Our Community. Amelia and Sheryn of Eastwest Yoga

Meet Sheryn and Amelia, mother-daughter duo and wāhine Māori, yoga teachers, bodyworkers and owners of Eastwest Yoga. Navigating the relationship between health and self-awareness, read about their approach to wellness, proving yoga and self-care is as accessible as you make it.

What inspired you to start Eastwest Yoga?

Eastwest was an ongoing business of 10 years when we became owners of it. Sheryn has been practising yoga for 30 years and had owned a couple of studios already and Amelia having grown up with yoga, began practising in her teens and went on to do her teacher training, and then was teaching at Eastwest when it came up for sale. Given their love of yoga and sharing it, their experience, and most importantly their close bond as mother and daughter, it was a no-brainer to go into this business together. 

What motivates you most to keep it going?

We both love and feel privileged sharing yoga and what we deeply care about, and getting to know people and hear and see how yoga makes such a positive difference to their lives. 

What is the difference between the way you teach stretching and conventional stretching? What makes your technique different?

The difference between Yoga and general stretching, is the focus on the breath, and building our awareness of the present moment. Yoga is so much more than a physical practice. 

What can people do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to benefit their bodies and mind?

There’s a no of different yoga practices, meditation practices, breathing practices. Explore some and find which one or two feels good, feels right for you.   If you do something and come away feeling good after it then build that into your life, as something you do on a regular basis.  Your self-care practice that supports you in your life. 

You’ve been able to engage with your community, directly giving back to Koha Apparel through clothing donations. Why is community one of your most important tenets?

Doing what we love or care about with others is the best.  Ultimately yoga is an inward journey with yourself - and yet to do it alongside others, to share, to encourage and inspire, to support each other is the icing on the cake.  Together in community there is an energy that everyone can give to and benefit from.   

What does “health and wellness” mean to you?

Health and wellness mean everything to us when we reflect on our lives.  To do things on a regular basis, like yoga, meditation, good food and sleep - things that support our health and wellness has brought a lot of contentment and joy to our day to day life.

If people want to learn more about the work you do, where can they go to learn more and experience?

They can visit our Website www.eastwest.co.nz, or follow us on Instagram for regular updates and information directly for those who are new to the studio and or yoga. The best way to learn about what we do is to try it! Come on in for a class, we have introductory offers, and classes for all levels!

Where can people find you?

We have 2 physical yoga studios - 26 a Ponsonby Road, and 489 Khyber Pass Road in Newmarket. We also have an online studio with a large library of different yoga, breath work