Karen Wightman

Karen is the founder of Creative Yogis. She is an experienced, local and international children’s yoga instructor, yoga teacher trainer, and children’s art teacher.

Karen began her yoga practice in Thailand in 1995, and began assisting in kid’s yoga classes in Bangkok in 2003, under the guidance of yoga master Justin Herold at the Iyengar Yoga School. She went on to coordinate a 2-year yoga program at Satit Kaset International Program in Bangkok.

In 2006, Karen moved to Australia to follow her passions and immerse herself further in the study of yoga. She studied the foundation, intermediate and pregnancy teacher training with Nicky Knoff in the Knoff Yoga system and completed the 200 hour Yoga Alliance RYT. She then went on to complete her second yoga teacher training in the Ishta system with world-famous Rachel Zinman, from 2007 – 2014.

Karen continues to develop her skills in children's yoga since 2006/7 training with a number of leading teachers and pioneers in the field. Kylie Peters of Simply Kids Yoga, Christy Brock Miele of YogaMinded, Loraine Rushton of Zenergy Yoga and Charlotta Martinus of Teen Yoga. Karen loves learning and views it as a life long practice which is paramount to remaining current, creative and inspired.

She recently moved back to live in the Northern Rivers in NSW, Australia after being based in the UK for a few years. She facilitates both local and international teacher trainings and workshops in Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai, Philippines and Europe. Karen also dedicates her time to teaching yoga to children of all ages, from pre-school to high school, with 18 years of experience.

Karen has been a children’s art teacher for 30 years, and is passionate about offering a variety of unique educational yoga resources to stimulate the imagination and capture the hearts of children. Check out her beautiful mandalas to color in the Creative Yogis shop!

Yoga Alliance Registrations

RCYS, Registered Children's Yoga School
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher 500 hours
Specialty RCYT, Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher
YACEP, Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider

Lisa Fitzpatrick

Lisa is an experienced coach, yoga teacher, workshop facilitator, best-selling author and physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience. Lisa is committed and passionate about holistic health and has enjoyed teaching yoga anatomy and physiology on yoga teacher trainings for over a decade. Lisa specialises in women’s physiology and empowerment workshops at yoga schools and in businesses to support heart-centred marketing and service.

Lisa graduated as a Physiotherapist in 1993 and completed her first yoga teacher training with Rachel Zinman in 2007 in Ishta Yoga (an Integrated System of Hatha, Tantra and Ayurvedic Medicine). Lisa has also comprehensively studied women’s health and pelvic physiology, acupuncture, reiki masters, eastern and western philosophy and nutrition and has completed a diploma in life and business coaching at The Coaching Institute.

As a mother of two sons and past experience in paediatrics working as a children’s physiotherapist for Disability Services from 1998-2001, Lisa understands the developmental stages of children. She is passionate about bringing the light of holistic health awareness to every stage of the life journey.

Lisa brings her wealth of knowledge of the body to us providing the comprehensive Anatomy and Physiology component in our 95hr Children's Yoga Teacher Training.

Lisa Greenough

Lisa's passion for yoga began more than 10 years ago, when she was working full time as a Primary and Special Educational Needs teacher in Northamptonshire, UK. Juggling a demanding job for 20 years and two young children had started to take its toll on her mental, physical and emotional well-being.

Having dabbled with yoga in her 20s at university, she had forgotten how amazing it had made her feel. A kind colleague suggested she attended a yoga class with her to help relax and she was hooked! Inner peace and stillness, along with a new confidence to express how she was feeling on the inside arrived, and a regular practice has since been inspired by many different teachers and teaching styles along the way.

Such was the impact on Lisa that she began introducing daily relaxation sessions to her SEN school children. Profound effects materialised! The children were more relaxed and could discuss and manage their own emotions, as well as those of their friends and families. Relationships started to connect on a much deeper level.

These skills were soon to be passed on to other children and their families in 2017, when Lisa attended her YogaBeez training course in London, and gained the Foundation Level and advanced Teens qualifications to teach yoga to ALL children.

Yotism yoga training for children with additional needs, ASD and other neuro divergences quickly followed as well as Adult and Youth mental health first aid qualifications.

Lisa launched www.YogaPebbles.co.uk in 2017 to provide an Inclusive yoga experience where all children and adults can practice together regardless of need or obstacles, Inclusion is the driving passion in each and every one of Lisa's classes. Lisa has also qualified as a 200 hrs adult yoga teacher with Barefoot Body Yoga School and launched YogaPebbles Inclusive children's yoga training.

No matter how much I learn, I still feel I am on a journey of discovery. I am inspired by others, I will always be a student, I am always learning (and constantly reading!). I love to plan and research how I can bring the joy that yoga has bought to my life, to all of my children, families and adults with my passion for Inclusion at the very heart of all of my teachings. As a qualified Primary school teacher, I believe I can bring an educated understanding of the whole child to each of my classes and through my training program, help fellow teachers to do the same. Yoga has, and continues to support me physically, mentally and emotionally through good and bad times. I hope you find that it can support you too.

" Like pebbles on a beach, each child is unique"

LISA GREENOUGH

Lisa's website: www.yogapebbles.co.uk

Children are almost like butterflies of differing types - size, shape, colour and marks, some are heavier and others are lighter.... the thing they seem to have most in common is a willingness to transform moment to moment, demonstrate courage as they fly and giggle as they attempt it. What an inspiration they truly are!

KAREN WIGHTMAN | Founder of Creative Yogis

Karen Wightman
Founder of Creative Yogis
Director & Senior Trainer