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.

she/her | yoga teacher

emma weissburg

Emma is a 500-hour certified yoga instructor offering trauma-informed classes, workshops, and retreats. Her teaching is rooted in the belief that yoga extends far beyond the four corners of a mat. Emma often draws from yoga philosophy and the wisdom of the eight limbs, inviting her students to carry their practice into daily life.

Initially resistant to the slow and still aspects of the practice, Emma eventually came to experience yoga as a space to move intuitively, navigate mental health challenges, and connect with like-hearted communities around the world. As a Chicago native, her yoga practice became an anchor and sense of home in a noisy and uncertain world, returning her to her most grounded self again and again.

Now based in Sydney, Emma’s intention as a teacher is to help her students suffer less. Whether by easing physical discomfort, supporting nervous system regulation, or slowing down mental chatter, she holds a non-judgmental space where students can explore their inner ecosystem with curiosity and compassion.

she/her | yoga teacher

melanie schafer

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.

she/her | yoga teacher

cesca calvert

Francesca first stepped onto the mat over a decade ago (not by choice), but because it was a mandatory part of her undergraduate university curriculum. Though at first a total struggle, she quickly fell in love with how closely the practice aligned with her formal training at the Conservatoire to be a classical singer. The diaphragmatic & conscious breath, physical alignment, and strength mirrored her vocal training beautifully, while the philosophical principles offered balance and support in a cut-throat environment, helping her stay grounded and soften the edges of the ego!

Ashtanga/Mysore became her practice for the next seven years, following her teachers from university to their studio classes in and around Glasgow. When the UK lockdown came, it only deepened Francesca’s connection to yoga. Opening virtual doors and an online Shala ‘without boarders’ to world-renowned teachers such as Kino MacGregor, Kia Naddermier, and the late Sharath Jois.

Somewhere between recitals and practice, she completed her first 200-hour teacher training in Glasgow while finishing her master’s degree, with the dream of one day supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of fellow musicians through yoga. But just days after completing training, she moved to Australia - and, like many in Bondi, fell in love with heated vinyasa.

Eager to keep learning, Francesca undertook another 200-hour training with Duncan Peak through Power Living, and soon after added a further 100-hour Yin program through the same institution.

Still singing from time to time (including gigs that involve lulling students into peaceful rest in their savasanas!), Francesca has dived straight into teaching vinyasa, hatha and yin classes around Sydney. As a teacher, she loves busting the ‘not flexible enough’ and ‘not fit enough’ myths. Francesca is so committed to creating the same welcoming and safe space her first teachers gave her- a place where everyone feels worthy on their mat. Her classes are full of light-heartedness, laugh out loud moments, and longevity for the body that we call home.

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.

he/him | yoga teacher

wilson wong

Wilson loves exploring and sharing the quieter side of yoga. Gentle, mindful practices have supported him through his own injuries, and has experienced firsthand how powerful they can be for healing and balance.

He is passionate about creating a calm, inclusive space where students can slow down, listen to their bodies, and enjoy the simple but deep benefits of yoga.

she/her | yoga teacher

natasha almeida

Natasha first discovered inner space and quiet as a child when she followed along with her mother’s hatha yoga record.

During her university days she once again came back to yoga to help with stress, she started attending weekly classes. In 2001, when Natasha encountered Shadow yoga founders Sundernath and Emma Balnaves, she knew she had found living embodiments of the hatha yoga tradition.

Through their guidance, she has cultivated her own sadhana for over 24 years, teaching for over 15 years. Her classes reflect the deep and
practical teachings from the hatha yoga tradition. She firmly honours meeting students where they are at any given moment.

Last year, Natasha completed her diploma in Biodynamic Craniosacral therapy with Body Intelligence. This course helped deepen her skills in awareness and the ability to be with deep stillness.

Both of these practices honor the deep inner wisdom we carry in our bodies
and facilitate the inward journey to our true nature.

he/him | 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.

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.