At YogaKoh, we believe no matter how many years of practice one may have, we are always in a state of growth and evolution. Often, our teachers can learn just as much from our training as our students do! Directing a 200hr training, however, is not an experience for the faint hearted. We are sure to choose the most dedicated, passionate, attentive, and mindful people to help create the comprehensive environment that allows for the success of our students.
We are thrilled to introduce to you the empowering individuals who make our 2024 Bali Sea-to-Sky training an unforgettable experience. Our team members each bring unique skills and energy to create the enriching environment for our students’ development and practice. Together, we are committed to providing our students with a fruitful and holistic educational journey.
Meet our lead teacher, Bruce Chung!
On his path towards personal growth, seeking clarity, and hoping to become a kinder human, Bruce began practicing yoga in 2005 in his hometown of Toronto. Three years later, Bruce completed his first yoga teacher training, pushing him to leave his 9-5 job in banking, and kickstart his career towards becoming a renowned international yoga teacher.
Moving to Singapore in 2009 for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Bruce’s career truly began. From there, his journey took him to Dublin and Bangkok where he learned adaptability and the power of visual learning, as well as developing his teaching practice through the language barrier. Bruce’s practice flourished as he started assisting on yoga teacher trainings, and eventually leading them.
From Hong Kong to Cape Town, across continental Europe, and finally settling in Brussels (for now!), Bruce’s nomadic lifestyle has given him a vast set of experiences guiding students and teachers of all levels toward deepening their practices.
With YogaKoh, Bruce has led 50hr advanced trainings in Italy, 200hr trainings in New Zealand, and now, this 200hr training in Bali. Despite being unique in many ways, Bruce reflects the traditional yoga teacher trainer – someone who is compassionate, authentic, and dedicated to always being a student at heart.
We are so appreciative for all the wisdom, on and off the mat, you have shared with us, Bruce!
Meet our assistant teacher, Charlotte de Wouters!
A former Bali Sea-to-Sky graduate, Charlotte is the perfect person to assist in teaching this training! Around eight years ago, she was working as a lawyer and dealing with a huge amount of pressure. Looking for a way to relieve her stress and being someone who has always been passionate about well-being and self-development, Charlotte found her outlet: the yoga studio right in front of her office!
As she continued to dive deeper into yoga, practicing whenever she had breaks at work, Charlotte became addicted to the effects of consistent yoga and the change they can create, allowing her to evolve as a person like never before. Completing her 200hr training in 2022 with YogaKoh, and progressing with her 300hr training in India, Charlotte’s dedication to growth is an inspiration to everyone who surrounds her.
Charlotte understands how special it is to train with people who become your family outside of the classroom. With YogaKoh, when class is finished, students want to put effort into their peer relationships, giving the gift of lifelong friendships. Charlotte appreciates how everyone really gets to know each other and thrives off the communal support, which brought her to transition into teaching for us! From her practice, she has been able to feel deeper serenity, built self-confidence, maintained control over fear, learned to see more clearly, and found herself more open and present than ever before.
Charlotte aims to share all the magic of practicing yoga with as many people as possible, especially those dealing with daily struggles of stress, work overload, overthinking, and hypersensitivity. To our future teachers, she advises: “Remember your WHY! Be authentic, share your passion with your own voice, and don’t try to be perfect!”
Thank you for teaching us to be proud of ourselves. We are so grateful to have constant support from you, Charlotte!
Meet our guest teacher, Harry French!
Harry’s journey as an intuitive stretching specialist and breathwork facilitator began when he started searching for remedies after experiencing a burnout, challenges in his personal life, and receiving an ADHD diagnosis at age 28. Harry began exploring short breathwork videos he found online, which opened his eyes to the immense power of the breath as it relates to our nervous systems. Graduating into longer sessions in person, he unlocked how breathing techniques led him towards relief, acceptance, deeper trust in himself and others, and self-love. With his newfound knowledge, Harry strives to support others as they discover peace within themselves through the practice of breathwork and intuitive action.
Guest teaching on his first yoga teacher training, Harry demonstrates the significance of breathwork in yoga practices: for grounding, for power, and for a life of peace. Throughout our sessions so far, Harry has helped students to break down their emotional blocks and empowered students to step into their most powerful and authentic selves.
The benefits of breathwork, and of yoga, reach far beyond the mat; and we are so appreciative of the personal growth you have helped us to work towards, Harry!
Meet our social media manager and photographer, Sarah Peterson!
As she approached her final year of college, Sarah sought work opportunities that aligned with her desire to be part of a community-based and supportive company. She soon discovered her dream job with YogaKoh. The immediate connection and support Sarah felt with our founder, Jolie Manza, led to her very first internship, which transitioned into her first job after she graduated with a degree in Media Studies from the University of Colorado Boulder.
“Not many graduates can say their first job involves documenting a wonderful and spiritual journey like a yoga teacher training in two of the most beautiful places in the world, Canggu and Ubud. Joining Jolie and the entire YogaKoh community has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Thanks for keeping us connected and engaged with our Koh-mmunity, Sarah!
Meet our creative copywriter, Riley Tarnol (me)!
I serendipitously found YogaKoh after my life changing study abroad experience in Sydney, Australia. In my search for opportunities in Sydney, Jolie and I connected as CU Boulder alums, and I was instantly drawn to her passion for travel, community, and wellness. Joining the YogaKoh team has allowed me to pursue my professional goals, using my BA in English Creative Writing to contribute to a company that shares my core values, and helped me to reach my personal goals, diving deeper into the fitness community and venturing to new parts of the world!
I’m truly grateful for this month in Bali and recording our Sea-to-Sky 200hr YTT with creative freedom is a dream come true. Every person I have met throughout this journey has already had a deeply profound impact on the person I strive to be and the path I envision my life moving down.
It is an honor to be the storyteller of this transformative journey for our students!
YogaKoh is beyond grateful for each member of our team, and what they contribute to make our Koh-mmunity so extraordinary. And we thank you, our readers, watchers, and supporters, for tuning in to this remarkable journey – our students would not be here without the endless love from back home!
Connect with us on our social media as we wrap up our time in Canggu and travel to the breathtaking city of Ubud!
Keep practicing!
-- YogaKoh
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