MALVINA RISBY
Malvina Risby is the Founder of Hom Yoga Singapore and Australia. She started dancing ballet in her childhood and teenage years, and her love for dance naturally led her to the yoga room.
Ten years ago, she took her first hot yoga class and felt a complete physical detoxifixation and a deep sense of inner peace she has never felt before. Since then, she has studied and practiced yoga as she travelled the world. Malvina's teaching style is mainly influenced by Bikram and Baron Baptiste.
Malvina believes yoga should be fun and accessible. She hopes Hom Yoga to inspire a warm and joyful experience, where students can embark on their yoga journey in a personalized and intimate manner.
Malvina grew up in Singapore and Canada and received a BA in International Relations and Journalism from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Malvina now lives between Sydney and Singapore with her husband and moodle puppy.
VICKY ARUNDEL
Vicky’s love affair with yoga began ten years ago; after a knee injury forced her to give up her much loved dancing classes. Her doctor at the time recommended certain postures for their gentle strengthening benefits. As it happened, her mother owned a Hatha yoga book and all the postures were demonstrated by an ex-dancer in a striking all-in-one green cat suit! Needless to say, she was immediately hooked!
After a few years of working in the computer games industry, she longed for freedom and a change of scenery.
She took a plunge and headed to Thailand and embarked on her own personal yoga journey. Vicky believes that yoga teaches us how to listen to our body, to learn to look after it more intuitively and with greater love and respect.
Vicky’s classes are physically challenging and dynamic; however, they are designed to encourage and develop that positive, nurturing communication within; so students leave their mats not only with a renewed sense of physical well-being, but also an emotional and spiritual equilibrium.
SHONA VERTUE
Shona’s love for movement began fifteen years ago, when she trained and competed as an elite gymnast. She moved on to dance as a way to artistically express her passion for body movement. In order to heal from sustained injuries from dance and gymnastics, she began practicing yoga and soon realized its immense benefits.
After a brief stint in a corporate environment, Shona soon recognized her heart was in helping others discover the joys of a healthy mind, body and spirit.
Since receiving her qualifications as a yoga teacher, she has gained a wealth of knowledge from internationally renowned teachers, such as, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Andrea Boyd, Donna Farhi, Twee Merrigan and Jasmine Tarkeshi.
Shona’s classes are based around developing inner strength and meditation through the movements of yoga to lengthen the muscles and calm the mind.
CRISTINA SALAZAR
Cristina has practiced many different sports during her life. It was only 5 years ago when she discovered yoga - something that she thought might be too 'soft' considering her very physical nature. Still, she gave yoga a try and quickly fell in love with it.
After she realized the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of yoga, she decided to continue on her yoga path, to learn and try different styles and eventually share it with as many people as possible.
Cristina is inspired by Bikram, Baptiste and Bryan Kest. However, her main inspiration is to truly see the change in everyone as they begin their yoga journey. She hopes to inspire and challenge her students in their yoga practice.
Cristina is from Germany and Peru and is currently living in Sydney. Cristina looks forward to share and learn with the students of Hom!
MARIA JAACSON
Maria’s yoga journey first started 15 years ago when she was at home bringing up two young children. She read an article on Bikram Yoga, which cited a few benefits; namely lifting the butt, flattening the stomach and toning the thighs.
She thought, “I’ve got to get to a Bikram class!” She came out after a sweaty 90 minutes, completely surprised that yoga could be such a great workout. She was immediately hooked!
Since then, hot yoga has remained a constant in her life while she travelled and lived around the globe with her family.
Maria is a certified 200-hour hot yoga teacher and she is now on the path to help others feel the way she feels in her own practice – a fulfillment in mind, body and soul.
Maria feels that yoga is a lifelong journey and believes the lessons learned from yoga can be re-learned each time you step on the yoga mat. She believes that yoga has a way of finding its way into our daily lives.
ERICA PERRY
Erica has experienced an amazing transformation because of her Baptiste training. Her biggest obstacle has been suffering from severe anxiety for most of her teenage and adult life. For years, Erica went from therapist to therapist and none of them were able to relieve her from her agony.
It wasn’t until completing her level 1 and 2 teacher training bootcamps with Baron Baptiste that she was able to discover the true source of her worry.
Erica knows now that no matter what happens, she has what it takes to get through it. She also knows now, deep down, she is good enough and worthy of greatness. When Erica is practicing yoga, her mind is at ease and all the stress of life fades away.
It is Erica's goal to help you discover a new way of being. She wants you to know that you are ok, just the way you are; sometimes you need to walk through the fire to come out the other side; and you have the power to live the life you truly desire!
FIONA WISSINK
Fiona remembers going home after her first hot yoga class and relating her experience to her husband as something unexpected. It had been tough, enjoyable and inspirational and Fiona wanted more!
Yoga did not come naturally to Fiona, but as she overcame her physical and personal hurdles through yoga, a whole new world opened up for her. Fiona found her inner balance and gained a happier "Self".
When Fiona realized what a big influence yoga had in her world, she put her social life on hold and took up a 101-day yoga challenge. She began to take steps to make big changes in her life.
Fiona is now a certified yoga teacher and looks to share her love for nutrition and hot yoga with everyone.
JANE DICKEY
Jane's love of movement and physical expression came from her background in ballet, contemporary dance, choreography and yoga. Jane discovered Bikram in 2005 after spending much time practicing Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga. Jane is passionate of the Bikram practice in the sense of concentration, discipline, detachment and energy it brings.
Jane lives and breathes yoga and is stimulated in exploring the possibilities of the human body while being able to stay grounded in the mind. Jane believes yoga is a tool in which life can be lived more fully.
Jane was drawn to Hom Sydney because of the versatility of styles offered, the beautiful studio and the healing influence of the teachers. At present, Jane is motivated with teaching different styles of yoga and encouraging students to reach their full potential both in body and mind.
Jane studied a Bachelor of Performing in Screen Arts with a Major in Contemporary Dance in Auckland's Unitec. Jane became a qualified Bikram teacher in Spring 2008 and is currently teaching yoga full time.
KATRINA GRECH
Katrina first experienced yoga at the local gym and was hooked from her first class. Since then she has explored many different styles of yoga and has loved connecting to a fantastic likeminded community of people.
The challenge of her first hot yoga class and the elation she felt afterwards dramatically changed Katrina both physically and mentally.
Katrina is inspired by teachers from many different lineages including Sharon Gannon and David Life, Mark Whitwell and Jessie Chapman.
Katrina's classes are strong but nurturing, with an emphasis on finding the balance between effort and grace and using our asana practice to tune back into our intuition. Yoga has played a transformational role in her life and she is driven by this to share the gift of yoga with all.
