Teachers

Paul-Dallaghan

Dr. Paul Dallaghan

Paul has been immersed in the practice and study of yoga, the breath, and meditative techniques for over 30 years, has gained a reputation as a yogi, scientist and teacher, while being a happy father to two sons. He has witnessed his own growth through many techniques and years of practice, watching how practices evolve over time as a student develops over time. His dedication to the path of yoga has come from a combination of intense practices, meditative experiences, silent retreats and numerous pilgrimages in India, Tibet and Thailand. He has had the good fortune to spend many rich years with his main teacher in pranayama and the meditative process, Sri O.P. Tiwari, and is now placed to carry forth these teachings and the tradition of Kuvalayananda. He was one of the dedicated few to spend many years living in Mysore with Pattabhi Jois in the old days of ashtanga vinyasa, certified by him, with an expertise in asana. Living in Thailand for many years Paul has also been involved in Buddhist culture and practices, many retreats in forest monasteries which are curiously appropriate for all these yogic practices.

Gill Breetzke

Gill was born in South Africa, and has lived abroad in the UK, Ireland and Asia. She began her international teaching career, working in Inner city London schools, supporting children from challenging backgrounds, then on to Dublin and Yangon. Koh Samui is now her home where she combines her love of yoga and music in this unique transformational place. She began her daily practice of yoga in 2004, training with Paul Dallaghan and Richard Freeman, and is Yoga Alliance (500RYT) and 1100 hour Centered Yoga Certified teacher. Samahita has always been a welcoming, transformative space for her and in early 2016 she was grateful to fully embrace this magical place and call it home.

Gill
Daniel

Daniel Stringer

Daniel has been a student of yoga since discovering the practice in his home country England in 2003. In 2006 he completed his first training with Paul Dallaghan and subsequently taught yoga in Hong Kong for 10 years. Initially a guest teacher at Samahita since 2014 and joining Samahita full time in 2018.

A senior teacher based on a long term commitment to training, practice, study, and teaching, rising to the most advanced level over the years at Samahita. A core member of the Centered Yoga team, having spent time to learn the practices within the tradition, update with modern and scientific understanding, and deliver a lived approach in an experienced and informative way.

After years of study, practice and training in India and Thailand and being immersed in the depth of material delivered through Centered Yoga, Daniel has been a long serving senior teacher with Centered Yoga teaching team, responsible for fundamental teaching on the foundational 200-hour courses and delivering this specialty through specific modules of the ATT-300 courses.

After experience teaching thousands of different individuals while in the role of Senior Teacher at Samahita Retreat, and as a teacher in numerous Hong Kong studios, this pragmatic aspect is translated into teaching skills as part of the different Teacher Training courses offered as part of the Centered Yoga Teaching Team.

So Diawpradit

So was born and raised in Koh Phanghan, Thailand. He has been at Samahita since 2009 and in addition to supporting our guests in wellness programs, he enjoys helping others reach their fitness goals. His vast experience in fitness and free-weight training, bodyweight resistance training, TRX, kettlebells, and passion for sports, such as Muay Thai, Football and running, will help you have an enjoyable and challenging session. So trained in Bangkok and is certified as an ACE Personal Fitness Trainer since 2014. He has worked with all types of fitness levels and can help you have an effective training experience. So has also spent time living in a temple on Koh Phanghan, and where he learned traditional Thai vipassana meditative techniques and enjoys teaching walking meditations to others and how to live from the mind and heart.

So
Kirsten-Mia

Kirsten-Mia

Kirsten-Mia is a vibrant, friendly yoga teacher, chef, hospitality manager and well being mentor from Durban, South Africa. Having travelled and lived in a variety of countries, whilst experiencing different cultures, has gained invaluable experiences and life lessons. Having initially trained and worked in hospitality and as a chef, her path evolved to selling luxury motor vehicles, and eventually finding yoga.

She completed her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Samahita in Thailand in 2017 under the guidance of Paul Dallaghan, providing her with the skills necessary to teach, deepen her own practice, and understand the importance of a balanced, holistic approach to yoga and life.

With a natural curiosity and through continued learning, teaching and practice, she has discovered a passion for a variety of styles of yoga asana including Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative and Aerial yoga as well as meditation and breathwork. Regardless of the style being taught, she always ensures that all students feel welcome, included and safe, bringing a sense of humour, joy and respect to the practice in every class.

