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The Bliss Baby Yoga® Team

In addition to our core team of dedicated prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher trainers, Bliss Baby Yoga boasts a diverse faculty of women’s health professionals including midwives, doulas, childbirth educators, psychologists, physiotherapists, naturopaths and Ayurvedic practitioners, as well as a dedicated ‘behind the scenes’ team.

“You have built a warm, approachable cohort of teaching staff who all have a clear passion for the content.”

– Amy, NSW, Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate, 2020

Our Facilitators & Behind The Scenes Team

Nadine O'Mara

Principle Owner & Lead Facilitator

Nadine O’Mara (E-RYT 200, RPYT, YACEP, Yoga Australia Lvl 3 Teacher, DONA Certified Doula, B. App. Sc.) is an experienced Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga teacher, Doula, and the primary owner & Director of Bliss Baby Yoga. She is deeply passionate about supporting women’s health, especially around birth.

Nadine has been sharing the gift of yoga with students for more than 18 years, a large part of this time specialising in yoga for pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Nadine has trained and taught in the UK, USA and Australia, has run retreats and taught students worldwide. She has trained in yoga and birth under the British Wheel of Yoga, the Birthlight Foundation, Robin Lim of Bumi Sehat Birth Clinic, Debra Pasacali Bonero of Orgasmic Birth, Manju Pattabhis Jois, Bikram & Rajasharee Choudhury, to name but a few.

In addition to sharing her knowledge within our Bliss Baby Yoga online courses and content, Nadine also runs the face to face business Conscious Birth, providing doula support and yoga for women and their partners around Bellingen on the NSW Mid-North Coast. She also offers birth education, self care and restorative yoga workshops for mothers, facilitates mother’s circles, family yoga and retreats for women and/or families.

She believes that a gentle birth and the creation of a positive family life helps shape a more peaceful planet.

Ana Davis Bliss Baby Yoga

Ana Davis

Founder & Lead Facilitator

Ana Davis (E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, Yoga Australia Registered Level 3 Senior teacher, qualified Doula, Dip. Remedial Massage, B.A. Honours) has long been passionate about exploring the benefits of yoga and meditation for women’s monthly and life cycles.

Ana has been a keen yoga practitioner since 1990, teaching yoga since 1996, and in 2005 founded Bliss Baby Yoga – offering specialised yoga teacher training courses in the areas of Prenatal, Postnatal, Restorative and Women’s Yoga. In 2013, Ana also founded Moving with the Moon which offers workshops and classes on yoga for the menstrual cycle, menopause and fertility.

Ana’s first book “Moving with the Moon: Nurturing Yoga, Movement and Meditation for Every Phase of your Menstrual Cycle and Beyond” was released in late-2018, and is now available in print-book and E-book formats.

Ana, a mother-of-one, is passionate about sharing the benefits and joys of yoga for every stage of one’s life journey.

Ana is the lead presenter for our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course and Online L1 Restorative Yoga Teacher Training course, and co-facilitator of our Online Yoga for Fertility Teacher Training course. She also offers Online 1:1 Mentoring for yoga teachers and personalised yoga classes.

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Beth Ivy Buxton

Marketing Manager and Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Teacher

Beth Ivy Buxton is a mother of three, registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT), Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT) and Registered Arts Therapist. She is passionate about helping others to thrive through yoga and movement, knowing first hand how powerful and supportive it can be.

When it comes to her role as Marketing Manager for Bliss Baby Yoga, Beth has a very feminine approach to marketing, which comes from her passion for connecting people and making life better. She often asks herself the question “how can I serve?” and uses this to inform what is created, shared and how she responds to our wonderful students and graduates. Beth loves to connect with students and share content which supports and inspires, seeing the ripple effects from the BBY courses through the amazing work happening here in our community.

Beth has worked in the space of Prenatal and Postnatal wellbeing for almost 20 years. She currently teaches prenatal, postnatal and children’s yoga in 1:1 and in private group settings, along with integrating yoga and movement as an integral part of her Arts/Movement Therapy practice. She’s been a keen practitioner of yoga since 2001 and you can find her at Wildflowers Creative Arts.

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Rosie Matheson

Senior Course Facilitator

Rosie Matheson (E-RYT 200, RPYT, YACEP) is a passionate women’s health and wellbeing educator.  She has trained extensively in Hatha Yoga, and is a also a qualified Doula. Rosie’s many offerings for women include classes, workshops, and teacher training courses in yoga for fertility, healthy menstruation, women’s life cycles, and both the prenatal and postnatal phases of life.

