Our Teachers

I started practicing yoga nearly 10 years ago.

Influenced by Iyengar and Ashtanga styles, my aim is to provide balanced, informative and invigorating classes.

I focus on connecting breath and movement as well as on integrating attention to alignment in dynamic flows.

Teaching with a light-hearted approach I encourage students to build up strength and to understand the mechanics of every pose.

Yoga is for everyone and what moves me is a deep commitment to make people feel better.

I completed my 250hr YTT at The Elbowroom. During 2020 I have trained as a Mandala Teacher.

I started my 300hrs Advanced Teacher Training at The Elbowroom in February 2021.

Sophia is an experienced yoga and meditation teacher. Having practiced meditation since the late 1990s and yoga since the mid 2000s, she qualified as a yoga teacher in 2010 and has been teaching since.

The yoga styles she teaches include Hatha, Mindful Movement and Meditation, and Restorative yoga. Her teaching style places great emphasis on integrating mindfulness and self-compassion within the practice. Cultivating presence, awareness and kindness are paramount in both her practice and teaching. Over the years she has developed great deal of experience teaching restorative and mindful movement and meditation, bringing these practices to hundreds of students in an easy and direct way.

She has completed many meditation and yoga retreats in Ireland and abroad, and has attended trainings and intensives with Donna Farhi, Michael Stone, Bo Forbes, James Higgins and Josh Summers.

Sophia is also a yoga teacher trainer and co-leads the 200hour Foundation Yoga Teacher Training in the Elbowroom. She also teaches the Restorative Yoga module in the Elbowroom Advance Yoga Teacher Training.

She holds a PhD in Sociology and her research is an investigation of the experience of yoga in Ireland from a sociological and cultural perspective.

Susie’s interest in movement began with dance. In 1999 when a knee injury halted her training she turned to a movement practice that was rumoured to support her body. In fact it provided a lot more than physical support. The transition from mild interest to a fully fledged yoga practitioner occurred over a few years and by 2007 she had made the decision to begin her studies in obtaining a yoga teacher certification. The Elbowroom seemed like an obvious choice when choosing a school with an excellent reputation for it’s high standards in training and from there she continued her studies in Hatha Yoga at Yoga Vidya Gurukul in Nasik India.
Since that initial step into teacher training Susie has qualified as a Pilates and Barre teacher through the Stott method in Complete Body Movement with Dani Gonzalez Ares and Joseph McCarthy, and once again returned to The Elbowroom to study with Susan Church to obtain the 500hr Advanced Yoga Teacher Training qualification. Her classes are all about the breath and she fully believes that the breath is the key to connecting to the wholeness of who you truly are and letting go of what might be holding you back. Her style of practice has been deeply influenced by her background in dance which lends itself to the smooth choreography of her classes and having attended an eclectic array of workshops with internationally acclaimed instructors her practice is diverse and rich in dynamic flow. Alignment and balanced energy are consistent points of focus in all of her classes to inspire strength, agility, adaptability and flexibility in the body and the mind.

I’m a qualified 250hr Yoga Alliance teacher since May 2016 which I did through the Elbowroom. I also acquired my foundation & mindfulness yin training with Josh Summers in 2017.
I consider myself a student of yoga first & foremost. I feel privileged to be able to share my journey so far & enriching my teaching experience by continuously learning from my students & peers, continuously taking workshops & further trainings with some great inspiring international teachers. I have a keen interest in yoga philosophy in which I continue to study on an ongoing basis.
I’ve been practicing different styles of yoga since 2008, Hatha, Ashtanga, vinyasa & yin. Coming from an arts performance background, I was initially drawn to the physical aspects of yoga, flowing sequences, like dance & movement. I initially fell in love with the physical aspects, how the practice can give you a sense of connection with breath, body & mind. I also felt I’d gotten a great workout! I soon realised there was so, so much more to yoga than the physicality. I developed more of an interest in contemplative practices like meditation, spent some time on Vipassana courses & it is this mindfulness aspect I like to incorporate in my classes, especially Yin. I now consider yoga to be a ‘work-in’, rather than a ‘work-out’!
Drawing inspiration from different styles of yoga, I love to create dynamic sequences that are challenging & FUN with a focus on breath, safe alignment, mindfulness & hope to inspire others on their yoga journey.
I believe yoga is for absolutely everybody.
I am also Pilates Mat level 1&2 qualified.
Hope to see you on the mat soon!

My fitness journey began in 2002 when I delved into the world of exercise studies and sports massage & remedial therapy in the NCT. During that time, I also pursued a degree in Leisure Management, equipping myself with a comprehensive understanding of the industry. I immersed myself in the challenging realm of gym management.

From the moment I attended my first Pilates class, I knew I had found something extraordinary. It completely changed my perspective on exercise, unveiling a whole new level of strength and tone in my body that I never thought possible.

