Marina is a Somatic Therapist and Counsellor who offers individual Yoga Therapy, weekly classes with Ironside Yoga, 3 hour Restorative Retreats and personalised private group sessions in St Lucia and the surrounding area. She has approximately 20 years experience of working in wellbeing and mental health and is a member of Yoga Australia. For the past 8 years, Marina has offered mind-body classes that enable people to cultivate calm, practice mindfulness and connect with their bodies and themselves through her business Creating Well.

Marina’s approach is underpinned by considering the body and mind as one integrated whole. Her professional practice fuses yoga (practices and philosophy) with knowledge from psychological science. Marina brings a steady, gentle and compassionate approach to her work, where she seeks to work collaboratively with clients to explore practical ways to heal, transform and grow. She is a trauma sensitive therapist.

Body-mind practice with Marina incorporates breath-work, mindfulness (awareness), movement, postures, relaxation and meditation based on a foundation of the ethic of Ahimsa (do no harm). She incorporates compassionate practices and instruction and encourages clients to become more aware of their bodies and respond to their bodies' needs. Marina's instruction caters for all abilities and levels of yoga experience.

Marina is particularly interested in using mind-body practices to deal with stress, anxiety, burn out, transition and adjustment, pain, enabling mobility and cultivating self care practices clients can use in their daily lives. She is also able to assist with depression, PTSD, trauma, grief and loss.

Marina uses yoga practices (posture, movement, breathing, concentration, meditation), mindfulness, compassionate communication, compassion focused therapy and mindfulness based cognitive therapy when working with clients.

Testimonials:

"Marina is a knowledgeable and gentle yoga instructor. She always guides me through a carefully constructed practice each time I can join her. I always leave a yoga retreat with Marina feeling a profound sense of renewal and wellbeing. If only I could get to practice more often!"

Kate

"Marina from Creating Well is a gentle professional. I have attended several retreats this year and wonder why it has taken me so long to seek her out. Her attention to detail during our yoga retreats is unmatched. I feel a sense of calm upon arrival to her retreats and always look forward to what she has curated. Every moment throughout my session was expertly guided with peace and tranquility. It was a great experience! I would say her classes are perfect for newcomers to the yoga experience who want to learn and develop their own practice. I particularly love that there are many small things we do throughout any one retreat which can be used at home to help with managing stress or sleep on a daily basis. Marina's tailored yoga practice is a great mix of strength, flow, breathing, and deep relaxation. Always Refreshing."

Colette

"Marina, not content to just practice one form of yoga, was and still is, on a track to continually improve her classes by incorporating many variations of yoga to adapt to her students’ needs - injuries etc. I am happy to say that I was the lucky recipient of Marina’s search for the best way to care for her followers. The use of the sound bowl, scents, weighted props, guided meditations and hand massages in her divine restorative sessions were, for me, heaven, or what I think epitomises heaven on earth…I recommend her practice to anyone!"

Treena