about YogaSphere

YogaSphere, located at Port Stephens (in the Nelson Bay area), is a blend of traditional hatha vinyasa yoga combined with a modern-day understanding of anatomy and physiology.

Vinyasa means "flow" or "fluidity". Yogasphere's sequences take the limitations and structural issues of modern bodies into account by offering modifications and varying levels of intensity. Participants are continually encouraged to work at their chosen level, be it restful, dynamic or somewhere in between.

Welcome!

Namaste! Welcome to the yogasphere website (previously enageist.com). My name is Nikki Shilling and I am recognised as a Level 2 Teacher by Yoga Australia. I have been teaching yoga as a profession since 2004 and have been a dedicated yoga practitioner for more than 15 years.

My teaching qualifications include an Advanced Diploma of Health (Yoga Teaching) from Nature Care College in Sydney (2004) and a 200 hour Yoga Alliance Teaching Certificate (2001). Over the past 10 years, I have completed three applied Anatomy and Physiology courses with Simon Borg-Olivier at Yoga Synergy, a week-long intensive yoga therapy workshop with Donna Farhi as well as many other weekend workshops and health seminars. 

Membership of Yoga Australia requires constant professional development and my studies continue.

Yoga WILL transform your life - on every level..

As a perennial yoga student and human being, as well as yoga teacher, I understand that the mind can be a fragile beast! How easy it can be to get caught up with our mind and start to believe the unbelievable. For example; "People are looking at me! Judging me!", "I am doing it wrong (I am the only one doing it wrong!)", "Everything is wrong, and, what's more, the person at the front demonstrating looks to be of a completely different species!".

Of course, all this stuff is rarely true and everyone has their own story. It is also fair to say that most of us are way too concerned about ourselves to think too much about another person in the room when it comes down to it. Sometimes we just need to be reminded that we are not our thoughts and therefore we don't have to buy into them. Neither do we have to be dictated to by our ego. There is a certain amount of freedom in recognising both of these patterns within ourselves and choosing to ignore such thoughts instead. Our amazing brain and incredible imagination is perhaps the best and yet the worst thing about what it is to be human!

Regular yoga practise becomes so much more than exercise over time. Yoga will help anchor you during many of life's trying situations. It will help you to become more mindful, to better manage anxiety and fear. It will keep you fitter, stronger and healthier than before. There is ample evidence of this these days. Yogis are trimmer, less prone to diabetes and other age-onset illnesses such as high blood pressure and osteoporosis. They tend to have DHEA levels (an age-hormone) of people around 12 years younger.  Yogis tend to enjoy supple joints and increased range of movement. They generally live longer and enjoy much better overall mind and body health and fitness as they age than the general population. If you enjoy sports and/or dancing, guaranteed you will enjoy these things for a lot longer if you add a bit of yoga as well. If you are in your twenties, thirties, forties or fifties and in pain while you work at your desk or work generally, you need yoga and you need it now!

Stress

Yes, we all have our story. Stress is a serious issue that contributes to many health problems - some life threatening - over the course of our lives. I was always an anxious, nervous person and suffered many non-serious, yet frustrating ailments throughout my life such as irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, panic attacks, skin conditions and chronic pain (culminating in an inability to do my previous office job). It is fair to say that nearly all of the above conditions are a distant memory thanks to yoga and my chronic pain is easily managed.

Simon Borg-Olivier (who also suffers from a spinal condition - not that you would know!) was my teacher for seven years and his energy, knowledge and dedication to yoga continues to be my main inspiration. I have also been lucky enough to benefit from the teachings of many advanced yoga practitioners including Bianca Machliss (Yoga Synergy), Lance Schuler (Insypa Yoga), Astanga master Matthew Sweeney, Louise Sears from Yoga Arts in Byron Bay and renowned yoga teacher and author, Donna Farhi among others.

Location

Yogasphere is based in Port Stephens, close to Nelson Bay. I currently teach two casual classes each week as well three six-week vinyasa courses. The yoga rooms are located at Corlette Community Hall, Corlette, Port Stephens NSW and Anna Bay Public School Hall, Anna Bay.