TEACHERS
MICK BARNES
Mick Barnes, internationally known yoga teacher with 20 years of experience, the founder and director of The Yoga Factory. He teaches from his experience of which he's had wild and many and from the knowledge of suffering and the way out.
Mick has a somewhat amusing but powerful character, he certainly doesn’t pretend to be a “saint” modern day yogi. Mick is honest, bold, old school but also fun and this mixture somehow empowers so many people. The way he approaches teaching is so different to what is known these days as “teaching of yoga”. Mick communicates traditional teachings of yoga, the way they should be taught: properly, gradually, step by step, with address of individual body differences. He emphasises the importance of regularity and discipline as without it yoga can’t be learned and the goal of yoga can’t be achieved. Mick does not sell promises or tell people to wear this, eat that, worship gurus, nor entice people to think that change and the whole yogic transformation will come about by just fitting in adopting the behaviours. He asks the students to work hard, front up, to not be lazy, be accountable, but at the same time enjoy their lives.
For the last 20 years Mick has practiced continually. He has owned a number of yoga schools in Sydney and taught internationally. Mick has always taught beginners which he finds hugely challenging but also the most rewarding. Some regulars he has taught for his entire teaching life, which he considers a huge honour.
“To observe students flourish physically, mentally and spiritually is incredibly special. I believe a regular practice is the best way to understand yoga. The same can be said about teaching, you have to teach to understand teaching. What I know about yoga is a direct result of the practice. Everything has happened as a result of the time on the mat and the time teaching. Questions arise and I seek the teachings from the source, those that have gone before me, and some things become clear and the answers arise innately over time as I establish the witness to what is arising. I have been extremely fortunate to be in the presence of the most amazing teachers and also fortunate to be in the company of the greatest frauds. The discernment to know the difference has again come as a result of the practice. I am grateful to all. I am continually humbled and blessed with gratitude to be able to share this path with so many amazing students over the years. You all give my life a purpose. Knowing what it is you are meant to be doing is such a joy. Thank you all.”
Mick’s most recent contribution to the way the science of yoga is taught is his 350hr yoga teacher training, which is aimed at bringing passionate, accountable, responsible yoga teachers into the yoga world, who after the completion of the training can TEACH competently, safely and inclusively.
JULIAN BOSWELL
Julian came to Yoga in 2012 and found a love for the balanced physical practice that provided a break from an active mind. After completing a mentorship under Mick Barnes and receiving support from all in The Yoga Factory community, Julian has been teaching since 2019 and has guided classes in a variety of settings from toddlers to seniors.
An ardent student of Asana, Pranayama, and Meditation, Julian creates a safe, inclusive, and non-judgemental space for people to experience Yoga and discover a deeper understanding of who they are.
Breathing and moving are fundamental to life, when we approach these skills with a conscious awareness the profound nature of life becomes more apparent.
TIM FIORENTINO
Upon moving to Sydney from Margaret River 7 years ago, and wanting to make some positive changes in life, Tim made the decision to give yoga a crack. What followed was a deep love and appreciation for these ancient practices that are so traditionally upheld at The Yoga Factory.
He’s been extremely fortunate to first learn to practice and then to teach under the incredible guidance of Mick Barnes.
Tim is a firm believer in the transformative nature of the 8-limb path, and is extremely passionate about sharing the process and his experiences with any and all.
With a focus on a strong body leading to a strong mind, you can expect a robust, energetic, yet lighthearted experience from Tim.
His undiluted passion and dedication are a rarity these days, so we are very fortunate to have him as a part of the school.
LIZA PROIAEVA
Twelve years ago, on a cold winter night, fascination with Eastern philosophy and curiosity for all things mystical brought Liza to her first yoga class. Since then, the practice, in its many forms and manifestations, on and off the mat, has been an integral part of her way of living.
For Liza, yoga extends far beyond the asana practice. It is rather a practice of cultural awakening that helps us recognise our connection to and intimacy with the world, pluralities of cultures, epistemologies, sociopolitics, spiritualities, and ways of being. Through yoga, connecting to ourselves, we connect to the world; being still, we start seeing the urgency of activity.
A student in perpetuity, over the course of many years, she has studied with globally renowned teachers, growing, absorbing and evolving. With discipline grounded in the traditional practice of Ashtanga Yoga and Buddhist meditation practices, she has gone through over 800hrs of yoga and 500hrs of meditation training, has been a certified teacher since 2016 and has been a co-owner of The Yoga Factory since 2019.
After taking a break from teaching, Liza is now back to regular classes at The Yoga Factory.
KAZ FEWELL
Kaz teaches traditional 8-Limbed Yoga. YOGA = Freedom from Suffering
Breath, movement, drawing the senses in, stilling the mind.
Kaz’s aim is to be of service to help you practice this.
PAUL HURST
Paul is a dedicated Yogi with over 20 years of yoga teaching experience, having begun his yoga journey with Yoga in Daily Life. He completed a 2 year teacher training programme and became Teacher Trainer and Senior Teacher from 1998-2012. In this time he also completed a Certificate in Exercise Science and became a Senior Teacher with Yoga Australia.
In this role he travelled teaching yoga to students and teachers in India, Europe and Africa. In the last 4 years Paul has gone on Himalayan retreats twice a year receiving teaching and guidance from yogis and sadhus.
Paul is a disciplined practitioner and a gifted teacher. He joined the The Yoga Factory community over 4 years ago and has completed a 150 hour yoga mentoring program with his current teacher Mick Barnes.
TARA HORDERN
Having taught martial arts since her teenage years with confidence, Tara's great potential as a yoga teacher was rewarded with a teacher training scholarship under Matthew Bergan at Dancing Warrior Yoga amounting to 350 hours of training. Her confidence and clarity as a yoga teacher saw her begin to teach community classes before finishing her initial training.
Tara then came to The Yoga Factory after being impressed with the high quality of Mick Barnes' students and teachers. This inspired her to take up another 150 hour yoga mentorship under Mick’s guidance.
Tara has flourished under Mick's guidance, integrating her unique style, which has deep roots in the bhakti tradition of devotional yoga, with the high quality standard of teaching at The Yoga Factory.
Tara leads engaging and inclusive open level classes that stay true to the traditional yoga lineage. She always looks forward to seeing the growth in her committed yoga students, not only through their Asana practice, but through their profound changes at a much deeper level.