Andrea Yeo
Andrea Yeo, having lived in UK & US for a decade, has been practicing
yoga since 2003. During her years of working in US, she stumbled into
Baron Baptiste Power Vinyasa classes and has since become a devoted
practitioner. With a Masters in Design from Central Saint Martins, she
decided to change her career path from design to learning more about yoga
when she arrived back into Singapore. Andrea holds a teacher certification in
the system of Hot Yoga.
Andrea completed 500 hour teacher training in India, 300 hour Universal Yoga, Baron Baptiste Power Vinyasa (Level 1), Anusara Immersion 1-3 &
Yin Yoga. Over the years she has studied with many other international yoga
teachers such as Andrei Ram-Om, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Patrick
Creelman, Amy Ippoliti. & Ross Rayburn. Andrea is also a certified spinning
instructor. Andrea is blessed to be able to create Updog Studio as a platform
to help others heal themselves through yoga.
Betty Kong
I discovered yoga in 2003 in my hometown Vancouver, BC, Canada. Along with flexibility and strength , yoga has also given me mental and physical balance. I believe we can all find discipline, courage, love and light from our practices. I encourage students to use the breathe as an integral part of the practice and allowing awareness and peace to cultivate on and off the mats.
I am grateful for all of my teachers who has taught me invaluable knowledge and understanding of yoga and even more so about myself. I honor all of my teachers including, my son, who is my biggest Guru.
Christine Blackwell
As a lifelong exercise enthusiast Christine started practicing yoga as a means of incorporating a stretching component into her exercise plan. When Christine first started practicing, she thought yoga was just a way to relax and stretch out tight muscles. She soon realized that yoga was much more than a physical practice – it was a way of life and she was hooked.
Christine was privileged to study with many amazing teachers including the late American Master Sivaram-Scott Orton, Stephen Thomas, Sara Avant Stover (prenatal) and most recently the ultra-fabulous Kathryn Budig. Christine is dedicated to continuing the exploration of her yoga path both as a teacher and as a student. Yoga has changed Christine’s life in both subtle and profound ways, enabling her to find her greatest joy which is sharing the gift of yoga. Christine is honoured to be a part of Updog Studio and looks forward to seeing you on the mat.
Colleen Simmonds
Colleen was born in Zimbabwe, Africa, and has been an expat since 1981.She originally trained in classical ballet, and discovered yoga during a tour to Brunei in 1984. Later, when she and her family moved to Singapore, she began her career as a yoga instructor and obtained a Diploma with Distinction in Yoga Teaching with the Kevala Centre, Torquay, UK, in 2002.
To increase her knowledge of this discipline, she went on to attend classes and workshops with such well-known personalities as Rodney Yee, Kali Ray, Michael Lee, TKS Desikachar, Ganga White, Barbara Brian, Ann Barros, Peter Thompson, and local teachers such Shanta, Victor Ng and Dr. Kajal.
In December 2005, Colleen obtained a Certificate in Prenatal Yoga with Gaia-Sun Yoga and was invited to be one of their resident prenatal/postnatal yoga and classical yoga Instructors. For the past seven years she also has been the principal yoga instructor at The Mother & Child Centre, Tanglin Mall, run private classes at Costa Rhu Condominium and completed several (birth coach) doula courses. Recently she was her daughter’s doula when she had a very successful home waterbirth. Colleen is extremely happy to have joined the great team at Updog-Studio.
Lishan
In her other job, Lishan has been a polytechnic lecturer for the past 7 years. She had first discovered yoga in her university days in the US over a decade ago, but soon dropped it to focus on partying and studying. After spending the next decade with the mindset that any form of exercise is sheer and needless torture, she decided to give yoga another try in her 30s. As an academic (a.k.a. full-time nerd), she was feeling like a disembodied head with a sluggish, disconnected body. Somewhat intrigued by this new “hot yoga” fad, she wandered into her first hot class wondering what the fuss was about. The class turned out to be a reawakening experience – she regained body awareness (how not to, when all of the sudden, muscles you never even knew existed, are stretched and worked?), and became a yoga devotee. Off the mat, she noticed changes as well in terms of how she related to others – she had somehow become more open, more patient (less road-rage!) and more loving.
To continue to feed her full-on yoga addiction, Lishan became a certified hot yoga teacher. She went on to attend Yin Yoga teacher training
with Paul and Suzee Grilley, and Anusara Immersion and Anusara Therapeutics with Ross Rayburn. Lishan is honoured and humbled to be part of Updog Studio from opening day, and to be given this opportunity to share the joyfulness that is yoga with you.
Mingli
Mingli discovered yoga in 2007 when she took her first Bikram yoga class out of curiosity. What started out as a pastime, became her main fitness pursuit and passion for life as she began to explore the philosophy & benefits behind the physical aspects of yoga postures.
In 2009, Mingli completed a 200 hour Hot & Hatha teacher’s training programme to embark on her journey of sharing her yoga practice. She has since gone on to study a variety of yoga styles including Hatha, Ashtanga and Yin.
Mingli is grateful to join the teaching team at Updog where she can develop and grow while guiding her students along their yoga journey. She looks forward to inspire & share her practice with you on the mat.
Nat
Nat (short for Natalia) was born and raised in Riga, Latvia. Aged 20 she moved to London to study Business Marketing. Her first encounter with yoga was in early 2005 when desperate to shed some extra weight she turned for some help to her good friend who was a devoted hot yoga practitioner. That’s when she tried Bikram Yoga for the first time and got hooked although she will always remember her first class as pure torture!
After meeting her husband in 2007 she took off for her round the world travels that continued for 3 years. Always trying to be in the loop she sustained her practice and in October 2009 she completed a 200-hour Hot Yoga Teacher Training in Koh Samui, Thailand. After completing her training she traveled around Thailand teaching and practicing yoga.
Nat believes that yoga can cure anything: broken heart, injury or even more serious illnesses. She enjoys teaching and loves sharing her knowledge with others therefore brining benefits of yoga to all of her students. She is always trying to make her classes fun believing that laughter is a great medicine for all kinds of problems!
Stephanie Tan
Stephanie T. found yoga after years of running became unsustainable. Over time, she grew to love yoga for more than just the physicality of the practice; it has become a life-long journey of discovery.
She has since completed 500-hour certification with Ted Grand and Jessica Robertson, and has now found her home, studying with the incomparable Patrick Creelman and Ross Rayburn.
She is grateful to her teachers and their teachers for igniting the light of yoga in her life
and others, and hopes to help share that inspiration (along with playfulness!) with others.
I have been practicing for 9 years. I believe that asana practice and general awareness of ourselves in space should be fun, freeing and restorative. I have found when I practice with the proper preparation and patience I find ease – not only on the mat but also off the mat. There is a quote by Maharishi, that says something like, “we cannot be to others what we are not to ourselves”. I believe it wholeheartedly. So, in turn I laugh with myself quite often, attempt to be patient, sensitive and very very kind – ultimately I have become more of the person that I already was…
As a teacher I still see myself as a student of this practice. I have a variety of certifications in different styles of asana although what I have learnt from my own experiences has been beyond invaluable, highly delicate and intuitive in its impact on my being.
My roots lay in humour, laughing, passion, kindness, in serving, creative expression, all living things and following through the spoken words with action.
I have a deep connection to nature and the beauty of what is truly real and honest. In my classes we arrive with a beginners mind. Fundamental foundation, proper stacking and alignment into inversions (depending on the class of course!). Lots of breathing; inhale and exhale cues. I love to laugh and move in a way that is opening to the body, the heart, the mind and the emotions. Sometimes, it means confronting first, healing second and then growing!