Motivated by this life-altering experience, I embarked on a natural progression from student to teacher. I dedicated myself to mastering both Mat and Reformer Pilates Teacher Training.

My goal as a Pilates instructor is to make fitness fun, effective, and safe. I’ve personally experienced the incredible benefits of Pilates, and I want to share that with others. As we age, we tend to lose mobility, strength, and balance, but through Pilates, we can reclaim and even surpass our former abilities.

Join me for engaging Pilates sessions that challenge and empower you. Drawing from my background in fitness and my passion for Pilates, I’m committed to helping you achieve enhanced mobility, strength, and balance, and together, let’s unlock the amazing potential of your body. Rediscover the joy of movement, reignite your vitality, and create a strong, balanced and resilient body that will serve you for years to come.

I have been practicing and teaching yoga since 2014, having completed trainings in Ireland, Portugal, Spain and New York.
I teach vinyasa flow and hatha yoga with an emphasis on strength and dynamic movement. Yoga is my passion and I love teaching it. Since the first day I stepped inside a studio as a student I knew I’d eventually end up teaching. I initially kept going for the fitness element but I have stayed for the layers within yoga. Practicing mindfulness and meditation has helped my anxiety.
For me yoga is a shared experience, I love sharing what I have learned with the students in my class and I love that practice teaches me something new everytime I step on the mat.

Barbara has been practicing Yoga since she moved from Italy to Ireland in 2003 and continues studying Yoga in Ireland and India as a way of life and self-development.
She focuses on creating a safe and welcoming space where her students can deepen their awareness of body, breath and Self and find more space and connection on and off the mat.
Her classes – mindful flows of breath and movement, with attention to alignment and the energetic aspects of the practice – are intended for all levels.

Karolina O’Brien is a professional yoga teacher with a passion for inspiring and encouraging people everywhere to cultivate healthy habits, manage stress, find inner peace, and embrace mindfulness through yoga. She is trained in hatha and Vinyasa yoga, prenatal yoga and Yoga Nidra. As the founder of Inner Light Yoga and with over 10 years of teaching experience, Karolina loves to share her enthusiasm for wellness and her burning desire to build a thriving, wholesome community of likeminded women.

Ever since discovering the life-changing benefits of yoga and mindfulness, Karolina has become passionate about developing personalized programs and workshops so that people from all walks of life can reconnect with themselves and deal with the challenges of life. She believes that yoga holds incredible potential for transforming your lifestyle and creating positive change.

Through Inner Light Yoga, Karolina has published over 150 free yoga classes on Youtube, where she helps people find yoga practices no matter their body type, fitness level, mobility and personality. No matter your skill level, you’re bound to find a class that suits your needs.

Originally from Poland, Karolina has spent the last 10 years in the beautiful country of Ireland. In her free time, she enjoys growing her own food, practice art and web design, and spending time with her wonderful dog Yoda and two cats, Smokey and Biska.

With more than 30 years of experience within the health and fitness arena Bev brings a wealth of experience, wisdom and fun. She is a Neuromuscular Therapist and Yoga Teacher Trainer who has a deep understanding of the human body and how it moves.
She delivers courses, workshops and seminars on topics ranging from, Stress Management, Yoga & Muscle Activation, Somatic Movement, Holistic Anatomy and Physiology, Sleep cycles & Resilience. She is the creator of Activate Your Asana, Postural Reset and Neuroconnective Movement.
Bev is passionate about helping people to understand how amazing their bodies are, and with a few tools and better information, how quickly they can change states both physically and emotionally.

Mary has been passionate about music and movement her whole life. Her yoga journey began in 2010 initially been drawn to yoga by the sense of escape and very quickly grew to love the mind, body, spirit connection.
She began her teaching career in Miami in 2012 before moving to Dublin, teaching restorative yoga  Bikram yoga, children’s and additional needs yoga and Vinyasa flow.  She has enjoyed watching students of all ages light up from the practice of yoga ever since. She enjoys travelling and teaching yoga and sharing her love it.

Her mission as a yoga teacher is to help others see that Mindfulness can be achieved through a variety of approaches such as yoga, music, meditation and healthy living and being present in everything you do. While not flowing on her mat, Mary teaches music, plays violin in an orchestra, snowboards in winter and lies forever under the sun during the summer.

Melanie began practising Yoga in London, and after moving to Dublin in 1996, started her training in Iyengar Yoga with Aisling Guirke & Elizabeth Connolly. Since then she has attended workshops and trainings with many senior Iyengar teachers, including the Iyengar Yoga Association’s 2009 Convention in London with Dr. Geeta Iyengar. As a holder of an Intermediate (Level III) Iyengar teaching certificate she has undergone continuous training both in her own practice and as a teacher. Melanie has been teaching Iyengar Yoga in Adult Education for the last 8 years, and also teaches at the iYoga studio in Phibsborough Melanie strongly believes that Yoga is for all of us – no one is too old, too young, too stiff, too large or too tired to practice! Her classes are designed to provide an enjoyable and progressive practice of Iyengar yoga for all abilities.

