About your teachers

FIONA RAWSON

My name is Fiona Rawson. I was drawn to yoga in my early twenties, and loved it so much I started a daily practice almost from the outset. After a few years, friends started asking me to teach them some asanas. Eventually, they suggested I should do a teacher training course. I traveled to Melbourne over a two year period and completed a hatha yoga teaching certificate. During that course, guest teachers would take a class to increase our exposure to different types of yoga. One of those teachers was Peter Scott, who introduced us to Iyengar Yoga. I had owned the book "Light on Yoga" for a few years, and often worked from it. However, that day I realised the enormous depth and huge knowledge base of Iyenger Yoga. I was hooked.

After a number of years attending classes at Peter's school in Carlton, he accepted me as a teacher trainee, and I started my training again. It was an apprenticeship style of course, so when Peter moved to Noosa, I did too. Over three years, we immersed ourselves in practice, classes and assignments. Although I was able to return to the island and my school a few times, when I was in Noosa, it was a six days a week commitment. Iyengar Yoga teacher training wasn't something you did with your life, it became your life.

I sat my first assessment in 2002, and have done eight more since. The assessment process is very demanding, with years of preparation and practice, culminating in a weekend of presentation in front of a panel of senior teachers. I have passed and failed various levels, with great growth coming from both results. I now hold a Senior Intermediate 1 certificate.

I still study with my teacher once a week. (He is currently teaching online.) I also have attended teachings by the Iyengar family, both in India and Australia. I practice for a few hours nearly every day, and apart from spending time with my family, there is no other place I would rather be than on my mat. Learning to teach yoga is an ongoing process, it is never completed.

I am really grateful that I can teach and make a living, because I love it. If I notice that any of my students are really starting to embrace the practice, I feel that I have passed on one of the best gifts I have to give.

DEBRA RABOTEG
Yoga Teacher, Artist, and Lifelong Learner

My yoga journey began in the 1970s, thanks to my mum, Terezija, who introduced me to yoga when I was just 10 years old. Together, we followed Swami Sarasvati's morning yoga sessions on Channel 10, laughing, stretching, and learning to breathe deeply in our lounge room. Those simple yet profound moments planted the seeds of a lifelong passion for yoga.

After years of exploring other forms of exercise, I found my way back to yoga in 2001 when I moved to Phillip Island. A friend introduced me to Iyengar Yoga, and it was there that I met my lifelong teacher, Fiona Rawson, a senior Iyengar yoga teacher in Australia. Fiona's deep knowledge, passion, and dedication inspired me to delve deeper into this transformative practice.

Yoga became a cornerstone of my life, particularly as I navigated the challenges of motherhood as a mum of triplets. During my three-year teacher training program on Phillip Island, I discovered not only the depth of yoga asanas and philosophy but also embarked on a profound inward journey of self-discovery. Yoga taught me how to work with my body, especially after the physical demands of pregnancy, and gave me the tools to manage life's challenges with grace and balance.

In 2015, I began teaching yoga to children, starting with my own children's Grade 1 class. I was amazed at how quickly they absorbed the practice and reaped its benefits. This led me to pursue further training in children's yoga, and I soon began teaching classes in schools, preschools, sporting clubs, and local halls. Teaching children has been a deeply rewarding experience, as I see firsthand how yoga equips them with tools for resilience, focus, and self-awareness that can last a lifetime.

My teaching journey has also expanded to include adult Iyengar classes, which I have been teaching since 2019. The Iyengar tradition, with its emphasis on precision and alignment, continues to inspire me. I feel privileged to be part of this lineage: from B.K.S. Iyengar to Peter Scott (my teacher's teacher), to my mentor Fiona Rawson, and now to me- a new teacher sharing this knowledge with others.

In February 2023, I had the honor of attending a convention led by Abhijata Iyengar, the granddaughter of B.K.S. Iyengar. It was a profound experience that reinforced the impact of this lineage and the enduring relevance of Iyengar Yoga in today's world.

Yoga has taught me that learning never ends. Every time I step onto the mat, I discover something new about myself and the practice. I am honored to share this journey with my students, helping them find strength, peace, and joy through yoga.

MELIJAH MAGHANOY

Melijah, certified Iyengar Yoga teacher, has a passion for health and healing. Having practiced both Osteopathy and Yoga for over 20 years, she has observed that Iyengar Yoga and Osteopathy, although from different traditions and disciplines, share many philosophies. Both are therapeutic practices emphasising alignment, body and mind awareness, and holistic healing.

When Melijah moved to Phillip Island in 2012 she was incredibly grateful to be able to continue her yoga journey with Senior Iyengar Yoga teacher and founder of Phillip Island Yoga, Fiona Rawson. With Fiona's encouragement, expertise and guidance she embarked on her Iyengar Yoga Teacher Training in 2019 and completed her Certification in 2024.

Her in depth knowledge of both healing arts and the human body is what she draws upon when teaching yoga. With her warm and compassionate personality she loves seeing her students progress from week to week. She feels grateful to be able to share this gift of knowledge with her students.

While one of her favourite places is on her yoga mat, her other passions include surfing, swimming, performing music, living a healthy lifestyle and spending time with her two children.