Jean Byrne PhD in Perth, Western Australia | Yoga studio

Jean Byrne PhD

Locality: Perth, Western Australia

Phone: +61 413 244 217

Address: 6/79 Colin St West Perth 6005 Perth, WA, Australia

Website: http://www.yogaspace.com.au

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24.01.2022 There are no words... She expresses her opinion, she is patted on the head.

24.01.2022 Updated Schedule I have my updated teaching schedule live now. Looking forward to meeting you in Perth, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Melbourne and Hong Kong! Jean x... www.jeanbyrnephd.com

24.01.2022 Karma Yoga Interview Amanda Noga of Yoga Alchemy interviews Jean Byrne

23.01.2022 Meditation Teacher Training Not all guidance can be found directly between a teacher and student. This training bridges East and West and the practice of meditation with the underlying philosophies, and the contemporary research. All welcome!

23.01.2022 Angry Women, Yoga & Social Change Thanks Magnolia Zuniga for the share. Our society doesnt like angry women, not at home, not at work, not in yoga communities. Anger I do believe can be a motivator. And it is an important part of the process which can ignite change. Angry women got us the vote, angry women initiated #metoo, angry women are fighting for our rights everyday. ... "The fear of a womans anger is just one facet of a larger fear of women breaking the normative bonds of social control, of shirking their duties as peacekeepers and boat-righters to put themselves first. In short, it is terrifying, particularly to men, and so the history of womens anger goes hand-in-hand with a history of oppression. Angry women were tried and burned as witches and fitted with contraptions that literally silenced them. They were hustled off to sanitariums, medicated into submission, and gaslighted until they turned their anger back on themselves." We are so opposed to the expression of anger in yoga communities. It is like a sickness, bright shiny positivity with an underbelly of abuse and narcissism - but please dont be outraged. Outrage is not yoga, outrage means you need to practice a little more. If you are outraged there is a strong encouragement to spiritually bypass. I have seen a lot of yoga practitioners and teachers use their practice as a band aid. Thats ok, it is needed for a while. But at a certain point we need to start asking why our teachers arent up for having the difficult conversations? Where do they stand on reproductive rights? On same sex marriage? How do they articulate their relationship to an abusive lineage? What do they believe stuff just cause their male teacher says so? Questioning is everything. Get comfortable with not all questions having answers. And if you are angry? Channel it into social change... What do you think? https://www.bitchmedia.org//its-time-embrace-feminisms-ang

23.01.2022 Musings on who is the expert on a students experience in a yoga class. It is a complex discussion, these are some of my initial thoughts. Please I would love to hear your thoughts?

22.01.2022 Yoga in the Feminine... *Pregnancy Yoga training in PERTH* Everyone has a lot of opinions about what a pregnant body should do, or should look like, or how women should or should not practice yoga. People have opinions on how women should or should not give birth, breastfeed and parent. I love the conversations we can have to learn how to better support women through the life changing process to motherhood. This training draws together philosophy, research and practical teac...hing tips. It is not just for pregnant women but allied health professionals and women who lack a tribe of women to share their wisdom with and grow from being connected to. I hope you can join me. Through Mindful Birth - Yoga for Pregnancy Birth and Baby we are running: Module One: Yoga for Pregnancy Module Two: Post Natal Yoga Module Three: Yoga and Active Birth Namaste, Jean x

19.01.2022 Free Your Mind: Practical Philosophy http://www.yogaspace.com.au/free-your-mind-yoga-philosophy/

18.01.2022 New BLOG: The More You Know... The more you realise its complicated. I hope you can read and share this blog... What I wish to see in the world of yoga is some appreciation for the in-betweens, the transitions, the moments wherein we can connect and listen and truly learn. The not knowing lets embrace that. The more you know the less you realise you know. When we dwell in that not knowing for a long time and are open and curious, over time we begin to have more informe...d and well researched understandings and opinions. As you can see from the visual below explains the Dunning Kruger effect, we start knowing nothing, then we get a little knowledgeable. At a certain point we think we know a lot. But then we decide to go on a journey to really understand our confidence in what we know slumps. And you know what? Our confidence is never is as high as when we were more ignorant! Because most people who truly ARE experts know it is COMPLICATED! Yet debates rage with very confident voices in the yoga world who dont necessarily see things as all that complicated. When you think you know a lot you often are not quite as generous with people who are still learning. http://www.jeanbyrnephd.com//the-more-you-know-the-less-y/

