Of yoga with others brings her great joy. Karen's teaching style focuses on creating a safe and supportive environment for students of all levels. She believes in adapting moves and poses according to each individual's ability, ensuring comfort and safety. With her vast experience and knowledge, Karen guides students through various breathing exercises and techniques that can be applied to everyday life.
Her classes are welcoming and offer a friendly social environment for students to connect and grow together. Those who have attended Axle Yoga classes speak highly of Karen's expertise and the positive impact it has had on their well-being. With a focus on finding balance in both joy and suffering, Axle Yoga embodies the principles of yoga and encourages students to embrace all aspects of life. The name “Axle Yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit words for pain or suffering (“duhka”) and joy (“sukha”).
Just as an axle is the centre of a wheel, yoga serves as the centre for finding balance in life. The eight limbs of yoga, represented metaphorically as spokes, connect the hub to the wheel and revolve around the axle. The ultimate goal is to achieve enlightenment and liberation from the stories the senses tell the mind, resulting in a smoothly spinning wheel and a balanced mind and body. Axle Yoga opened its doors in January 2021 and continues to grow and evolve.
As an inclusive studio, Axle Yoga believes that everyone can benefit from yoga and invites individuals to join a class and explore the practise for themselves. The studio embraces the concept of yoga as an integral part of our busy lives, helping us find balance in all that we do. Through a series of articles on the blog page, students can delve deeper into the eight limbs of yoga and learn how to apply its principles in their daily lives. Axle Yoga is a space where hardship and joy coexist, embodying the belief that “No mud no lotus” as famously said by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Karen Chatfield, the founder and instructor at Axle Yoga, brings her years of experience and passion to each class. She is a Level 1 Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Australia and is currently working towards Level 2 certification. Karen has completed extensive teacher training in the Krishnamacharya lineage and ISHTA Australia, totalling 950 hours. Yoga has become an integral part of Karen's everyday life, allowing her to find balance amidst the ups and downs.
Her dedication to sharing the benefits of yoga with others creates a supportive and nurturing environment for students to explore their practise. Axle Yoga is a place where individuals can find solace, strength, and wellness through the practise of yoga. May we be well. May we be happy.