own special grace and dignity and extensive understanding of the process of education. Philippa will retain this role throughout the Teacher Training programme and her presence is an essential part of the facilities provided by the course.