Teachers

Students at Kookaburra Creek are supported by a dedicated faculty of experienced teachers with diverse skills and backgrounds. This enables us to offer a variety of styles of Hatha Yoga to ensure there is yoga for everyone!

Biographies

Robert Becker

Robert spent many years practising yoga intensively living in ashrams and travelling in India before settling into family life.

In the 1990s Robert built the Kookbaurra Creek Yoga Centre in honour of his Guru which he co-directs with Mandy, with whom he shares the spiritual journey.

The centre has been blessed by some great souls (Mahatmas) over fifteen years. Sri Swami Ramakrishna of the Amritanandamayi Mission has visited a number of times, Sri Somanatha Maharishi of Hyderabad introduced the centre to Mano Yoga. More recently Sri Swami Satyanarayana Chillapa initiated Robert as a preceptor in the path of Pranahuti meditation which is now practiced daily and with a group of devotees on a weekly basis. 
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​Robert has been practising and teaching yoga for over 36 years in South Africa, Mauritius, India and Australia. Robert was initiated into yoga and meditation at the age of 20 by his Diksha Guru HH Sri Swami Venkatesanandaji Maharaj of the Sivananda tradition, Rishikesh and was given the spiritual name Narayan. 

Robert teaches a dynamic style of Integral Hatha Yoga based on the tradition of Patanjali's Raja Yoga. Asanas and Pranayama are used to guide aspirants seeking a deeper experience of meditation.
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Robert has a Masters degree in Psychiatric Social Work and is a skillful life coach and group facilitator. He works professionally in the field and strives to integrate a working life in the world with a love of yoga and meditation and the responsibilities of being a householder, husband and father. This is the challenge many face today, spiritualising day to day life.

Mandy BeckerKnox

Mandy has been studying and practicing yoga since 1990 when she was twenty years old in both India and Australia. She has taught yoga for over twenty years in Perth, India, and on international retreats.

Over this time she has had the great privilege of travelling to India many times for extended periods studying directly with teachers and masters of yoga including:
  • AG and Indra Mohan of the Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda Academy, Chennai
  • Menaka Desikachar and senior teachers of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai
  • Maharshi Somanatha of the Somanatha Kshetram, Hyderabad
  • Sri Swami Krishnananda of the Sivananda tradition, Divine Life Society, Rishikesh 
  • Acharyas in the Ananda Marga tantric tradition, Perth & Bihar

She has been a resident in the following ashrams and spiritual centres:
  • Ananda Nagar, Bihar
  • Satyananda Yoga, Rikhia
  • Divine Life Society (Sivananda Yoga), Rishikesh
  • Anandamayi Ma Ashram, Haridwar.​​

Mandy has also studied towards a diploma in Ayurveda at the Australian Institute of Holistic Medicine, and is currently pursuing additional training in Yin Yoga.

​Mandy considers being still in nature to be the greatest of all spiritual teachers.

​​Mandy’s yoga journey has been an integration of these teachings over time and deep personal experience. Her teaching style is practical, relevant and spiritual - with an emphasis on a safe and meaningful practice which leads students towards health of the body and peace of mind.   

Mandy has developed comprehensive courses, programs and manuals for all levels of students and is particularly focussed on absolute beginners - ensuring people new to yoga receive a comprehensive introduction to the often misrepresented teachings of traditional yoga. ​Mandy focuses on teaching and sharing yoga as a holistic and comprehensive model of self care and self development. There is a strong focus on yogic diet and lifestyle in retreats and courses. 

Professionally, Mandy has a BA in English, is a qualified graphic designer and continues to work as a consultant editor, designer and publishing specialist after a recent career as Chief Executive Officer of a not-for-profit health organisation. She is an inspiring leader and brings together her creativity, love of organising, and passion for yoga to create and deliver Kookaburra's yoga and retreat program.

​Mandy’s personal practice and the integration of the wisdom teachings of yoga inform every aspect of her life, and have been a guiding influence through the challenges and joys of raising a family and professional life.​

Di Jones

Di has been a yoga practitioner for 19 years, joining the teaching team at Kookaburra Creek in 2013, where she now teaches meditation, hatha and yin yoga.
Di’s heartfelt belief that yoga should be accessible to all, led her to offer her services at a local senior citizens centre 6 years ago, where she continues to facilitate chair yoga for seniors, many of whom have physical and mobility concerns.
Professionally, Di has a B.ED. Honours degree in Education and works as a Performing Arts teacher at a local Primary School.