Rosie’s foundational work in women’s yoga was conducted during a three year residency on Koh Phangan, Thailand. There she participated in over 700 hours of Yoga Alliance certified Yoga Teacher Training courses in addition to attending Yoga Therapy workshops, meditation courses, and a variety of women’s retreats and classes.

Teaching women close to home and across the globe, Rosie regularly leads trainings for students in the USA, Japan, Italy, and Australia. Rosie’s passion is in educating women on the power of their bodies, and the undeniable correlation between celebrating your feminine form and living an empowered and vital life.
Her genius is in presenting these ideas in a way that is accessible, nurturing, and inspiring to women everywhere.

Rosie is a Senior Course Facilitator for our Bliss Baby Yoga Prenatal & Postnatal and Fertility Yoga Teacher Training courses, online, throughout Australia and internationally, and also offers Online 1:1 Mentoring for yoga teachers and personalised yoga classes.

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Anna Watts

Specialty Guest Presenter

Anna Watts, a beloved guest teacher for Bliss Baby Yoga since it’s beginning in Byron Bay, is a professional Childbirth Educator and Doula Trainer (Celebration of Birth Doula Academy) who has been working with pregnant women/couples for over 28 years.

Her wide experience includes Diploma in Childbirth Education, Diploma in Counselling, Cert IV Training & Assessment, training prenatal yoga teachers, facilitating women’s circles, birth classes, prenatal yoga and supporting many births as a doula. Anna is a mother to two beautiful, adult daughters.

Anna is the co-creator and lead trainer on our Online Doula Training and a specialty guest presenter on our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course.

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Tanya Neate

Senior Course Facilitator

Tanya Neate has been exploring the power of yoga to support women’s health, especially women with fertility challenges since 2010. The journey began as a personal quest to discover which yogic practices most support fertility health and her discoveries were so empowering and transformative that she wondered why Fertility Yoga classes were nowhere to be found! A mission to get these practices to the women that needed them was born.

Tanya has undertaken extensive Hatha Yoga teacher training and many specialised trainings in yoga for women’s health, including the Bliss Baby Yoga 100 RPYT Prenatal and Postnatal training. Tanya has undertaken the 4-year yoga therapy teacher training in the tradition of Krishnamacarya to further enhance her yoga therapy skills and has become a qualified and registered counsellor which is another field of support she feels so blessed to be working in.

Tanya is the founder of Moon Tribe Yoga, a mum to two boys, a senior course facilitator for our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Fertility Yoga Teacher Training courses, and lead facilitator of our Supporting IVF with Fertility Yoga Online Module. She offers group yoga classes for fertility, prenatal and women’s wellness, yoga therapy, and counselling sessions in Melbourne. She also spends her time keeping up with the never-ending study and passion projects that come with this kind of wonderful work. One of Tanya’s favourite jobs is to do the video mentoring calls and chat to yoga teachers all over the globe who complete the Level 1 and Level 2 Fertility Yoga courses.

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Star Despres

Senior Course Facilitator

Star Despres (E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP) is a devoted yogini, practising since she was 19 and teaching since 2006. She is a Senior Byron Yoga Centre qualified Teacher and Teacher Trainer, and has been facilitating Bliss Baby Yoga teacher training courses since 2010. Star’s passions rest in empowering women to reconnect with the divine feminine, no matter what stage of life they are in, and assisting them to find a more nurturing and sacred approach to life. She especially loves to support women through pregnancy, the postnatal period, perimenopause, menopause and times of exhaustion and depletion via the practise of Restorative Yoga and daily self care rituals.

Star is also the founder of Divine Star, an Online sanctuary honouring the feminine and offering private mentoring, retreats, workshops and circles to inspire women to reclaim their power and reconnect to their authentic selves. Her greatest role is as a mama of 2 daughters (17 years apart), and continues to fine tune the balance of work and Mamahood whilst also honouring her own needs.

Star is a Senior Course Facilitator for our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course, and also offers Online 1:1 Mentoring for yoga teachers and personalised yoga classes.

