Geraldton Paddle & Yoga Logo

A little about me...

Fusing the 3 areas of my expertise yoga, Paddle and Mind balance/mental wellbeing programs, I help to create a sense of harmony for my clients.

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A registered mental health nurse, counsellor and Mental Health Academic, I have many years of clinical practice helping people deal with the challenges of living in this modern world. Becoming more involved in Yoga over time, I saw the correlation between nurturing the body and soul in Yoga and mental health therapy. Having lived in many places around the world, including developing countries in Africa and the Caribbean, my love of different cultures and people has gifted me with a deep sense of compassion for others. It was a natural progression for me to become a nurse and yoga teacher; to share my knowledge and professional experience to help others experience a state of mental health harmony and wellbeing. Yoga, Paddle and mind balance programs are all interlinked. Yoga and paddle are the physical elements of wellbeing and the mental health programs create a more balanced mind, helping us to regulate our emotions and to feel calmer and clearer headed.

In recent years, I founded the Geraldton Yoga Club, creating it from a place of compassion and willingness to help people. Being a mental health professional, I have seen how people suffer from poor mental health and how challenging it can be to get back on their feet. It can happen to all of us due to separation, loss, harassment, depression, anxiety, the list goes on. Yoga is gentle, nurturing and can help people to heal, to reduce stress and maintain better mental health. The benefits of yoga have been well studied and research suggests a regular yoga practice can promote both better physical and mental wellness. Working in a clinical mental health setting, I recognised a gap between clinical services and the practical side of mental health care such as yoga and alternative therapies.

I believe a holistic approach is vital to promote good mental health. Becoming a yoga teacher complemented my clinical background in supporting people achieve a balanced happy life. I created the Geraldton Yoga Club to help people connect to yoga teachers in our community. The idea was to provide a one stop shop for all yoga information, making it easily accessible to everyone. Like minded yoga teachers came onboard to give the Geraldton Yoga club momentum and to make it what it is now, a nurturing community focused on people’s wellness.

I moved into the education and vocational training sector following my clinical practice. I have formal qualifications in training and assessing, leading me to facilitate a range of practical training programs. These include active Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga programs and SUP instructor trainings and also, drawing from my clinical expertise, I develop and run mental health programs. My particular interest is workforce development in the corporate field, although I am also pleased to work with individuals who prefer private training and support.

My love of Yoga and the ocean has brought me to a natural path of fusing Stand Up Paddleboard and Yoga, focusing on mindfulness of the ocean and its therapeutic benefits. I facilitate both Yoga and SUP Yoga teacher trainings internationally.

Practising yoga, participating in SUP and SUP Yoga, as well as learning tools for one´s own Mental Health, are part of a self-care routine that creates balance and long-term wellbeing in my clients.

Whether you’re trying to find inner strength with yoga, on a SUP or trying to balance your emotions and your mental health: It’s about building a “strong core” and finding self-balance that allows you to be grounded, yet giving you the flexibility to go with the flow of life.

Chantal Crinquand