Teachers
Tessa Meek
Tessa has been practising Iyengar yoga for 25 years. In 1998 she started teaching classes at the Aro Valley Community Hall and has been teaching ever since. At the start of 2007, Tessa opened the Iyengar Yoga Centre of Wellington.
Tessa is an intuitive, empathetic and observant teacher. She is dedicated to teaching yoga in a way that enables students to understand for themselves, so that their practice will engage and support them mentally, emotionally and physically throughout their lives. In the class situation, Tessa teaches to the individual and encourages students to develop their depth of perception within the practice.
Tessa has studied with Geeta Iyengar at conventions in Auckland (2003), Australia (2010) and Yoganusasanam Pune (2015) and has also studied with the Iyengars at the RIMYI, India.
Tessa has been studying under the guidance of her teacher, Peter Thomson, for 18 years, and is immensely grateful to Peter for the teachings and inspiration.
Tessa teaches the Teen Yoga Courses, the evening classes on Monday and Tuesday and the Level 2 classes on Wednesday and Thursday. Tessa also teaches the Thursday and Saturday morning classes, workshops and retreats.
Jo Peden
Jo started Iyengar yoga in 1996 and was quickly captivated by the practice of yoga, finding it both challenging and inspiring. She commenced teaching in 2001.
Jo creates a warm, supportive environment for students. She is interested in how asana can be transformative not only on a physical level but also on an emotional and energetic level.
Jo studies regularly with senior Iyengar yoga teachers including her teacher, Peter Thomson, and in July 2010 she visited Pune, India to study at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute.
Jo has degrees in Political Science and Sport Science, she has worked in recruitment advertising and in communications. She is married with three sons.
Jo teaches the Tuesday and Sunday 10am classes, and the Thursday lunchtime class.
Rosie Percival
Rosie began practicing Iyengar yoga in 2005 as a way to maintain general health and learn to touch her toes. After traveling and experimenting with other styles of yoga, she was drawn back to the discipline and methodology of Iyengar yoga — she realised yoga is not about touching her toes but rather the cultivation of self-study and awareness through a regular yoga practice.
Rosie is an energetic and encouraging teacher who loves to share her enthusiasm for the practice with her students. She believes that yoga is for every body, for every type of body and enjoys making yoga accessible to all.
Rosie began teacher training while living in Melbourne, Australia and holds an Introductory Level 2 certificate. She continues to train with her teachers Peter and Sue Scott and has studied with the Iyengars in China (2011) and at the RIMYI, India, (2012 & 2016). In addition to yoga studies, she has degrees in film and design.
Outside of teaching, Rosie works as a UX designer (rosiepercival.webflow.io) and likes to rock climb.
Rosie teaches the Monday morning 10am & Friday night 6pm class and regularly fills in for other teachers.
Agata Orłowicz
Agata was first introduced to yoga in 2000 at one of Poland’s oldest Iyengar yoga studios. However, it wasn’t until 2006 that she fully committed and started to practice daily. When she moved to Wellington in 2010 she started attending Tessa’s classes, which greatly helped her to take her practice to a new, deeper level.
In early 2014 Agata began her training towards introductory level teaching certificate with Peter Thomson. She sees teaching as a natural extension of her practice, and finds it to be a deeply fulfilling experience. She hopes her teaching will assist others on their own yoga path.
Agata has a PhD in Philosophy from Victoria University.
Agata teaches the Wednesday 10am and 5.30pm Level 1. She also teaches the Thursday night Level 1 class and the Sunday evening Restorative Classes and the Beginner Courses.
Gina Inverarity
Gina started Iyengar yoga in 2004 when she was expecting her first daughter. She found yoga immensely beneficial during pregnancy and after that a welcome respite when her children were very young.
She started attending Tessa’s classes in 2011 and is currently training towards introductory level teaching certificate with Peter Thomson. Through her teaching she hopes to share the Iyengar values of inclusiveness and persistence and strives to remember that yoga is a discipline learnt and practiced over a lifetime.
Gina has an honours degree in English and, after working as a children’s book editor for a decade, has a book of her own coming out early in 2017. When she isn’t teaching or writing she can be found sewing and stuffing yoga bolsters.
Gina teaches the Bring Your Baby class and regularly fills in for other teachers.
Penny Mitropoulos
Penny started her first journey into Iyengar yoga in 1997 under the teaching of Louisa Potter, at that time in Nelson at the Nelson Yoga Centre. After a few years she traveled to India to develop her practice and understanding. She studied under Sharat Arora, in Dharamsala learning the art of asana sequencing and yoga therapy. She then stayed in India for a year travelling and studying as much as she could before returning back to New Zealand.
After a few years starting a family Penny completed her teacher training in 2007 with Susie Lever and she holds an Introductory Level 2 certification. Penny likes to create yoga sequences that challenge, nourish and deepen the practice allowing organically the body time to open or release within the asanas. Her classes will be light but challenging focusing on alignment.
After a couple of years break Penny is returning to teaching. Penny has a Bachelor in Sport and Recreation and works in the events and visits industry nationally. Penny teaches the early morning Friday class.