18.01.2022 In Perth? Would love you to join me for this workshop!

17.01.2022 Singapore! Excited to be teaching again in the city I lived in when Rob and I were young. If you can help me get the word out that would be wonderful! Also, the MindfulBirthTeacherTrainees&Graduates Module One in Singapore is nearly full! Be sure to get in touch if you would like to join us! Namaste Jean Byrne

17.01.2022 Why? I havent written much here lately. This page was important to me during a time when my yoga family felt in flux, both worldwide and in Perth. It feels steady now, nourishing and kind, my school here in Perth feels peaceful. I know though I am living in my own little bubble - one I have created consciously. I met a open hearted student the other day and basically asked her why she was practicing the sequence she was practicing. I could tell it didnt feel right to her, y...et it was the sequence her teacher had given her. There was no why, there was only do. Once I had so much bhakti that the doing was tied up in that love - now I dont have bhakti for people, but for the breath and for students and a devotion to creating a truly empowering space to practice yoga (here at The Yoga Space Perth, Australia). I feel how my practice nourishes me from the inside out. I see how easy it is to tell people what to do with their body. And I see the "buy-in" by students wanting uncomplicated yoga and to be told what to do by someone else. What I dont see a lot of in the Yoga Land, especially lineage based practices are invitations for exploration, or curiosity ... I feel there are a lot of yoga teacher comfy being the boss. They kind of act like they are not the boss, but they prescribe the practices that are in their class. Whether it is the giving out of postures by teachers in Ashtanga, or the right and wrong of alignment in Iyengar, or the structure of the flow in Vinyasa, or sequence of postures in Yin. I really just need to say, thats not empowering. Thats not trauma aware practice and it sure as hell doesnt put the student at the centre of their experience. I really think it is time we start asking our teachers "Why?" Why do I do this posture here? Why cant I add in this posture there? Why cant I enter restorative postures while you move through vinyasa? Why do you add "ji" to the end of peoples names? Why are you not asking me what I am looking for out of my practice? What is important information for us as students is to observe what happens when you ask a yoga or meditation teacher "Why"? In response observe what source they rely on? A ancient text? A modern interpreter? An India guy you dont know? Their own experience? What is sufficient grounds for you to do what your teacher is encouraging you to do? What reasons are sufficient for you? Asking questions is the heart of spiritual practice to my mind - and yes feel free to ask me "why?", before you take that as any sort of #truth. Jean x

15.01.2022 Angry Women, Yoga & Social Change Thanks Magnolia Zuniga for the share. Our society doesn't like angry women, not at home, not at work, not in yoga communities. Anger I do believe can be a motivator. And it is an important part of the process which can ignite change. Angry women got us the vote, angry women initiated #metoo, angry women are fighting for our rights everyday. ... "The fear of a woman’s anger is just one facet of a larger fear of women breaking the normative bonds of social control, of shirking their duties as peacekeepers and boat-righters to put themselves first. In short, it is terrifying, particularly to men, and so the history of women’s anger goes hand-in-hand with a history of oppression. Angry women were tried and burned as witches and fitted with contraptions that literally silenced them. They were hustled off to sanitariums, medicated into submission, and gaslighted until they turned their anger back on themselves." We are so opposed to the expression of anger in yoga communities. It is like a sickness, bright shiny positivity with an underbelly of abuse and narcissism - but please don't be outraged. Outrage is not yoga, outrage means you need to practice a little more. If you are outraged there is a strong encouragement to spiritually bypass. I have seen a lot of yoga practitioners and teachers use their practice as a band aid. Thats ok, it is needed for a while. But at a certain point we need to start asking why our teachers aren't up for having the difficult conversations? Where do they stand on reproductive rights? On same sex marriage? How do they articulate their relationship to an abusive lineage? What do they believe stuff just cause their male teacher says so? Questioning is everything. Get comfortable with not all questions having answers. And if you are angry? Channel it into social change... What do you think? https://www.bitchmedia.org//its-time-embrace-feminisms-ang

