Our teachers & facilitators

kindness, empathy, steadiness, dedication to the path

Mandy Knox

Co-founder, Director

Dani Woolhouse

Studio Manager, Teacher

Michelle Gordon

Senior Teacher

Kylie Jones

Teacher

Trish Zied

Teacher

Anna Shelat

Teacher

Shelley Henry

Teacher
Scroll down to read our teacher's bios to find out more about us
Classes are taught by our faculty of teachers, all graduates of our comprehensive and rigorous teacher training program, and dedicated practitioners with many years experience. Collectively we bring diversity of life experience, specialised skills and much empathy and care. We ensure your experience of yoga is of the highest standard, safe, enjoyable, respectful and holistic.

Teacher Bios

Mandy Knox

Mandy has been studying and practicing yoga since 1990, with decades of teaching experience in Western Australia, India, and on international retreats. Her work is grounded in long-term personal practice, sustained study, and a deep commitment to yoga as a path of wholeness, clarity, and care.

Mandy has travelled to India many times for extended periods of study, living in ashrams and spiritual centres and learning directly from her teachers A.G. Mohan and Indra Mohan of Svastha Yoga in Chennai, as well as within the Sivananda Divine Life Society tradition. These experiences continue to shape her spiritually centred, integrated approach to teaching. She regards time spent in stillness and communion with nature as one of the most profound teachers of all.

Her training includes certification in Hatha Yoga through Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda, Yin Yoga with Jo Phee, and formal study of Ayurveda at the Australian Institute of Holistic Medicine. Mandy remains a dedicated student, while allowing the teachings to mature through lived experience.

Mandy’s teaching style is practical, embodied and quietly devotional. Her classes and courses emphasise safety, clarity and depth, supporting students to cultivate  steadiness, and a settled reflective mind.

She holds a particular care for people new to yoga, offering thoughtful introductions to traditional teachings that are often misunderstood or oversimplified. Across retreats and longer programs, yoga is shared as a holistic system of self care, inquiry, and conscious living, including attention to diet, lifestyle, and relationship with the natural world.

Alongside her teaching, Mandy brings a rich professional background, holding a Bachelor of Arts in English, qualifications in graphic design, and leadership experience as Chief Executive Officer of a health organisation. This combination of creativity, organisation and vision underpins the development of Kookaburra Yoga’s classes, retreats and teacher training programs.
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Yoga informs every aspect of Mandy’s life. Its wisdom continues to guide her through the changing seasons of family life, leadership, creativity and service, shaping a teaching that is grounded, compassionate and quietly transformative.

Mandy leads our teacher trainings, circles, and retreats.

Michelle Gordon

Michelle discovered yoga when she was at a personal crossroad in her life. She had lost someone dear to her and began practising yoga as a means to answer some of life’s challenging questions. The positive influence yoga provided while journeying through these difficult times became evident in every aspect of her life.

She practised a variety of yoga styles before discovering Kookaburra Yoga where she delved deeper into Patanjali’s ‘Eight Limbs of Yoga.’ Michelle became a passionate student of Hatha Yoga and with the intention of deepening her personal practice and consolidating her knowledge of traditional yoga, she successfully completed the Hatha Yoga Method 500 hour Teacher Training, 200 hour Mastery Meditation Teacher Training, and 60 hour Somatic Yin Yoga Teacher Training at Kookaburra Yoga Sanctuary.

Michelle has a genuine interest in the everyday application and practices of Ayurveda. She has completed Lakshmi Ayurveda’s 30 hour ‘Ayurvedic Fundamentals Principles Course.’ These studies combined with her training in Reiki provide Michelle with a broad understanding of healing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels.

Many years as an educator, contribute to Michelle’s genuine empathy and understanding of the learning experiences of students of all ages and stages of life. Michelle is a gentle practitioner who has her student’s wellbeing at heart. Within a supportive and caring environment, she will thoughtfully guide you towards integrating yoga and meditation into your everyday life.

Michelle teaches classes, mentors teacher trainees, and is a circle facilitator.
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Dani Woolhouse

Dani first discovered yoga as a young adult while navigating the stress and demands of a busy corporate career. Having also managed long-term injuries, she found yoga to be a steady and supportive practice for both physical healing and nervous system regulation.

After more than a decade of dedicated practice, Dani completed her 500-hour Hatha Yoga Method teacher training at Kookaburra Yoga. This training deepened her understanding of traditional yoga and strengthened her love for sharing its many benefits with her community.

​Dani teaches gentle, grounded Hatha yoga classes tailored to all levels, from beginners to more experienced practitioners. Her teaching is informed by lived experience and offered with care, accessibility, and respect for the individual body, creating a steady and nourishing space for students to practice.

Dani is our Studio Manager, teaches classes & facilitates our women's circles.

Kylie Jones

Yoga and meditation have been essential to Kylie's life for nearly two decades. After a severe physical injury as a young adult, she turned to yoga for rehabilitation and found it immensely helpful. Regular yogic meditative practices have brought balance and serenity to her life, which she carries into every aspect.
 
