Teachers
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Eleonora Sapienza
Born in Italy and moved to Ireland for love, Eleonora discovered Yoga thanks to a project started in her high school. It was in Milan, where she had moved to work in 2009, that the seed planted at school could sprout and, thanks to her first fateful Ashtanga lesson, Yoga began to become more and more part of her daily life.
The physicality of the style chosen is fundamental to arouse commitment and dedication: the challenging positions give the right motivation to return to the mat day after day. As the months pass and the progress of the practice under the guidance of Marianna Borga, Eleonora learns to live the mat as a personal and intimate space of self-knowledge and research, to unhook the practice from the results and to give space to "feeling" rather than to "thinking".
In 2014 she qualified as a Yoga teacher for Kids with the Balyayoga method, starting immediately to teach courses and learning from the youngest the art of living the present. In 2016, She completed her 200hr teacher training in Flow Yoga Alignment Oriented in Milan and begins teaching in several city studios. Always convinced that a good teacher can only be a tireless student, she continues to study with many international teachers including Eddy Stern, Lino Miele, Piero Vivarelli and Olop Arpipi, discovering different teaching methods that have enriched her practice and opened her to new styles and approaches.
She lives her practice as a moment of creativity aimed at exploring always new spaces of body and mind, to be shared with her students.
During her lessons she invites every practitioner to consciously live their personal experience through the tools of breathing, movement and smile

Helena Palmer
Helena is a Cork based Yoga Teacher, Massage Therapist and Dancer - Creative Mover. She embarked on her holistic journey in 2006 completing her Master level of Reiki and then completing a Diploma in Holistic Massage. Helena has also been exploring and training in the art of Ayurvedic Yoga Massage and Thai Massage, which combines beautifully for yoga practitioners and the expansion of the practice. 
In 2007 she found the practice of yoga and has been practicing ever since. She completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2014 and is one of the founders and creators of the growing and expanding Yoga Collective Cork alongside Gillian McIlroy.
Helena is a lover of all things movement with ongoing explorations in dance and free form expressive movement. 
Where there is movement there is improvement "Keep up" and you will be kept up and "Just breathe"!
Our bodies are our home, its the one space we are completely sovereign over so I believe to keep a happy healthy home movement is key in all it's many expressions. 
Helena's study is still on going - she believes never stop learning, keep your mind and body active and enjoy the array of wonderment that life has to offer you.

Gillian McIlroy
A yoga teacher and artist from Co Antrim,  teaching in the lovely republic of Cork since 2014!  My interest in yoga was sparked in my late teens by my mother's consistent practice, my grandmothers books and my curiosity and impatience.  My grandmother had been into Carl Jung, yoga, and was an artist, and though I was two when she passed my mother shared as much of her with me as she could.  With my curiosity peaked, I went to the University of St Andrews in Scotland and earned my degree in Psychology in 2004.
I then moved to Mexico City for 6 years where I found much artistic and spiritual inspiration with some of the most warm-hearted welcoming people the world has to offer,and learned a great deal about who I was.  I trained in holistic therapies, shiatsu, dance, music, sculpture and painting.    In 2006 I began studying under Kushala Camarena and yoga became an essential part of my wellbeing. I returned Mexico to complete my 200hr yoga teacher training with him in 2012 under a scholarship program he offers to one student per training.  I have since endeavored to pay forward the help I received through the scholarship system by making classes affordable to those who otherwise might be priced out of the room.
​Although Ashtanga is my main training, I actually love all styles of yoga and whenever I get an opportunity to travel I like to try out different teachers and schools.  I spent some time on returning to Ireland studying in the Iyengar style and in Cork I got into Acroyoga and Ayurvedic Yoga Massage.  I have been working on developing yoga dance workshops with Helena and currently offer this fusion of yoga and free dance as a Monday evening class/playshop!
In all my classes, I intend to convey that what happens in the body happens in the mind and that there is no need to force where there could be ease. Learning how to release unnecessary tension and stress through awareness of the body is a big part of my teaching and there is always a lovely deep relaxation at the end.

Maria Sinnecker
I have been dancing since I am six years of age. I am originally from Berlin, Germany and grew up in the theatre world. My background is in Modern Expressive Dance,  Contemporary Dance, Dance Theatre and multilingual Drama.
I lived in the U.S.A. as a child, graduated from a bilingual German-American Partnership School in Berlin (2000), and first came to Ireland as a student (2002). I studied M.A. Drama & Theatre Studies at University College Cork (2006).
In my youth, I mainly danced and performed with Tanzwerkstatt No Limit, Berlin, Germany (1988-99), Rainbow Arts, Raleigh, USA (1992-94), and at Fischhaus, Fabrik Potsdam (1996-97).  I later joined the jlling-company, Tanztheaterprojekt Rostock (now Tanzland Rostock) (2001-05) led by choreographer Peter Mann.
Since 2006, I have performed in contemporary dance and theatre, mainly with choreographer Inma Pavon.  Most notably in: 5.5.5 Chances, IV Wills, and Inner Landscapes.
In 2011, I began my training in dance and movement teaching in Ireland and Germany. I am certified in Leading Creative and Community Dance, with the Laban Guild for Movement and Dance, Belfast, N.I., kindly supported by Cork City Council (2016), and in Leading Creative Dance for Children, AHAB-Academy, Berlin (2011). I completed CPD in Vaganova Ballet Pedagogy for Ages 8-10 (2018), Community Dance with emphasis on Choreography (2018), Developing Creativity in Children Through Dance (2012), KDS Floor Barre and Placement (2014), among others.
In 2016, I founded Dance Theatre Project Cork (now Starling Dance Theatre).
I truly enjoy sharing my lifelong passion in dance and theatre.