15.01.2022 Is Yoga Inherently Therapeutic? What do you think? FREE TALK: Yoga Therapy Chandrika Gibson ND, whom I adore is giving this FREE talk on Wednesday!... People often think that all yoga is therapy. I do think yoga can be therapeutic, but this not always the case. For example a long term Ashtanga practice is not necessarily physically therapeutic - indeed it may need other forms of actual physical therapy to be sustained. Yet, it can be mentally and emotionally very therapeutic. Whether it is Ashtanga, Bikram or Iyengar yoga we often see a lot of yoga teachers making grandiose claims about the power of asana. Some go so far as to say it is THE most important part of our spiritual practice (hmm, what about the yamas?). Beside just being hyperbole, this actually does a dis service to yoga - as for yoga to gain recognition as a wonderful form of complementary therapy it needs to overcome this notion that it is alternative medicine. When we make claims that imply yoga is a panacea of all ills we not only overstate the facts, but we do a dis service to actually trying to take a step forwards in making yoga accessible, affordable and perhaps even partially government funded. This is needed now more than ever, where for example here in Australia health funds are beginning to restrict rebates for yoga. I would love to know what you think? Namaste Jean

14.01.2022 Masculine Discourse // Ashtanga Yoga When I wrote my PhD I was criticised for not being critical enough. I embraced Luce Irigarays words and wrote according to them. Like her my gesture was to seek harmony and understanding between myself and the other. I was able to engage critically with her work, but this gesture was one of not tearing apart, but one to ensure our mutual becoming and learning. Funnily enough the criticism came from women themselves who had wholeheartedly ...Continue reading

14.01.2022 What is Parampara, and is it Important? *Question at the end I would love you to answer* I am finding it fascinating reading blogs of people who seem to be now speaking very honestly and openly about the lineages they have been part of for a long time. While I dont always agree with everything that is said - for example not every aspect of this article sits well with me - these are AMAZING conversation starters for yoga practitioners....Continue reading

12.01.2022 Podcast! Together with Chandrika Gibson and Wisdom Yoga Institute we are delighted to bring you the Peaceful Embodiment podcast...

12.01.2022 Pain Science, Yoga & Movement (based on research) A panel discussion on the latest when it comes to pain, movement and yoga. Learn about boom bust, pacing, the importance of language and how to work in a evidence based multi disciplinary way. Moderated by Jean Byrne PhD, Yoga Therapist. ... Panellists: Rob Schutze PhD, Clinical Psychologist & Pain researcher Curtin Universty, Emma Sulley Masters qualified Physiotherapist, Scott Murray, Masters qualified Physiotherapist. See more

11.01.2022 Gosh. *Trigger Warning* This is one of the worst videos of Pattabhis assaults I have seen. Its so disturbing. And it disturbs me to think of practicing in a space where he is revered. I am sorry to all the sexual assault survivors in the world who see no justice and whose abusers carry on, have their pictures hung on walls and whose work or teachings is continued without reflection on what has occurred. I find it strange so many teachers kept this all hidden. Im that perso...n who cant even listen to Michael Jackson anymore...I just cant be ok with all of this simply because it didnt happen to me. And those people who saw it year after year, day after day, I wish those now senior teachers who have accumulated a great deal of wealth from their association with a Ashtanga Yoga had or would say something. I wish rather than buying their books off Amazon students and teachers would ask them to be accountable first to these past abuses. We see the same in Iyengar Yoga where a recent key note speaker expresses the importance of hands on assists in Iyengar Yoga. It seems there was no mention of Iyengar or his students hitting students in class. No reflection in the lineage of how touch - if it is to be used in Iyengar Yoga must include a reflection on past abuses, restorative justice and what consent means and looks like for Iyengar Yoga students. Yoga for me is about stepping into the light, embodying love, compassion and kindness. It is not about avoidance and pretending that a tradition and teachers whose work is supposedly completely based on transmission can somehow neglect to address the abuses within. It makes no sense? How is parampara central to Ashtanga Yoga? How can you be teaching what your teacher taught if your teacher, or your teachers teacher taught in the way of this video? Interesting to see who is willing to speak to what parampara is now and who is willing to carry on as usual and financially benefit from doing so... As a friend said, it is interesting times. Namaste Jean

10.01.2022 What to do when a pregnant woman comes to class?! Pregnancy Yoga is not covered on most trainings - but there are definite contraindications to be aware of.

