Melissa Billington
I am originally from the east coast of the USA & left Manhattan in 1999 to travel to India. After 2 years in India, I lived in the Carribean & was fortunate enough to travel quite a bit before settling in Wellington in 2005. In former lives, I've been a photographer, writer, designer, actor & a milliner.
My yoga practice evolved from a life-long exposure to alternative forms of health and lifestyle. While still a young girl, my mother trained as a massage therapist at Kripalu Center and I played at yoga, meditation and conscious movement (DansKinetics). At the time, my family were practicing Nichiren Buddhists as well, so chanting and devotion were a daily part of my life.
I love athletics & movement & over the years have competed in a range of sports from running to rowing. Throughout these activities, my connection to breath and stretching, as discovered early on in yoga, aided me. During highschool, a relative introduced me to Kundalini Yoga. After university, I began to create an increasingly regular practice of Kundalini yoga on my own.
The decision to become a teacher came out of the realization that this was something completely aligned with my personal values that I could travel with; something I could share with people anywhere in the world. I returned to Kripalu Center to complete a 200-hour teacher certification in 2002 and have been teaching ever since. The teaching style that has developed over the years, MYOGA, emphasises awareness, compassion and the movement of energy. MYOGA is playful yet precise, & is simple yet works on subtle levels. In 2003 I completed a certification in Pregnancy Yoga, in 2004 I trained in Positional Release Therapy which I incorporate into my One-on-One yoga sessions & in 2009 I was certified in the Radiant Child yoga teacher training. I have also been a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teacher’s Association & am a current member of the Yoga Alliance as an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT, meaning I have taught 1000+ hours). I am also registered with the New Zealand branch of the International Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA).
For a full description of my teaching, see the About Us section on this website or, better yet, come to a class and experience it for yourself!
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Hilary Wilkie
I am originally from San Francisco, California & graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 2001 with a BA in Communication. During a trip to New Zealand later that year, I fell in love with the country and decided to return for an extended time. In 2005 I packed up my belongings to begin a new adventure in Wellington. Since moving to Wellington I have created a home full of friends, family and an amazing, supportive partner.
As a young child, I remember watching yoga on public television, but it has only relatively recently became an integral part of my life. The path to find the yoga style and instructor that work well for me was a challenging one. Fortunately, I happened upon a community yoga class that Melissa Billington, MYOGA founder, taught and I have never looked back. For over two years I expanded my own practice and discovered what yoga meant for me. It was not until Melissa decided to run a teachers’ training programme that I thought teaching yoga was something I could do, or would want to do.
After nine months of intense training, I completed the training programme in August 2009. From there I have begun to develop my own style of teaching by building from the foundations of a posture, while bringing a sense of humor and lightness to my classes.
Currently, I balance my yoga teaching with a day job as a business analyst. Teaching yoga after a long day at the office helps centre me. As I continue to grow in my practice, you can often find me teaching one of the MYOGA Basics 1 Series.
Tina Schmid
I am a primary school teacher and began practising yoga in 2006. I discovered yoga classes to be a time to tune in with my mind and body at the end of a day in a busy classroom. I enjoy the ever-evolving physical and mindful journey of practicing yoga. After attending MYOGA classes for 3 years, I was approached by Melissa to undertake the MYOGA Apprentice Programme. I saw this as an opportunity to deepen my practice and further my knowledge and understanding of yoga. I have since taught yoga to children and the MYOGA Basics 1 series. I value the self-awareness, well-being and peace that comes with developing a sound practice, as well as the physical strength that can be achieved.
Dee Mear
I am married and have two wonderful children.
In the past, I completed a Diploma in Clothing and Textiles and a BA in Sociology. I have also worked in sales and marketing for various companies, including selling residential real estate.
My passions are my family and friends, travel and yoga. I was first introduced to yoga at the age of 10 when my Mum started evening yoga classes. She would come home and demonstrate some of the different poses she had learnt. During my childhood I was involved in gymnastics, squash, tennis, swimming and athletics. In my late teens/early twenties I started attending yoga classes on a regular basis. In the past 20 plus years, my time practising yoga has steadily increased. What first drew me to yoga was that it provided more than a physical challenge and workout. I enjoyed feeling energised and relaxed from the conscious breathing and the physical postures. After finishing a class I always felt an overall sense of wellbeing.
More recently (2-3 years ago) I made a conscious decision that yoga would be part of my life, for the rest of my life. Having said that, I never ever imagined that I would teach yoga.
Thanks to Melissa and MYOGA I discovered my voice. Melissa set me on a path of self discovery, encouraging me in my own daily practice. Through the chanting, breathing, asanas and meditations I have found an amazing improvement in my physical and mental wellbeing.
Attending the MAP training programme has opened up a fantastic, new and refreshing part of me. I am extremely grateful to Melissa for providing this opportunity for self discovery and growth. It is with great anticipation, an open heart and a positive can-do attitude that I set out on this journey to teach and continue to learn. NAMASTE.