Dani Affleck: Head Teacher

A woman with long dark wavy hair, smiling, stands with her hands pressed together in a prayer gesture, in front of green plants.

A woman practicing yoga outdoors on a grassy field, sitting in a squat pose with one arm raised and smiling at the camera, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage.

Current Qualifications:

500-hour Vinyasa Yoga, Krishna School of Yogic Studies (2016, 2019)
50-hour Yoga for Mental Health, Maria Kirsten, Yoga for Grownups (2019)
50-hour Yin Yoga, Truth Robinson, Living Yin (2020)
100-hour Embodied Flow, Adele Kingham, Rise Yoga (2021)
50-hour Trauma Informed Yoga, Adele Kingham, Rise Yoga (2021)
50-hour Psychosomatics, Kylie Rook, Inspire Teacher Training (2023)
300-hour Yoga Therapy, Barbara Coley, Svastha Yoga Aotearoa (2024)
Level 4 Hanna Somatics, Suds Sutherland, Somatics Aotearoa (2025)

Early Career and Discovery of Yoga

Dani's journey with yoga began organically while living with a yogi in Brighton, UK. At the time, she was exploring alternative ways of living, which led her to travel extensively across Europe and South America.

Along the way, she immersed herself in spiritual communities and participated in festivals that exposed her to a wide variety of healing modalities and yogic practices. These experiences planted the seeds for what would become a lifelong path of inner exploration and service.

Committed to lifelong learning, Dani has gone on to study Trauma-Informed Yoga, Embodied Flow, and Psychosomatics, and a 300-hour Yoga Therapy training with Svastha Yoga, led by the Mohan family—renowned for integrating traditional yoga with modern therapeutic approaches.

A woman practicing yoga outdoors on grass, doing a side stretch pose with her right arm raised up and her left hand on the ground, surrounded by trees with fall foliage.

Applying the Teachings

Since becoming a teacher, Dani has brought yoga into a wide range of environments—from yoga studios and gyms to schools, hospices, festivals, and correctional facilities. Her teaching style is adaptive and inclusive, shaped by her work with people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

A key focus of her work is making yoga accessible to marginalized and vulnerable communities. Through her own lived experience with mental health challenges, Dani has come to deeply trust in the power of yoga as a tool for healing and self-discovery. Her classes are compassionate, inquisitive, and people-centered—offering space for each individual to connect to their body, mind, and inner resilience.

We are grateful to have Dani as part of our team, as her values deeply align with our mission to make healing practices available to all.