An Introduction to Dhyana – the Seventh Limb of Yoga
An Introduction to Dhyana – the Seventh Limb of Yoga
For me, every time we step onto our mats, we begin a journey – a journey home to ourselves. Yoga is a philosophy and practice for living. It’s about celebrating the adventure of life, being human, our uniqueness, but also our connection to all things.
Coming from a background in dance, I’ve always found joy and expression through movement. But it was yoga that really taught me to listen in and to feel. To move the body in a conscious way, and to reawaken my breath. To embrace not only strength and resilience, but also stillness, quiet and surrender.
After over a decade in the corporate world in London and the renewable energy sector in Cape Town, I was fortunate to found House of Yoga in 2018 – an urban sanctuary in Claremont, Cape Town where people from all walks of life can explore the gifts of yoga.
I completed my 200hr Teacher Training with the Marianne Wells Yoga School in 2016 and my 300hr Advanced Teacher Training with The Shala in 2020. I’ve practiced yoga for 20 years and love interweaving the teachings from the various styles I have explored (including Hatha, Iyengar, Vinyasa, Scaravelli, Ashtanga, Yin & Restorative) in my classes.
Through movement, breath work, meditation and philosophy, I am passionate about sharing with others what the practice has gifted me: tools to navigate life with presence, to manage stress and anxiety, and to heal the relationship with self.
‘I found an easier way to be.’ – Hilary Mantel
Yoga has significantly improved my life, and I find happiness and fulfilment in teaching it to others.
In my twenties I sustained several serious injuries from playing rugby and not resting when I had niggles. I got into yoga in the hope of alleviating my injuries, and luckily for me, it worked. And to my surprise, I benefited even more from the mental and emotional peace that yoga gave me. For those who have constantly busy minds, even a few moments of stillness are a great relief. Yoga has allowed me to feel more at ease within the world, and within myself.
When I initially started yoga, I was self-conscious about how physically inflexible I was. Fortunately, I had teachers who reassured me. Now, I would like to do the same for others. I like the idea of making an hour a day where we can be kind to ourselves, and it’s important to me to establish a kind, non-judgmental and non-competitive space in my classes. I don’t really believe that there’s such a thing as being ‘good’ at yoga, and I’d certainly like to try to take the idea of being ‘bad’ off the table. I don’t think it’s about how far we can stretch past our toes, or how still we stand in balancing exercises. Rather, it is a personal journey in which we get in touch with our bodies and understand ourselves better.
I completed my 200 Hour Teacher Training at the Shala in 2019, and have subsequently taught in different places, from a private game reserve to a school rugby team. In 2023 I completed my 300 Hour Advanced Teacher Training through Wellness Connection Yoga Academy.
Having benefited so much from yoga, I would like to pass it on to as diverse a range of people as possible. I welcome students of all skill levels.
Outside of yoga, I work in television and have a Masters in Creative Writing from UCT. I enjoy reading and compete in amateur boxing.
My intention is to create an incredibly safe and accepting environment led with love and support. As I gently guide others through a conscious physical and mental flow, mindfulness and a deeper experience of self-connection is of utmost importance.
My aim is to provide support for both the physical (asana) and mental aspects of my students’ practice, through nourishment and self-empowerment. I have a calling to learn from, as well as support, others on their journey to awakening.
I have trained in Thailand and India, in Vinyasa, Hatha, Ashtanga, and Yin. And over the last three years have undertaken three 10 day silent Vipassana meditation courses locally at Dhamma Pataka. As I continue to explore these powerful mindfulness practices, I see my own journey of growth and development run parallel to the journeys of those whom I teach.
“I believe that yoga is a very personal practice. To me, it is the glue that holds my overall well-being together. It continues to provide me with endless tools that help me navigate my life mindfully and move smoothly through adversity.”
Linnet was never the one to prioritise evaluation concerning where she was headed or determine whether she was truly happy with the direction, and to make adjustments as necessary. Upon growing and coming into her body, she realised she had mainly been operating from the nervous system (instead of in alignment with it) and that, in order for her to hear and see things clearly, she had to move out of survival mode.
Yoga introduced her to the simple beauty of sitting down, taking some time to come into the body, to reflect and then to navigate life from a more grounded space. It helped her so much that she just wanted to share it with everyone around her.
This led her to complete her 200hr Teacher Training with The Wellness Connection and a 30hr Kids Yoga Training in 2019. She recently completed a 50hr YIN Yoga Training as she finds herself falling more and more in love with the marriage between the Chinese philosophy of Daoism & Indian Tantric Yoga.
Accompanied by affirmations, Linnet’s gentle and nurturing nature allows one to connect with their inner silence at their own pace whilst at the same time building strength and capacity.
“Yoga and meditation have given me ritual, refuge, an opening into self – discovery.”
Through a lifetime of curious exploration, Candice has developed a self-practice rooted in intuitive movement, yoga, meditation, breath work and self-study. She believes this potent combination of weaving breath, movement, contemplation and meditation is the path to healing and empowerment.
Candice’s teachings are gentle and explorative, threaded with embodied philosophy. She holds space for students to journey to their own rhythms and embodiment as gateways to embrace their depths, delighting in their own empowerment and awakening. In this way the practice becomes a call to home – to ourselves.
Candice completed her 200 hr Teacher Training in May 2020 with Unraveled Yoga and is passionate about sharing yoga in a community space, teaching a weekly community class ever since as well as a Sunday class at the District Six Haven Night Shelter for women.
With a background in fitness, Giulia has always followed an active lifestyle – keeping her body moving has always been her number one goal.
A healthy and fit daily routine led her to discover her love of yoga, as the fundamentals of her yoga practice allowed a deeper connection to her body as well as her mind.
After finding her place on the mat, Giulia proceeded with her 200hr teacher training at The Wellness Connection in Cape Town, which ignited a deep passion for the world of yoga anatomy. Giulia’s classes not only focus on strength building and alignment but also touch on a softer side of connection through breath to movement, allowing the mind to reconnect with the body.
Through her experience of teaching, Giulia has discovered the beauty of slow progression through movement and dedication to practice. She aims to focus on each and every student’s journey in their own practice and to guide them in a way which encourages more curiosity about their own body and finding contentment with where they are.
“As I breathe in I feel calm, as I breathe out I feel peaceful.”
Karen teaches yoga to little humans.
She is a certified children and teen’s yoga and mindfulness teacher, having completed her teacher training through Yoga4Kids, as well as obtaining her Mindfulness4Kids, YogaTherapy4Kids and Peaceful Babes certifications.
After attending her first yoga class more than 10 years ago Karen felt firsthand just how beneficial yoga was in helping her to deal with day-to-day stress and to self regulate through breathing and mindfulness. Over the years yoga has been crucial in helping her maintain a healthy balance between the mental, physical and emotional aspects of herself.
It is through her own ongoing journey with yoga and love for the practice that Karen found her calling in teaching yoga to children of all ages. She would love to make yoga and mindfulness accessible to as many children and teens as she possibly can, and believes the younger a child is exposed to the tools and benefits of yoga, the better they are equipped to handle the challenges of life.