09.01.2022 Privilege, Power & Ashtanga Yoga And again the pundit speaks, his sophistry somewhat gentle and impressive, belying the structures his words support - the process of oppression that unfolds so naturally to those with privilege. The privilege of being white, of being male, of being physically able, of being able to speak without consideration of knowing, collaborating, consulting with those who have experienced, who do know through decades of dedication to working with trauma....Continue reading

09.01.2022 Italy Retreat Planning An intimate and grounding Ashtanga and Cultural Retreat in Italy. Early Planning stages for this journey in 2022.

09.01.2022 Online, Free Meditation Interested in Meditation? This is a short meditation practice for everyone. Simple breath based and grounding. Please book 3 hours prior and email [email protected] if you have questions. Before the session a few questions will be emailed to ensure we can tailor this practice to your physical, mental and emotional circumstances. Love Jean

08.01.2022 We will be live in just a few minutes on this page!

07.01.2022 Blinded by the Light As 2018 comes to an end I sat on the beach alone in reflection. I feel like I slowly removed a blindfold this year which had served the purpose of sheltering me from certain realities about people, business and the increasing commodification of yoga. I learnt that my perceptions do not always match reality. Sometimes this means a lot of heartache and sometimes this is deeply reassuring as people can surprise us in the most wonderous ways. I learnt a lot.... I grew. I embraced teaching. I let things be. There are not really words... I came back to myself. It feels lighter. I feel surrounded by love. I know myself better. Im interested to see what 2019 brings. What about you? Jean

06.01.2022 Deep Rest Course Available ONLINE

05.01.2022 Yoga Teachers & Photos During Classes Maybe I am just not up with the times, but the increasing movement towards taking promotional photos during classes is something I dont feel aligned with. When we are teaching we are ideally fully present, not thinking how a photo or video would be great for Instagram? I loved for so many years when I practiced in Mysore I felt there was a reverence about the yoga shala being a space where photos where not taken besides a rare special o...ccasion. Many spaces I practiced in prior to social media felt this way. In the same way we were encouraged not to be doing fancy postures and handstands on Instagram which felt like a refreshing outlook. Sadly that has all changed now too - but during my time I loved that it felt sacred, private and not as voyeuristic as modern yoga classrooms. Practice for me is something that is deeply private and personal. And inner daily rhythm, process and prayer. I would never imagine taking a photo or video of a student during their sacred time on the mat. For me there are privacy issues: what if someone is escaping an abusive relationship and goes to yoga to heal and their aggressor sees them online and knows where to find them? Indeed I wonder why people feel the need to do it? It seems like a shout out to the world regarding how successful they are because they have hundreds in their classes. To me teaching is about relationships that deepen over time. The more students the harder it is to sustain a true relationship and I may as well be teaching a Les Mills group fitness class as for me the yoga occurs in the exchange. The teacher - student relationship then becomes about transference and projection... I love that students at Yoga Space know they wont have photos taken of them. My hope is it allows for a little more ease, a little more vulnerability. And also that they know when I teach I am thinking of them, so I wont be picking up my phone to think of promoting my school! I understand we do need images to share what we are doing, yet this should be pre informed and rare. At our school Yoga Space it happens once every ten years or so! And usually students are offered a free class in exchange or to which their day of practice. What do you think about teachers taking photos when they teach? Jean

03.01.2022 Bali 2019! I am delighted to be presenting with dear friend Michelle Kagahastian Papa our Mindful Birth - Yoga for Pregnancy Birth and Baby Training in beautiful Bali! I hope you can make it. Jean x

03.01.2022 Singapore Yoga Teachers: Shine Bright I would love to see you this November for these workshops. Namaste,... Jean See more

