Enlightened Events

Australian Yoga Therapy Conference

After a hugely successful inaugural event in 2011, the Australian Yoga Therapy Conference returns, this time in Melbourne. Our guest speaker is Judith Lasater and she will be joined by leading Australian Yoga Therapists Leigh Blashki, Janet Lowndes, Dr. Maarten Immink, Annette Loudon, Sal Flynn, James Bone, Narelle Quinlan-Carter and Mark Breadner. 




Judith Lasater

Judith Hanson Lasater has been teaching Yoga for over 40 years. She holds a doctorate in East-West psychology and is a physical therapist. She is President of the California Yoga Teachers Association, and serves on the advisory boards of Yoga Journal and Healing Lifestyles and Spas. Judith is the founder of the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco, California and the Yoga Journal magazine. Read More About Judith Lasater





Leigh Blashki

Leigh Blashki is one of the pioneers of Yoga therapy in Australia. He directs the Australian Institute of Yoga Therapy, is the secretary of the Australian Association of Yoga Therapists, Vice President of Yoga Australia, a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists’ Council of Advisors and Council of Schools Standards Committee and a peer reviewer for the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. With influence from a number of traditions and teachers, including Sri Yogendra, Swami Gitananda, A.G. Mohan and Donna Farhi, Leigh has practiced Yoga for 40 years, taught for over 30 years, practiced Yoga therapy for over 20 years and had over 300 graduates from his Yoga teacher training and Yoga therapy training courses. Read More About Leigh Blashki

Sal Flynn

Sal Flynn is a Yoga therapist, psychotherapist and educator. Her formal and informal training blends the disciplines of Yoga, psychotherapy, education, contemplative practice, the arts and mind/body awareness practices. Underpinning her work is nearly 30 years of practice and study in the eastern traditions, along with education and internships in Western psychotherapy and Yoga therapies both in Australia and India. Sal Flynn began practicing yoga nearly 30 years ago and her practice is rooted in the tradition of Sri Krishnamacharya. Read More About Sal Flynn

Janet Lowndes

Janet Lowndes is Yoga Teacher, Psychologist, and Yoga Therapist who seeks to explore the intersection of ancient Yogic practices and modern Psychology in a holistic approach to wellbeing.

Janet sees clients for individual therapy and specialises in conditions affected by the mind-body relationship, especially Eating Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and Addiction. She is particularly interested in how Yoga Psychology can provide clients in a western context with a deeper understanding of the workings of their mind, and an appreciation for the power of living well within their bodies. Read More About Janet Lowndes



Dr Maarten Immink 

Dr Maarten A. Immink holds a doctorate in behavioural neuroscience from Texas A&M University, U.S.A. Dr. Immink is an accredited yoga and meditation teacher and also an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, Australia's most recent recognised allied health profession.

Dr. Immink regularly presents public lectures and workshops on topics which bring together western scientific understanding of the mind and body and the ancient wisdom of yoga. Read More About Dr Maarten Immink




Annette Loudon

Annette Loudon has been teaching yoga for over 15 years. She has produced a ground-breaking DVD on “Yoga for Women after Treatment for Breast Cancer”. Annette is writing a book called “Yoga for Women having or who have had treatment for breast cancer”. She is a member of YTAA, IAYT and IYTA. She has graduate and post-grad qualifications in Education and Management, as well as being highly qualified in Yoga, Pilates, Massage and Fitness. Read More About Annette Loudon






Narelle Carter-Quinlan

Narelle Carter-Quinlan has a diverse and unique background. She is dedicated practitioner in Iyengar Yoga, having Teacher Trained and apprenticed with Alan Goode from 1993-2009, a biomedical scientist, an ex-professional dancer and choreographer, and more recently, a writer and photographer. During 2010, Narelle presented workshops and her research on yoga for scoliosis in London and Europe, and presented her “Rationale of Yoga Practice in Scoliosis as a Case Study” at the World Congress for Low Back and Pelvic Pain in Los Angeles. Read More About Narelle Carter-Quinlan




James Bone

James Bone is a physiotherapist, Yoga teacher/therapist, educator and writer. He is the co-director of Yoga Plus Therapies, a Yoga and physiotherapy business, which has been serving Brisbane for 16 years. James’ passion is in integrating eastern tradition with western science. He also has a special interest in the brain, neurophysiology and pain.

James has degrees in both Human Movement and Physiotherapy. He has been registered as a full time physiotherapist for over 22 years. He has a special interest in pain management and has worked in community health for over 15 years, in the area of preventative health, chronic disease and pain management. He is also a Bowen Therapist. Read More About James Bone.

Mark Breadner

Mark Breadner’s knowledge and experience of both the technical and spiritual aspects of yoga has led him to the top of his chosen field - yoga teacher education. He is recognised as a “teacher of teachers” and the “real deal”, using his grounded, down-to-earth approach to take ancient knowledge to the everyday. He teaches from the heart and these teachings are life-changing. Mark takes yoga teachers to a totally new level in their understanding and application of yoga. Read More About Mark Breadner

Marc Cohen

Professor Marc Cohen is a medical practitioner with degrees in medicine, physiology and psychological medicine and PhDs in Chinese medicine and biomedical engineering. As one of Australia’s foremost pioneers of complementary medicine he has made significant impact on education, research, clinical practice and policy. He has published numerous journal articles, book chapters and texts on complementary medicine including co-authoring with Dr Leslie Braun the landmark text Herbs and Natural Supplements: An Evidence-Based Guide (now in its third edition), and co-editing ‘Understanding the Global Spa Industry’ with Prof Gerry Bodeker from Oxford University. He is currently Foundation Professor of Complementary Medicine at RMIT University where he leads the world’s first online Master of Wellness Program and is working to establish Wellness as a new academic discipline. Read More About Marc Cohen