Hey! I am Maddison.

I’m the creator and owner of Let’s Yoga. I’m also a supportive daughter, a loving big sister, a caring and warm hearted friend and most importantly a fur mum to my puppy Maple.

I have been working in the field of disability for ten years and Occupational Therapy for five years. I have worked in Perth’s leading mental health hospitals, physical rehabilitation hospitals and paediatric not-for-profit therapy organisations. I absolutely love OT. Providing evidence based client and family centred therapy with a fun and holistic approach is my passion. I love connecting with people, getting to know their world and problem solving with them on how I can help achieve their therapy or life goals. I have a can do attitude and encourage the families and clients I work with to have the same. I am a strong believer that my families and clients can do anything their heart desires if they put their mind to it with kindness, compassion and support from me.

I completed my yoga teacher training at The Yoga Space in 2018. In all the fields of OT that I’ve worked in, a common theme was recognised with the clients I’ve worked with. This theme included limited self acceptance and confidence, an increased amount of self judgement, feelings of being overwhelmed, hopelessness, dysregulation of emotional and sensory needs and social isolation. These people felt disempowered and for some a loss of or no positive self identity.

I have been practicing yoga for eight years, although yoga consistently came into my daily routine when I had hit rock bottom with my mental wellbeing five years ago. Learning to become aware and regulate my breath, be mindful of my movement and create calmness in my busy mind was initially challenging. The more I practised these techniques the easier it became to apply these to my everyday life and manage my mental health. I felt empowered, had self acceptance and a sense of calmness. In 2018 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that affected my physical wellbeing. This has changed my life completely and at times impacts my ability to participate in a general yoga class. I had considered yoga as essential for my daily routine and very quickly my autoimmune disease inhibited my ability to engage in this meaningful physical activity. My self acceptance had reduced, feelings of disempowerment, hopelessness and social exclusion quickly arose again. This changed when I met a yoga instructor who showed me how to practise yoga tailored to me. A yoga practise that may look different when compared to a stereotypical class although made me feel good. Soon after this I felt connected to myself again, my mind felt more calm, I felt empowered, and I felt a part of the yoga and health community. This inspired me to delve into accessible yoga for people with additional needs. I strongly believe and have seen in my work that mindfulness, conscious movement and breath regulation when combined with holistic therapy, can lead to self belief, acceptance, inner peace and empowerment.

That’s how Let’s Yoga was established. My mission is to provide accessible yoga services to people with any physical or mental disabilities. I believe anyone can experience and live with a feeling of inner peace and empowerment, life meaning and connection to self and the world around them with social inclusion through movement and breath.

My aim is for Let’s Yoga to be a space that celebrates diversity and where all people can learn an accessible practise that is fun, empowering and feels good!

This is Acacia.

Late last year Acacia asked to join my mission on providing inclusive and accessible yoga to people living with additional needs. After hearing her experience as a psychologist, providing accessible yoga to people with additional needs in Bali and most of all getting to know her caring, kind and ambitious personality, I replied with a massive YES! Let’s Yoga is very lucky to have her on our team. Here is her introduction:

Hello Everybody. My name is Acacia and I am super excited to become a part of the Lets Yoga family. I started exploring yoga when I was fifteen and had just moved to Australia and was in a particularly stressful and overwhelming time in my life. It helped me a lot dealing with the stresses of exams and moving from my home in New Zealand to a new country. Yoga helped me accept the things I couldn't change and helped me grow into the person I am today and I am so happy that I can bring yoga into the lives of others as well. I studied psychology and I am especially interested in the benefits that yoga and meditation can bring to mental health. I have also been working in disability support for 5 years. I am looking forward to being a part of your yoga journey and for you to be a part of mine.