meet our teachers

Mission's teaching team is passionate about offering accessible, intelligent and vibrant experiences based on their years of training and experience.

she/her | mission founder / lead teacher

vicki smart

Vicki discovered yoga by accident in London in the early 2000s when she was working as a Senior Consultant in the Marketing recruitment industry. Her usual spin class was full, so she found herself in a pigeon instead. A love affair began which continues today, albeit after a few evolutions and upskills.

Once she moved to Sydney she embarked on the first of many teacher trainings, and has now undertaken thousands of hours of study with international teachers such as Tara Judelle, Noah Maze, Christina Sell, Darren Rhodes, and now studies under Tiffany Cruikshank and Yoga Medicine.

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In 2020 Vicki gained her Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist accreditation and is passionate about working one on one therapeutically with students as well as teaching group classes. Vicki teaches anatomy and physiology on yoga teacher trainings and is passionate about self study and growth in this area for herself too.

Vicki is the Mission Founder and Lead Teacher, and you can expect the unexpected in her classes. The Creator of MyoFlow, her signature blend of Myofascial release and asana / movement, is infused into our dedicated classes, but you can expect hints in her flow classes too. Everyone is welcome in Vicki's classes, where she weaves intelligent sequencing, humour, and fun.

yoga teacher

melanie shafer

Melanie grew up in Canada and has been practicing and studying yoga and movement for nearly 25 years. Frustrated with injury and pain due to sports, she found a balance and sense of putting her body back together with yoga.

Melanie completed her training (both Vinyasa and Yin) with Power Living and has certifications in Hanna Somatics and Trigger Point Therapy. She has been teaching and sharing yoga for the past fourteen years and uses a variety of techniques across various modalities to explore more balance of strength, mobility and awareness of the body.

She continues ongoing studies in yoga as well as other modern movement modalities. She is inspired by the teachings of Cecily Milne (Yoga Detour), Sara Paige, Ido Portal, Hanna Somatics, Andreo Spina (Functional Range Conditioning), Jason Crandell and Dr. Perry Nickelston. She creates grounded, challenging and accessible classes based on her own practice and an opportunity to get out of your head, into your body and experience the power of movement and breathe awareness.

he/him | yoga teacher

andrew wong

Andrew began his yoga teacher training in Sydney and has since completed over 500 hours of accredited training, including advanced sequencing, alignment and assists, meditation and yoga philosophy. Andrew sat Vipassana in 2020 and is a big believer in the meditative aspects of yoga.

Andrew first discovered yoga at a gym in London and was bored to death. It was not until later in his corporate life that he tried it again to 'destress' but then found the practice offered so much more. Physically, it was a great counterbalance to his martial arts, but it was the mental challenge that drew him to yoga. He aims to share these learnings and the benefits of the practice with his students. Andrew's classes are challenging and emphasise patience, smooth and fluid movement with a connection to breath and most importantly, a sense of humour.

yoga teacher

nicola watts

Nicola's journey with yoga began almost two decades ago, when her father introduced her to the practice. Since then, she has embraced yoga as a way of life, delving into the realms of body awareness and modern anatomy. Nicola is fascinated by the seamless integration of these elements with yogic philosophy, creating a holistic approach to well-being.

As a dedicated student of yoga, Nicola's commitment to understanding the intricacies of the human body and its connection to the ancient wisdom of yoga philosophy is evident in her teaching style. Her classes are characterised by a steady pace, clarity of instruction, and a kind, playful spirit that encourages students to explore their practice with joy and curiosity.

Nicola, now a seasoned yoga teacher, brings a unique blend of experience and passion to her classes. Her teaching philosophy goes beyond the physical postures, emphasising the mind-body connection and fostering a sense of mindfulness on and off the mat.

she/her | yoga teacher

cassandre girard

Cassandre is a Yogi of French and Tunisian descent and she has been calling Australia her home for more than 10 years.

After gravitating around Yoga for many years, she realised it was the steadiness of her practice that allowed her to navigate the most challenging moments of her life.

Emotionally rich, Cassandre is an actor and has a passion for the human connection. Becoming a Yoga Teacher was the missing piece of the puzzle for her to keep expanding her curiosity and wisdom.

With 400 Hours under her belt, Cassandre is trained in Vinyasa, Tantric Yin and Lunar Arts, Alignment and Anatomy as well as Meditation. She curates safe, grounded and fun practices for her students, always allowing room for play and lightness and in respect with the traditional lineage of Yoga.

they/them | yoga teacher

jules billington

Jules (they/them) has been teaching yoga for over 8 years and fell in love with this pathway for life from the moment they saw its healing potential. With a love for all things expression (Jules is also a performer) they understand deeply the power that movement offers for expression, health and vitality.

