Mental Health on the Mat

Join Yoga Australia during Mental Health Awareness month, at this dedicated yoga teachers event, discussing Mental Health and contributing to the conversation.

The event will include:

• 75-minute presentation by Avril Bastiansz talking about anxiety and mental health.

• Interactive conversations led by studio owner & L3 member Jaymala Sharma, L3 member Avril Bastiansz and L2 member Leonie Lockwood, on the topic of mental health & yoga.
  All attendees are encouraged to join in and contribute to the conversation, sharing your own experiences with fellow teachers and trainers.

• A 45-minute calming Restorative yoga practice to weave in the theme and provide self-care, generously facilitated by Katie Byford - yoga teacher and VIC Community Representative for Yoga Australia.

Understand, regulate & transform your relationship with anxiety through yoga, self-awareness & practical wisdom. In the 75-minute introductory workshop to My Name Is Not Anxious, you will learn:

1. How psychology and yoga meet in healing anxiety.
2. Simple yogic tools for calming body & mind.
3. Practices to reconnect to yourself with clarity and Self-awareness.

Venue: This is an in person event, taking place at Westside Yoga in Seddon. Which is one of three studios, owned by Laya Wellness.

Address: Level 1, 77 Charles Street, Seddon VIC.

What to bring: Water bottle. All mats and props are available at the studio. No food will be provided to please eat beforehand or bring along a small snack if you need.

About the Teachers Facilitating:

Avril Bastiansz is a Melbourne-based yoga and Vedic meditation teacher, counsellor, psychotherapist, and clinical nutritionist. She is the founder of Become YOU and The Renaissance Woman’s Circle. With over a decade of experience, Avril weaves together yoga philosophy, Vedic meditation, and modern clinical approaches to psychological wellbeing, creating spaces of both healing and transformation.

Her current focus is on the intersection between yogic wisdom and the scientific understanding of mental health - exploring how practices such as meditation, pranayama, and embodied self-inquiry can support those navigating anxiety, depression, and the pressures of contemporary life.

Avril is committed to restoring depth and readiness in the learning process, respecting traditional lineage (sampradāya) and preserving integrity in how yoga and Vedānta are taught today. She teaches not only yoga as therapy, but as a complete path toward freedom and Self-realization.

Katie Byford found yoga about 15 years ago and became interested in the human body, functional movement and fitness, embarking on her YTT journey in Melbourne in 2016. With an advanced Diploma qualification in Hatha Yoga, level 2 Yin training and 200 Power Vinyasa, yoga has become a huge part of her life for a long time. 

With extensive knowledge and interest in anatomy and how the human body moves and connects my classes are supportive & encouraging, exploring functional movement, mobility & building strength, making it accessible to everyone. Katie carefully plans each class with intention, guiding creative sequences through her flow classes with exploration of breath practices, a sprinkle of philosophy weaved through to her intentional thought-out yin classes, giving students space and time to drop into their bodies.

Jaymala Sharma is the Founder & Director of Laya Wellness Group, Jaymala is humbly the custodian of three thriving yoga communities in Victoria: Laya Yoga (Point Cook), Westside Yoga (Seddon) and Yoga Space Melbourne (Balaclava), and teaches across all shalas.

With over 17+ years of yoga teaching experience in India and Australia, Jaymala blends her rich life experiences and spiritual journey into her classes. Her teaching approach is non-judgmental, compassionate, and infused with philosophical awareness. She empowers her students intuitively, focusing on anatomy, alignment, and the scientific reasoning behind yoga's age-old wisdom.

Born in Rajasthan, India, Jaymala grew up practicing yoga under the guidance of her role model, her grandfather, who led a simple and principled life despite his remarkable career accomplishments.

Jaymala considers herself a lifelong student of yoga and has completed over 2000+ hours of training with renowned yoga schools and teachers, including Mahayogi Aksharnath, Dominique Salerno, Mark Pheely, Jenni Morrison-Jack, Simon Borg-Olivier, Leslie Kaminoff, Jo Phee, and more.

She is deeply grateful for the rich lineage and collective wisdom of all the teachers and yogis who have played a significant role in her journey of connecting to the universal consciousness through yoga. Jaymala is deeply grateful for the rich lineage and collective wisdom of all the teachers and yogis, who have contributed immensely to connect to the universal consciousness through yoga.

Leonie Lockwood first encountered yoga as a child, practicing with her mother. It was the days of black leotards and tights and Swami Sarasvati on the telly. Like many people, I fell in and out of love with yoga over a number of years; then finally succumbed to regular practice. My practice has been a slow, steady, burning flame, morphing and changing throughout the years.

As a teacher my emphasis is on encouraging students to connect to their inner world rather than strive for poses. Highlighting sensing and feeling, rather than thinking and doing.  I believe in a functional approach to the body. This means I am not focussed on strict alignment within poses. Using a functional approach, students are encouraged to explore poses in manner to suit their unique physical structure. Empowering students to understand themselves more. I use breath, meditation, mudra and mantra to support my classes and trainings.