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Kanako Yajima

Senior Course Facilitator (Online & International)

Kanako Yajima (E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, Level 3 Teacher under Yoga Australia) has been practicing yoga since 2000 and teaching since 2006. She has been trained in various styles of yoga including Solomon Yogalates, Ishta System with Rachel Zinman, and Vini Yoga & the Five Element Form with Peter Clifford. She has completed a number of Pre & Postnatal Yoga trainings and has been working with pregnant women and new moms since 2010.

Kanako has also worked internationally in many teacher trainings, retreats and workshops as both interpreter (for Japanese groups) and as a teacher trainer.

Thanks to her experience as a yoga translator/interpreter and her dedication to knowledge and growth, she has been immersed in various teachings including yoga philosophy, anatomy & physiology, pranayama and meditation and her versatile and unique teaching styles reflect that extensive knowledge and experience.

Kanako is grateful everyday for being a mother to her daughter as it has been the most challenging yet beautiful and transformational yoga sadhana in life and she loves sharing the magic of yoga practices with students from that heart-felt space.

Kanako is a Senior Course Facilitator for our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course.

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Dr Lauren Tober

Specialty Guest Presenter

Dr Lauren Tober is a mother of two, yoga teacher and clinical psychologist, who has also trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, iRest Yoga Nidra™ and Life Force Yoga. Her passion is in bridging the gap between Western and yogic psychology to help people to heal and to live full and wholehearted lives. She is also the founder of “Capturing Gratitude” and “A Daily Dose of Bliss“.

Lauren is a specialty guest contributor for our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course in the area of Perinatal Mental Health. Get to know Lauren at www.laurentober.com.

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Lisa Fitzpatrick

Specialty Guest Presenter

Lisa Fitzpatrick (E-RYT 200, YACEP) is a physiotherapist, best selling author, mother of two, yoga teacher, yoga teacher trainer (specialising in Anatomy & Physiology), and coach who revels in supporting women to find their soul purpose.

Lisa has over 20 years experience working with people to improve health by promoting Mind-Body awareness. She has a specialised interest in women’s health, well-being and spiritual consciousness, and has a talent for making complex anatomical concepts simple and fun. As the founder of Sacred Women’s Business, a coaching and training business, Lisa provides coaching for intelligent and conscious entrepreneurs with a legacy to leave.

Lisa is a presenter on our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal and Postnatal Anatomy & Physiology Extension Module.

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Emma Louise Roger

Senior Course Facilitator

Emma Louise Roger (E-RYT 200, RPYT, YACEP, Post Grad Dip Counselling, Cert IV Ayurveda, IRest Lv 1), has been a dedicated yogini since 1996, she is a mother of two daughters and has a passion for supporting women through Yoga, Ayurveda and counselling.

Emma began teaching Yoga in 2001 and in 2002 taught her first prenatal yoga class. Magically Emma fell pregnant with her first child just 3 weeks later. Since then, Emma has specialised in yoga for women, in particular, teaching prenatal and postnatal yoga, Love Your Body for healthy body image, Women’s Shakti Yoga and Yoga for Trauma.  Emma has studied and trained in the U.S., India, Bali and Australia in traditional Hatha Yoga – Swami Satchidananda & Pattahbi Jois of Ashtanga, Yoga Therapy of Krishnamacharya and Tantric Yoga with Uma Inder.

As well as teaching for Bliss Baby since 2010, Emma founded Red Tent Yoga for women in Byron Bay in 2008, where she has taught regular prenatal, postnatal and women’s yoga classes, birth workshops and support groups for women. Red Tent Yoga still continues in the form of local classes and private sessions. From this experience, Emma has a good understanding of how a feminine centred and yoga business can operate. Emma is also a qualified PACFA Holistic Counsellor, and  specialises in Perinatal Counselling for pregnancy and mothers, and offers Havening therapy for trauma.

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Jennifer Allen

Senior Course Facilitator

Jennifer Allen (E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP) is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist, who teaches a variety of classes in Vinyasa Flow, Yin Yoga, Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga, Yoga Therapy and mat/reformer Pilates. Jennifer has worked as a Senior Bliss Baby Yoga Prenatal, Postnatal and Restorative Yoga course facilitator, and teacher trainer for Byron Yoga Centre Yoga Teacher Training courses in Australia and internationally for a number of years. Jennifer also facilitates her own Jayayoga 200 hr and 300 hr YTT courses through her studio in Auckland, New Zealand.