Hi, my name is Nina Healy and I am a hatha yoga teacher. I am also qualified to teach pregnancy and mum and baby yoga.

I started practising yoga in 2003. Initially I fell in love with yoga for the strength and flexibility that yoga brings. My reason for starting was therefore fitness. I dipped in and out of yoga for a number of years, however, it was in 2010 after a trip to my physio with pain in my hip flexors that I went back to yoga, realising that my stiff, tight hips might benefit from yoga. I found a teacher whose style I liked and I was hooked. Over the years, my reasons for doing yoga has evolved. It has supported me through pregnancy and helps keep me sane with two small children in tow. Whilst I love the physical side of the practise, it is the total feel good factor that keeps me practising. The ability that yoga has to improve my mood, make me feel happy and feel a little more relaxed.

I truly believe that yoga should be for all, keeping our bodies moving and our minds calm is vital to our long term health and happiness and for me, yoga is the perfect way to achieve both.

I teach vinyasa flow, prenatal yoga and postnatal yoga in the elbowroom and also run weekly classes in Lucan.

Deirdre is delighted to be able to offer classes in infant massage. Deirdre has extensive experience in the field of perinatal and infant mental health and is considered an expert in this area. Holding space for women and babies for over a decade in a maternity mental health service, infant massage is just one evidence based approach that Deirdre has in her repertoire.  Valuing the importance of facilitating parents to notice and interact with their baby from the beginning, Deirdre believes infant massage can promote a positive social, emotional and physical relationship between you and your baby, including the tears, messiness and uncertainty of becoming a parent.

Babies are born hard wired to be social, from birth they recognise smells and voices, but did you know that babies prefer looking at faces over objects, and that they can mimic faces shortly after being born? Deirdre recognises and understands how overwhelming it can be becoming a parent, especially with the endless amount of information that you can be bombarded with. 

If you would like to take time to be, to pause with your baby and be supported in the process of enhancing this relationship through the many benefits of infant massage. Please contact The elbowroom to book a space in the upcoming infant massage course.

Aga is a 500 hours qualified yoga and Pilates teacher with The Elbowroom in Dublin since 2016. She has studied under the guidance of Susan Church, Melissa Curtis and Lisa Wilkinson, finishing her Pilates training at Live & Breath Pilates in 2015 in Dublin. Furthering her knowledge, she travelled to India and trained in Ashtanga Yoga Shala in Mysore in 2017, and recently completed 500 hours Yoga Alliance certified Advanced Teacher Training in Rishikesh, India in 2020. Experienced teaching online and live classes in Hatha, Yin, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Mindful/Meditation and Pilates (up to Advanced Level). She also runs workshops and has Corporate and Private clients.

She’s passionate about animal rights and promoting a sustainable life style. She’s into outdoors activities and a regular climber in her private time. Coming from an acrobatic background , Aga used to work as a performing artist, teaching acro balance and contortion for years before becoming a Yoga and Pilates teacher. She first turned toward yoga to deal with chronic pain and injuries deriving from her hyper mobile joints. Heightening body awareness and perfecting alignment became keys in her personal practice and the foundation of her work as yoga and Pilates teacher. She sees yoga and Pilates as complimentary arts, the perfect way to maintain a healthy body and focused mind. Aga has a natural ability to connect to her students and guide them on their journey and practice, walking with them through challenges, step by step. She believes in appreciating your own growth and progress, and that building a strong and mobile body is an amazing way to expand our freedom and happiness.

My name is Aleanbh Cox. I have always been interested in the miracle of childbirth and the inner strength that women possess, sometimes unknowingly. As a midwife for over a decade, I have seen the amazing strength that women have. But I have also seen how birth can be for those who go into labour in a state of fear, worry or even unprepared.

I am a registered midwife, but above all, I am a mother to two beautiful little girls. As a mother, I have experienced 2 completely different births: One an Emergency C/S and the other a beautiful (almost) homebirth. And I put the beautiful & calm (almost) homebirth down to my preparation…Hypnobirthing & Spinning Babies techniques.

I studied midwifery in Trinity College Dublin and trained in the Coombe Women’s and Infants University Hospital, Dublin. In addition, I have completed training and obtained diplomas in Hypnobirthing, Antenatal Yoga and Baby Massage. Also, I am proud to say that I am the first in Ireland to be a certified Spinning Babies® Parent Educator!

I am also a homebirth midwife, attending and assisting with homebirths in the Dublin area. I am also a volunteer with AIMS Ireland and help women in their recovery during the postnatal journey. Sometimes women have questions about their birth or need clarification on their maternity notes. I help them to better understand the events during their birth in the hospital.