In 2022-2023, Kylie completed the 500hr Hatha Yoga Method Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training at Kookaburra Yoga, where she could deepen her practice and expand her teaching skills.

With years of experience running a natural therapies practice, Kylie now integrates yogic practices into her clients' natural therapies and offers compassionately designed yoga classes. Her teaching method combines a robust understanding of anatomy with deeply meditative yogic techniques, creating a balanced approach that relaxes, restores and strengthens the body, mind, and soul.

Kylie and her family reside in Perth hills, surrounded by nature. She enjoys homeschooling her two children, camping, and engaging in creative projects.

Kylie teaches classes, our semi-private groups and private classes.

Trish Zied

Trish is a Yoga Teacher, deeply committed to supporting individuals and organisations in their journey toward balance, self-awareness, and transformative growth. Born in Malaysia, Trish’s rich cultural background and spiritual insights have shaped a holistic approach to personal and professional development.

With a 500-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher qualification and a Graduate Certificate in Counselling, Trish blends the wisdom of ancient practices with modern therapeutic techniques to help others cultivate emotional resilience, inner peace, and clarity.

Trish’s approach is grounded in empathy, mindfulness, and a profound belief in the interconnectedness of all things. Whether working with individuals or teams, she guides people in aligning their inner purpose with their actions, fostering deeper connections with themselves and others.

Trish’s work spans various domains, including personal coaching, leadership development, mindfulness training, where she empowers others to find harmony between mind, body, and spirit. For Trish, true success lies not in external achievement alone, but in nurturing authenticity, emotional well-being, and a sense of internal peace.

Outside work, Trish enjoys leisurely strolls, the meditative aspects of spinning wool and knitting, spending time in nature, practising meditation, and continuing her spiritual journey and personal growth. Her compassionate and non-judgmental approach offers a safe space for others to explore their potential and heal.

Trish teaches classes and is a circle facilitator.

Anna Shelat

Anna is a dedicated yoga, meditation and mindfulness teacher with a deep personal journey rooted in traditional yogic practices, meditation, mantra, and self-reflection. Her work is shaped by both formal training and many years of lived practice, using yoga and meditation as tools for navigating life’s challenges, cultivating resilience, and developing inner steadiness.

She completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2023 and is completed her Meditation Teacher Training in 2025 at Kookaburra. Anna’s approach is gentle, intuitive, and trauma-informed, with a strong understanding of the sensitivity of the nervous system.

She creates a safe and welcoming space where participants can slow down, soften, and reconnect with themselves at their own pace. Her sessions are particularly supportive for those experiencing stress, emotional overwhelm, anxiety or mental fatigue.

Drawing from breath awareness, guided meditation, mindfulness, and subtle yogic philosophy, Anna guides participants toward greater clarity, emotional balance, and a sense of inner grounding.

​Her Wednesdays sessions are offered as a mid-week pause — a time to step out of busyness, release accumulated tension, and return to daily life feeling calm, centred, and supported.

Anna teachers yoga and meditation classes and courses.

Shelley Henry

Shelley discovered yoga in 2007 during a period of deep stress, initially turning to the practice as a way to cope with the demands of a high-pressure career. What began as a tool for resilience soon unfolded into a profound life-changing path, guiding her toward greater balance, presence, and connection to Self.

Shelley has completed over 1,000 hours of formal yoga training, including 500 hours in Hatha Yoga (26&2 Method) in Miami, Florida, and a further 500 hours in Hatha Yoga and Meditation at Kookaburra Yoga. She is currently undertaking 600 hours of Ayurvedic studies with Lakshmi Ayurveda Fremantle, deepening her understanding of holistic wellbeing through traditional wisdom, seasonal living, and the intelligence of nature.

A Reiki Master and devoted space-holder, Shelley has spent the past several years specialising in nature retreats and women’s circles, creating nurturing environments that invite a gentle slowing down, reconnection, and a return to Self. Her work gently weaves together movement, meditation, energetics, ritual, and rest, always honouring the cyclical nature of life and the human experience.

Shelley believes true healing arises from a holistic approach: integrating movement, nourishment, energy, and an intimate relationship with the natural world. She approaches her role as a lifelong student first and a teacher second, guided by humility, curiosity, and reverence for the traditions she shares.

With a warm and grounded presence, Shelley offers a supportive and spacious environment where individuals feel held, seen, and gently guided back to their own inner wisdom.

Shelley facilitates our Women's Circles

our graduate teachers

We have a comprehensive, world-class teacher training program here at Kookaburra Yoga Sanctuary. Developed and delivered by Mandy Knox, this training takes place over a year and equates to more than 500 hours of learning and guided practice. All our teachers have undertaken this rigorous training, and most have also completed further specialised trainings. Yogic education is for life!

find out more about our teacher training