03.01.2022 Loving Kindness Meditation Freely available to all who would like to use it.

01.01.2022 Thoughts on Family They can be biological or chosen but for me family is everything. I have a biological and non-biological family that share the journey of life with me. People who have nurtured me since they brought me into this world and people whom I have met along the way. The shared characteristic of these people is they know true and unconditional love. It is not a love that wishes to take from you or change you. It is not a love that demands a stage upon which it is p...erformed, it is not a love that is fickle or unstable. True love is a sharing of love, a being IN love together. As my boys grow I want to teach them that. The world has enough narcissists, and for me how my boys relate to me, each other, extended family, animals, friends, teachers and the world is where the lessons are learnt of how to BE love in this life. No ones perfect, we all make mistakes. Learning is always part of the journey, my boys know that. But love also includes accountability, needs transparency and openness to dialogue. Love invites conversation and exploration. Teaching yoga is an opportunity to create a space of love and acceptance for other people, much like a family. It is a beautiful thing to be part of so many peoples teaching journey also. I feel a web of extended yoga family passionate about keeping yoga accessible and real, available to all. This gorgeous guy below makes my heart sing. He reminds me what is important. I shall miss him as I am travelling a little in October and November! Info below, Namaste Jean ------------------------------ Melbourne Yoga Intensive & Teacher Development October 18 & 19 hosted by Lauren Garrett. Singapore Mindful Birth November at Pure Yoga Official Page Singapore Shine Bright Training for Yoga Teachers November at Pure Yoga Official Page

01.01.2022 Women, Yoga & Divinity Finding a spiritual practice outside of patriarchal traditions, is it possible when all of the worlds religions are deeply patriarchal, male centred with misogynistic tendencies? What do you think? For me spiritually I live in a world which has a deep forgetting of the maternal feminine, in religious and philosophical traditions the search for higher self, enlightenment, god includes a forgetting or debasing of immanence. As a women I am reminded of my... fluidity, my immanence regularly with the rhythms of my body. Mainly it is hard to articulate and experience divinity or whatever one might call it in traditions which are patriarchal. The origins of yoga are deeply and painfully patriarchal in Hinduism, as in all major world religions. I grow tired of hearing about the trauma male teachers in positions of power have created. I know that is a privileged position to be in. I know this is just one womans story. But I also know there are many stories like her, about many male yoga teachers. Moreso, I grow tired of the way in which women are not taught to resist and become so deeply immersed in surviving in patriarchy they are unable to truly support other women. For me the litmus test for spiritual teachers is their ability to be in healthy relationships. Sustaining relationships over time. That requires presence, steadiness, unconditional love and compromise. What is your litmus test for a teacher? Jean

01.01.2022 Obsession with Alignment In yoga practice we often receive a lot of verbal instruction and there is a lot of do this, dont do that. The love of alignment is certainly fostered in the Iyengar Yoga style of practice. Many teachers, myself included used their experiences with Iyengar Yoga and integrated these alignment cues throughout practice and teaching. But in the last few years I have begun to question this focus on alignment and now consider that there might be major ...problems with this anatomical focused orientation to yoga teaching. For one it makes yoga very much about the postures, and how we do them then seems very important. It facilitates an outside-in gaze and especially for women this objectification of our own body or practice is very unhelpful and often unkind. Yoga teacher trainings are also often outdated and rooted in old school understandings of the body, movement and pain. Yoga teachers have minimal training hours devoted to anatomy. additionally the framework or lens through which the body is being viewed has not been updated in quite some time! This is unfortunate as, for example in the biopsychosocial understanding of pain, yoga could have a significant role to play in down regulating the nervous system. Also I believe that when we over cue we dictate the students experience and what the expression of the postures should be. Asanas look different on each person. They have a different felt experience and impact each persons being in a different way. Giving students the space to be curious and move in ways that feels right to them is a beautiful thing. It allows their practice to be their own, and over time removes the need for a teacher at the front of the room - I see self practice as a very liberating process. But lastly our obsession with alignment in the yoga community comes from this guy. BKS Iyengar, who I have come to regard as cruel, abusive and harsh in the way he teaches. Is this who we want inspiring our cues and teaching pedagogy? No, not me. What about you?