Who we are
Welcome to Align Yoga Christchurch, a boutique yoga studio in the heart of Strowan, Christchurch. We pride ourselves on teaching accessible yoga for all bodies, ages, and experience levels - from complete beginners to seasoned practitioners. With over 35 years of combined teaching experience, our small class sizes (12 students maximum) provide a safe, supportive environment to help you connect your mind and body through movement, mobility, and breath. Yoga truly is for everyone, and we look forward to welcoming you to the mat.
Georgie Priest- Teacher
My Yoga journey started when I was 22. After years of ignoring the messages from my overused body (thanks to distance running!), I reluctantly joined a friend for my first yoga class. Was it love at first deep breath? No, not really - the breathing was actually the hardest part! But class by class, I began to connect the dots. My body felt better than ever, and more importantly, I finally found a sense of balance in my life.
In 2012, I attended my first yoga teacher training and have since been fortunate to learn from many talented and inspiring teachers, both locally and internationally. My years spent at Yoga Sanctuary under the wonderful guidance of Justine Wheelans ignited my passion for teaching beginners and creating an environment that supports all bodies to benefit from yoga.
Yoga has carried me through many life phases - from adolescence, through pregnancies, and into motherhood. Each phase has brought new learnings and a deeper appreciation for the practice. I'm grateful for all the insights I've gained, both as a teacher and as a student. We are always learning, and we all start somewhere. I look forward to welcoming you to the studio and supporting you on your own yoga journey.
Lisa Fabri- Teacher
I was introduced to Ashtanga Yoga in 2000 and I was immediately hooked by the challenging physical practice blending in breath and spirituality. In 2003, I decided to train as a teacher.
Later I discovered Anusara Yoga through Katie Lane and embraced this slower flowing style with a stronger focus on alignment. Through my curiosity for all things yogic my practice has evolved but I still call on these two styles as my main influencers. I embrace the changing nature of Yoga blending the ancient with current science.
A gypsy at heart, I have travelled a lot and taught yoga in New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, the UK and Italy. I love the connection yoga creates in a room of people no matter where you are in the world. It is a great leveller and encourages us to remember we are all the same.
Yoga is not a magic cure but a lifelong companion and practice to take you wherever you go. For me yoga is about feeling and being, rather than thinking and analysing. It helps you stay true to your authentic self no matter what highs or lows you are experiencing.
My goal as a teacher is to show that yoga is for everybody. I believe it is about accepting ourselves and becoming more comfortable in our own skin. It helps us get to know ourselves better on all levels. Through my yoga practice I have had profound experiences and I enjoy sharing whatever I have learnt, and hopefully facilitating people to find their own yoga path. I am grateful to be able to share something that brings me so much peace, strength and contentment.
Robin Smith- Teacher
Over the past 20 years, yoga has been a steady thread through my life and has supported me through many different seasons. My first experience of studying yoga was at university as part of my degree in Human Movement and Exercise Science. In the beginning, I was drawn to yoga primarily as a form of exercise, practicing Moksha yoga. I went on to study and practice physiotherapy, and have since trained in therapeutic yoga, somatics, and embodiment coaching.
Along the way, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the role of the nervous system and breathing practices in supporting regulation and optimal wellbeing. Over time, I have come to value and embrace the more holistic and spiritual dimensions of yoga, and how these can support deeper levels of wellbeing.
This evolving relationship has shaped how I practice and teach. I value the ways in which yoga can meet us where we’re at through different styles, pace, and practices. Yoga has supported me through seasons of injury, illness, and burnout, and continues to be a steady resource.
My teaching is also informed by studies with Bex Tyrer, with a focus on cyclical wisdom and trauma-informed practice. This work has expanded my understanding of yoga for women’s health and vitality across the lifespan, and deepened my appreciation for yin and restorative practices.
My work is centred on helping people reconnect with their bodies. This looks like building awareness, resilience and a sense of feeling at home within themselves. I love guiding others to listen inward, explore what feels supportive and learn to fully inhabit their bodies with curiosity and care.
Mary Goulter- Teacher
I came to yoga while studying for a masters degree in San Francisco, and it didn't take long for the practice to feel like something I hadn't known I was looking for - a way back to my own body and mind. I completed my teacher training, and studied extensively with my teachers there, before returning home to Christchurch where have been teaching since 2016.
My Yoga practice continues to be an anchor through my life - bringing everyday joy and ease, as well as giving me the tools I need to weather life’s inevitable ups and downs. My wholehearted belief in yoga's power to transform everyday life is what brings me to the mat to teach.
I believe yoga is for everyone - you don't need to wear the right clothes, or do the poses ‘right’, to practice yoga fully and meaningfully. This practice is your birthright, and I aim to teach it in a way that is approachable, and un-intimidating, and empowers you to make this practice your own.
My teaching is alignment-focused and detail-oriented, though not in pursuit of any perfect or "correct" shape. Instead, I use alignment as a map - a way to help you feel and explore your own body, find your own stuck spots (we all have them), and discover new ways to engage, release, and move.
I look forward to meeting you on the mat.