A class with Jules is always inclusive (bodies, genders, cultures, ages) and comes from a bedrock of our human desire and birth-right to express. Yoga offers us a container of ritual to find connection to our deepest selves; and in turn, to find connection with the whole web-of-life that we intrinsically exist in. Expect to move, breath, flow, and nourish all layers of yourself, from physical, to emotional, to spiritual.

yoga teacher

terry bradley

Terry Bradley, Welsh by birth and Irish by descent - to be sure! Father to Katie and grandad to Carter. He was born, at a very early age, in Llanelli (don’t even try) and lived there most of his life. He arrived in Oz on a short term visa nine years ago, with his amazing partner, Lisa. They lived for five years in Canberra (don’t try that either) before moving to Sydney. He tends to be a bit of a joker – clown some might say – and loves to make people smile.

He is 55 now and when he looks back, he thinks he has lived ‘a life’. As a younger kid his first hobby was when he followed his big sister into gymkhana. Her pony was amazing and they would take turns to ride him in the events. They’d always win half a dozen or so. He’s always been big into sports, rugby (national schools honours), football, racket sports and triathlon were the picks.

On reaching adulthood (he wouldn’t call it growing up, still waiting...) he did very physical jobs until an epiphany at 33 sent him to university where he graduated in Pure Maths and Statistics – he now compiles Statistics for the Government (don’t try that either - yawn).

His yoga journey began at Modo Yoga Sydney in early 2018. Youthful recklessness, sport and heavy lifting had left him with a few physical restrictions, not least a chronic spine condition and his physical activity had reached its lowest ebb. Yoga has restored his confidence and his resilience and he would even say it has reversed the ageing process for him.

So what’s his teaching style? Well, he will never be in your face. Much more softly, softly from him. But if you ever want to hear his experience of the life-changing effects of yoga (and you have a few hours to spare) just ask him (you may not want to try that either 😎). Hwyl fawr.

she/her | yoga teacher

amy vitucci

Since discovering yoga, Amy has always reveled in the way that a regular yoga practice sews its benefits through the rest of your life. She embodies this in a firm believe that the awareness yoga helps to bring allows us to truly let go in whatever form is needed for each individual at the time - whether physically, mentally or emotionally.

Amy teaches a dynamic flow and often incorporates strength-based movements into her classes with interspersions of stillness. She loves the moment in class where you feel like you are seamlessly flowing and gears her sequences towards fostering this. Her most playful state can be found in backbends and quirky transitions. Her classes are structured to challenge while also nourishing each student’s sense of curiousity, holding options for all levels.

Drawing from an extensive wealth of knowledge, Amy began her teaching journey with a 200hr teacher training at Hom Yoga with Briohny Smyth and Dice Iida-Klein. After this she continued to build her knowledge through a 100hr Yin training with Sydney based Mel McLaughlin, a Yin Yang Mindfulness training with Sarah Powers, and an abundance of further trainings with teachers including Patrick Beach, Carling Harps, Tiffany Cruikshank, Sarah Ball and Noelle Connolly.

she/her | yoga teacher

carla sank

Carla completed her yoga teacher training in Rishikesh. What started as a way to complement her physiotherapy work quickly transformed into a life changing journey. Immersing in asana, meditation, pranayama and yogic philosophy revealed the profound connection between mind, body and spirit. She has gone on to complete additional teacher training as well as courses in meditation and Vedic wisdom.

Carla aims to create classes that are supportive, empowering and accessible to all. With a deep understanding of the body Carla aims to blend modern movement principles with the intelligent system of ancient yogic wisdoms and practices.

yoga teacher

sarah moore

Sarah has been teaching yoga for over 15 years and practicing for over 20 years. She is an accredited senior teacher with Yoga Australia, who facilitates and mentors teachers wanting to learn the skills in pre and postnatal teaching. Sarah's passion is creating a presence that helps students build their physical, mindful, and spiritual awareness through creative alignment and energetic cues. Her yoga flow classes are sequential, offering a purpose within the asana and movement, as well as a deep understanding of its alignment psychologically and spiritually. Sarah's ability to hold a yoga space for students to feel at ease within themselves is a skill developed over her teaching years, her journey of healing and flourishing, and a commitment to keep learning herself. Sarah's philosophy is everyone can practice yoga - the only thing stopping someone is their mind. Every 'body' is a functional, beating rhythmic system that can grow in strength, flexibility, concentration, and ultimately complete alignment every time you step onto your mat.

Sarah has a background in Montessori and Nursery Nursing and is currently undertaking a degree in psychology, all of which she believes help everyday people understand yoga within themselves and their lives. Sarah has accumulated over 15 years of experience teaching yoga and has practiced for over 20 years. As an accredited senior teacher with Yoga Australia, she mentors and facilitates teachers seeking expertise in pre and postnatal teaching. Sarah is passionate about creating a presence that enables students to enhance their physical, mindful, and spiritual awareness through creative alignment and energetic cues. Her sequential yoga flow classes are designed to provide purpose within the asana and movement, offering a deep understanding of psychological and spiritual alignment.