I was first introduced to yoga when I was 9 years old by a speech therapist I was seeing who incorporated the ‘Salute to the Sun’ as part of my therapy. Little did I know at the time, but this was when the seed of yoga was planted for me. At 20 years of age, after not having thought about yoga much, my parents were prompted to start a yoga practice. I offered to ‘investigate’ the local yoga schools to find a suitable teacher for them. In that quest, I came across the Ryoho Yoga school in Manly and found myself on a journey of self-discovery as I became a regular student there. The Japanese style of yoga intrigued me, along with the discussion of macrobiotics, five element theory, yin and yang, and the dialogue my teachers spoke around how we are responsible for our health and must become our own healers. In 2007, at the age of 31, I completed my teacher training in Ryoho Yoga Therapy and went on to teach classes at the Newport Yoga Centre, the Optus Gym at Macquarie Park and Lunge Yoga in Manly. A move to the Barossa Valley in late 2012 gave me the opportunity to begin The Centre of Ki Yoga in 2013. In furthering my education in the healing arts, I have attained a Diploma in Macrobiotic Counselling and a Diploma in Ki Shiatsu under Sensei Ken McLean, as well as a Diploma in Zen Ki Yoga with Janie Larmour of The Centre of Yoga. In 2021, I undertook a refresher course in Ryoho Yoga Therapy with my teacher Andzej Gospodarczyk.
Leah Cooper
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