Di is a registered level 2 teacher with ‘Yoga Australia’ (professional body for yoga in Australia). She is a qualified children’s yoga teacher, and has also furthered her yoga study in the area of yin yoga, completing over 200 hours of worldwide training under the guidance of Sarah Powers, one of the leading founders of yin yoga, at the Institute of Insight Yoga. .
Di’s personal practice is centred on the ancient teachings of Kriya Yoga, which are her source of direction in responding to the daily events and challenges of her life. She spends time annually retreating and studying with her mentors Swami Gurupriyananda and Swami Sarvatmananda , who are based at the Kriya Ashram in Sydney, and Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, the current head of the worldwide Kriya yoga Lineage.

Will Forde

William Forde has practised yoga for 7 years and obtained his 200hr YTT at the Yog Peeth ashram in the Himalayan mountains, namely Kalimpong, West Bengal and is an RYT 200 with Yoga Australia. He promotes a conscientious, breath-conscious, slow approach to hatha teachings, which resonates most with the traditional Indian Satyananda lineage of Hatha and Vinyasa. 
William's most unique class is his Yoga Nidra, for those wanting to go deeper into the subconscious programming and unconscious connection. Will is most passionate about bringing groups together in the outdoors and cherishes time spent in nature the most.
His classes promote self-love, diversity and positive affirmations to improve strength, balance and leadership. Enjoy being yourself, whilst contemplating philosophy in action, posture variations and cues to make classes less rigid and more accessible to a wider range of bodies."
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Jim Huxley

Jim began practising Iyengar Yoga 11 years ago and found it to be a life changer for him.

From his late teens  he always had an interest in eastern philosophy including Taoism and Buddhism but had not attended any group Yoga classes due to work and family commitments. He taught himself, intermittently practising Asana and meditation at home  throughout his life.

After attending weekly Iyengar classes he began attending regular Vinyasa and Yin Yoga classes. He also completed a couple of Vipassana 10 day silent retreats and a number of Yoga retreats in Australia and Asia.

With some  encouragement from one of his teachers he spent a month in India in an Ashram in Mysore and successfully completed a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training Course (YTTC ).

This helped him to advance his personal practice and knowledge of yogic history and philosophy.

Jim's teaching focuses on correct alignment  and pranayama (breathing).

Joanne Curti

Jo’s curious and inquisitive nature began from a very early age and was always captivated whilst watching her Mother doing her regular yoga practice. Jo’s unstable grounding led her to spend her life forever seeking and needing. Whenever there were challenges in coping with her everyday life (becoming a mother and a parent) the universe would present to her, time and time again - Yoga and Meditation.

Practicing yoga became more clear when she met her Yoga Teacher Debbie Hay (FINI) over at Rottnest Island in May 2009 for a women’s retreat over the mother’s day weekend. Jo met other likeminded women from different walks of life, taking time out for themselves. Jo felt like she had come “HOME” to a place of self-love – not to a home that she had ever known before.  Jo commenced a regular practice of Hatha Vinyasa Yoga classes, the more she practiced Yoga the deeper she delved and began to learn and be accepting of her true self. Jo’s journey of self-enquiry to her many facets that are “me” were being peeled back consciously, authentically and truthfully.

Jo’s belief in a holistic approach encouraged her to learn more of the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental aspects.  It is through The Yoga Space that Jo completed The Hatha Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training with Yoga teacher Dr Jean Byrne PhD, and graduated in June 2014. Jo is a Registered Level 1 Hatha Vinyasa Yoga Teacher with Yoga Australia. 

Whilst undertaking her Yoga Teacher Training, Jo specialised in Prenatal, Postnatal Yoga and Active Birth, Yin/Yang Yoga and Children’s Yoga. Jo brings to all her classes the sharing of yoga in a safe and welcoming environment, a place to be mindful of staying in the present moment and self-nurturing.  Jo has taught at various studios including the Conscious Conception and Birth Centre WA, Mt Nasura.

Jo’s professional background includes practising as a Registered Midwife and Nurse. Through the practice of yoga this has allowed her to just be with women on their journeys of self-discovery. Jo’s perseverance and steadfastness encourages her to embrace knowledge every day. 

Lani Noble

Lani is a lover of life and the wonderment of simple things. Dedicated to a life of deep inner enquiry she has an insatiable thirst for truth, nature and sharing the message of the Heart through yoga, meditation, ceremonial cacao and writing. 
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After living overseas for 6 years studying and teaching yoga and meditation Lani is now based back in Perth. Her yoga classes are a fusion of yin and gentle Hridaya Hatha yoga accessible for all, from beginner to advanced practitioners. Each class is infused with a touch of mysticism as Lani blends classical yoga, Advaita Vedanta and Sufi teachings with somatic practices to encourage her students to explore the mind body connection, to feel each movement from within, to breathe, to accept, to let go and to feel free within the body.

With a passion for embracing life in all its beautiful humanness Lani gently guides her students on a deep journey through the body into the Heart.

Lani holds a 500-hour RYT Certificate as a Hridaya hatha yoga and meditation instructor and she is also a 200hr certified Yin yoga instructor.