starlingdancetheatre.com/

Sinéad Mc Donald
Sinéad has been practicing yoga and body work since her very early teens. Her interest in spirituality brought her to yoga. At 17 she met her teacher Therese Tierney, where she practiced many styles of yoga, pranayama, meditation & mantras. She embarked on a journey to learn more about the body, the benefits of active living, energy work, nutrition and ways to transform her life. She continued her studies and completing many forms of spiritual practices, Reiki Master, Body Talk practitioner, Rahinni Celestial Teacher, Angel and Tarot reader and mediumship, Mindscape, Accunect Practitioner & Raw food.
Sinead completed her 200 hour Teacher Training in 2018 with Nikki Cousins and Kathryn Moynihan.
Sinead's Classes are Dynamic, combination of Vinyasa, Ashtanga, elements of Hatha and meditation. They are strong and strengthening at the same time slow, grounding and calming.
In her classes, the original and always different sequences of postures transmit the passion towards the fluidity of the movement guided by the breath.
Very attentive to alignments, Sinead offers her students many alternatives to make even the most advanced positions accessible to all
Her passion as teacher of life, she helps to cultivate body awareness empowering others to embrace their unique gifts and give students a deep understanding of their Yoga practice.

Krishan Prakash Kaur​
Krishan Prakash Kaur is a visual artist, yoga and meditation teacher, intuitive
healer and community worker. She has been teaching Kundalini Yoga since
2011 having trained in Cork City at the Well Within Centre. In 2013 she lived
in San Francisco at the Kundalini Yoga Hargobind Sadan Ashram and trained
to become a facilitator in Self-Worth training. Self-Worth is an offset of
Kundalini Yoga for healing and trauma. Krishan Prakash has over 23 years of
experience in holistic health and healing, dedicated to her path and regularly
attends training in relation to yoga, healing and trauma work. She facilitates
regular Kundalini Yoga classes, workshops and has regular Kundalini Yoga
and Healing Retreats on Sherkin Island West Cork. Kundalini Yoga enriches
her life deeply and she is passionate about sharing in its huge gifts and
benefits. The importance of having a physical practice in one’s life, which is
also deeply anchored in meditation. She strongly believes that we all have the
power to heal our own lives, once we make a commitment to ourselves and
walking our own personal path of truth.​

Rebekka Simon
When I was a kid I used to move to any kind of music whenever I found space to dance. My parents recognized and encouraged my passion for dance and brought me to the Palucca University of Dance Dresden, Germany (where I am from). I studied dance there for 6 years including ballet and point work, modern and contemporary dance, jazz and improvisation. During this time I worked with choreographers like John Neumeier, Birgit Scherzer and Hanne Wantke. I also performed in Swan Lake and A Midsummer Night's Dream at Semper Opera House in Dresden.
I moved to Cork city last year and recently completed the intermediate and advanced ISDT dance courses at Colaiste Stiofain Naoifa. I also joined the Cork City Ballet Youth Ensemble during my studies.
 I have always had a passion for dance and the feeling of freedom while I'm moving. That's why I would like to share my love for this unique expression of and with our bodies! I would like to give anyone the opportunity to explore themselves through movement and to be at one with space, music and their own body. 
 
“There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost.”      - Martha Graham

Olivia Flynn
I was introduced to Yoga while at university as a means of dealing with stress and reducing it’s effects on my body and mind. I have now been practicing yoga for over 25 years and feel the benefits every time I get on the mat.
Initially my practice was Hatha based but I was introduced to Ashtanga yoga when working in the USA in 2004. I loved it immediately and decided to take it to the next level by undertaking teacher training.
I completed Ashtanga teacher training in 2005 at the Elbow Room in Dublin, and proceeded to do Prenatal Yoga teacher training in 2007 when pregnant with my first child. It was a wonderful experience and far more valuable I believe being pregnant myself.
When practising yoga we open and awaken our bodies to energising and yet relaxing experiences that have a profound effect on our wellbeing. I focus on alignment and absolute safety in teaching so that the benefits of yoga are accessible to all.

Leanne Foxwell
Leanne's passion for flamenco inspired her to begin teaching Flamenco for Beginners classes in Cork in January 2020, bringing flamenco dance to the heart of Cork city. Leanne has been studying flamenco dance for over 12 years. Her love of flamenco began at the highly acclaimed school Alba Flamenca in Edinburgh, where she spent 7 years studying flamenco dance and performing in group and solo student shows. Since moving to Ireland she has continued with personal lessons with her maestra Luisana 'La Polaca'. She has had the joy of studying with flamenco professionals including La Truco, Pepa Carrasco, Beatriz Morales, Adrian Brenes, Angel Atienza and many more. Leanne will always say that flamenco is for life; you'll know you're hooked when you start practicing your steps at the shops and bus stop, and when you hear the compás beating in the washing machine cycles! Olé!