Having an inquisitive mind and keen interest in learning about a vast array of subjects such as farming, food, diet and nutrition, science, consciousness, the body, psychology, plant medicines, history, religions, the natural world and sustainability to name a few… She’s always got a few books on the go and about 35 tabs open browsing articles and information online.

Being involved in many different sports and hobbies over the years, she now enjoys hiking, snorkeling, walking on the beach, chilling with her cat and a good book and having a great conversation over a good cup of coffee…

Jack

Born in America’s beautiful Pacific Northwest, Jack turned to yoga in her early thirties after conventional treatments for PTSD and chronic pain were unsuccessful. After seeing immediate improvement in her daily quality of life, she decided to pursue a deeper understanding of Yoga through Samahita Retreat’s 200 hour Teacher Training with Paul Dallaghan in 2019. She completed her 500 hour Advanced Teacher Training with Jason Crandell in 2021 and is currently pursuing a second 500 hour certification here at Samahita. Jack has also received specialized training in Trauma-Informed Yoga as well as Myofascial Body Rolling. Humbled by the strength, power, and joy of this discipline, she is delighted by every opportunity to share it with others.
Her core mission is to help others find skillful, practical, and sustainable practices to support their daily lives. Her classes are welcoming and encourage a playful, lighthearted exploration of Yoga as well as our place in the present. Jack shares our Centered Yoga principles with a focus on breath-centered movement, anatomy-based alignment, and functional postures that can be practiced for a lifetime.
Jack lives here in Thailand with her husband and small menagerie of animals. She is a proud student of her teachers and mentors Paul Dallaghan, Gill Breetzke, Jason Crandell, and Andrea Ferretti.
arielle nash

Arielle Nash

Arielle has spent nearly 20 years studying the human body, its performance and factors that contribute to wellness. Her passion and knowledge led her to a decade long career training athletes and educating fitness professionals. Arielle has been teaching yoga since 2004 and she holds a degree in Kinesiology, along with certifications in Mysofascial Compression Techniques©, Strength & Conditioning, and Nutrition & Wellness. After graduating from Centered Yoga’s Teacher Training in 2005 with Paul, she returned to Koh Samui every year to deepen her practice and study before making it her home in 2013. Her primary teachers are Paul Dallaghan and Sharath R. Jois. Arielle is Centered Yoga’s lead anatomy educator, teaching anatomy for continuing education courses and teacher trainings at Samahita.

Elonne Stockton

Elonne Stockton started practicing yoga at age 14 when her distance running coach at Choate Rosemary Hall preparatory school introduced her to meditation and Eastern thought. In college, after transferring from Bowdoin College to Columbia University, Elonne began studying yoga at the various studios open around New York at that time Jivamukti, Integral, Sivananda, etc.

Elonne graduated from Columbia University in 2001 with a degree in International Relations, and a focus in East Asian Relations. Once she graduated from college, she concentrated on going deeper into her practice, and in January of 2003 she attended the Sivananda 200-hour teacher training course. She started teaching the morning after she finished the course, and she taught full-time until she took a hiatus to raise her young son Isaac.

After 2 years of teaching and doing Karma Yoga in the Bahamas, Canada, and India, Elonne spent a year teaching in the United States before moving to Taipei, Taiwan in 2006. Elonne taught in Taipei for three years, and it was during this time that she met her teachers, Paul Dallghan, O.P. Tiwariji, Richard Freeman, and Mary Taylor. Since then, she has earned the Centered Yoga 1100-hour certificate and has logged countless contact hours with her teachers.

Elonne was Senior Teacher and Education and Trainings Director at Samahita Retreat, working there for many years. Additionally, she graduated with honors from Hong Kong University in May 2016, with a Master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies.

Elonne is excited to continue teaching with all the knowledge life continues to provide.

Elonne Stockton

Samahita and our staff are here to serve you through great value and high quality in what we do and offer here. Our highly trained teachers love to teach and feel a sense of mission in delivering all these practices, to encourage you to participate to the best you can, and de-stress even further through our wellness programs. And with YogaCoreCycle as an all-inclusive program you can transform how your body works, heart feels and brain functions. You can learn a lot more also in our Teacher Training Program. We want you to …… breathe into a new life.

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