As a mother of two, Jennifer has experienced first-hand the many benefits of a regular yoga practice to support her through the amazing journey of pregnancy, birth and motherhood, and is keen to share her knowledge and experience.

Jennifer is a presenter on our Bliss Baby Yoga Online Prenatal and Postnatal Anatomy & Physiology Extension Module.

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Maria Kirsten

Specialty Guest Presenter

Maria Kirsten (ERYT-500, YACEP) has been practicing yoga since 1989 and began teaching in 2000. Maria, a mother of two, is an Occupational Therapist, Yoga Therapist, Yoga Teacher and Teacher Trainer, and specialist in Applied Anatomy & Physiology for yoga teachers.

Maria facilitates workshops for teachers throughout Australia and internationally, and is driven by a passion to make yoga safe and accessible for everyone. Her style of teaching is dynamic and fun, making anatomy come to life in movement.

Maria is a special guest presenter on our Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training course, sharing safe yoga practices for postnatal women.

*Our dear friend and colleague Maria sadly passed away in April 2021. You can learn about Maria’s life and work, and her journey with cancer, via the episodes of the Live Like You Love Yourself podcast that she recorded with Chara Caruthers, and via her website (linked below). She was an inspiration, and made the most of every moment she was given. She is greatly missed, but the legacy of her passion for yoga continues through all of the students and teachers she taught over many years, and all of the incredibly valuable resources she left for us all to continue to learn from – which was her wish. We are eternally grateful for Maria. She is forever in our hearts.

Cara Elliott

Operations

Cara Elliott is our Administration Queen!

A mama, passionate yogini and counsellor in training. Cara found yoga after a traumatic life event. Through daily practice, yoga has helped her bring joy back into her life, appreciate the small things and give herself some daily peace.

Cara is  the friendly reply you will  receive when you have any admin questions, need for extensions or any issues with your course.

Claire Holloway

Speciality Guest Presenter
Claire Holloway is the founder of The Centre of Bright Beginnings, offering yoga, corrective exercise and educational support for those embarking upon or moving through the journey of matresence – not only those identifying as mothers, but any parents and care-givers or parents-to-be.
She studies and shares yoga through the lens of her personal experiences of becoming and being a mother. The cyclical nature of life and living are a prevalent theme running through her offerings and she is passionate about sharing the full breadth of yoga’s ancient wisdom in a modern and practical way relevant to parents of today.
Claire is a mother of two and enjoys living in beachside Scarborough, Western Australia, where she shares yoga with the local community.

Our Bliss Baby Yoga team respectfully acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which we live, work and rest, and the strength and wisdom of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori people of the lands we know as Australia and New Zealand. We pay our deep respects to the wisdom, knowledge and resilience of their Elders past, present and emerging. 

We also honour the Eastern historical roots of Yogic philosophy and practice, the long lineage of these practices we share, our teachers, and our teacher’s teachers.

Testimonials about our teachers

'I'm very much looking forward to sharing this new knowledge with my pregnant students. Ana Davis is so great at sharing her vast amount of knowledge. Anna Watts' warmth made me feel safe even on the other side of the world. I loved Dr Lauren Tober's lecture which spoke to me in more ways than one. In Maria Kirsten's class, I learnt about movements and cues I had never heard of before. And my video call facilitator, Kanako, was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. She answered all of my questions better than I could have hoped for. I'm very grateful. Thank you for making an affordable teacher training course that felt both genuine and comprehensive. I feel confident that I will be able to safely support women during this extraordinary time of their lives and it is such a gift.'- Clemence, Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate (Germany)
``I enjoyed this Bliss Baby Yoga training very much and benefited tremendously. My students are going to enjoy all the juicy new dialogue and inspiration. In Bliss Baby Yoga I found a very well written program and inspiring facilitators.``- Danielle, Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate
``I loved this course and the mixture of teachers sharing their wisdom and passion. I loved every part of this course!``- Claudia, Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate
``I thought this Bliss Baby Yoga training was fantastic - very thorough and comprehensive. All the teachers created a beautiful, nurturing space and had so much wisdom to offer. I can definitely say that this course was everything I thought it would be. A huge thank you to all of the course facilitators - you are all beautiful, amazing women.``- Prue, Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate
``I am so impressed with the overflowing abundance of knowledge and passion Ana Davis and Anna Watts have for pregnancy, birth and motherhood.``- Mary, Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate (USA)
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'The course was exactly what I needed. I liked the emphasis on safety and the therapeutic recommendations for the various pregnancy related ailments. Ana’s style of teaching offers a practical approach, whilst being centred, empathetic and nurturing. The flexibility of being able to do the course in my own time was very much appreciated. I have a busy teaching schedule and I’m a mum so it was good to be able to take the time I needed to complete the course properly. I really liked the structure of the course, very clear and easy to follow.' Julia (UK), Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga TT graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'This course is so wholistic - I love how it truly focuses on the body and spirit of a new mama, and her growing/new babe. It’s not just asana. The course addresses the WHOLE mama, and I think that is invaluable. It’s exactly what I was looking for when researching online courses. It would’ve made more sense for me to do a course in the USA but I was really drawn to this one for the spiritual and emotional elements.' Amber (USA), Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'I am loving this online fertility course that you (Rosie and Ana) have created. It is brilliant and so professional. It will be wonderfully supportive for me as I care for my clients. Thank you for the time and effort that must have gone into it.' Amanda (SA, AUS), Online L1 Yoga for Fertility Teacher Training graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'I loved that I could do this course at my own pace. I’m 27 weeks pregnant and loved doing this course whilst pregnant! This has reignited my desire to teach, in a different way than I used to - softer and more feminine.' Casey (QLD, AUS), Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'The Bliss Baby Yoga Level 2 Restorative Yoga Teacher Training is a woven together in a synergistic balance of theory and practical. The deeply feminine approach is clearly offered from a place of deep knowing as each of the facilitators draw on their wisdom and knowledge, sharing this information in an easily relatable and digestible way. Not only aesthetically pleasing, the platform is easy and seamless to navigate. It truly is fabulous! The final video call mentoring session phenomenal. Star held space so beautifully and offered supportive guidance which really landed in my bones. I loved this connection as the culmination of our studies, thank you. I feel really spoilt!' Kirstie (VIC, AUS), Online L1 & L2 Restorative Yoga Teacher Training graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'I found your Online L1 Yoga for Fertility Teacher Training course to be tremendously worthwhile and very enjoyable. The course was very practical and accessible. I was able to apply what I was learning right away since everything was laid out very clearly. I have a personal journey with infertility so the material was both personally and professionally valuable to me. Since it is a subject so close to me I was really able to feel the benefits of the various sequences.' Prairie (New Zealand), Online L1 Yoga for Fertility Teacher Training graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'Thank you so much for an amazing online course. I was so blown away by all the beautiful content and felt like I received such a deep level of learning from it. I have been craving more knowledge and depth into Yoga for Fertility and you well and truly delivered. I ran a small workshop from my home on Sunday to put what i had learnt to practice. It was an intimate group of 3 women and it was just so beautiful! Thank you again. I'm so so grateful!' Jenny (NSW, AUS), Online L1 Yoga for Fertility TT graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'I benefited from the Bliss Baby Yoga Online L1 Restorative Yoga TT course on both a personal and professional level. Personally, it worked as an anchor, it helped me through difficult times and I keep coming back to it every week to cultivate it's grounding effect. Professionally, I fell in love with the teaching of Restorative Yoga, it's my favorite Yoga style to teach, and I am very passionate about it and how I want to give it to my students. With the whole course and all the references you gave I feel comfortable about applying the knowledge and techniques I learned.' Anna (France), Online L1 Restorative Yoga Teacher Training graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'Both of the courses I have completed with Bliss Bay Yoga were so well done. It has been a truly invaluable learning experience for me. I must say that I have learnt more during your online course then during my residential 200h teacher training - I honestly couldn't expect that a remote training would be so helpful and constructive. Everything was perfect; the atmosphere, all of the knowledge. The course was very informative, useful and inspiring. I engaged in this course during a lockdown and with my newborn at home, and I couldn't be happier. The Baby Bliss Yoga team is very professional and thanks to this course I feel confident to start my teaching career.' Marica (Italy), Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate
WHAT OUR GRADUATES ARE SAYING
'This course was packed full of valuable information to help support a pregnant mom through her entire pregnancy and into the first several months of motherhood. It gave me an abundance of tangible material that is available to refer back to. I am completely satisfied with the contents of this course, which is accessible to anyone, anywhere, interested in developing their skills for prenatal and postnatal yoga. I have already recommended it to other teachers at our studio.' Mary (USA), Online Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training graduate