WHO WE ARE

Our Purpose

A home base to explore your self. To harness the innate strength, power and wisdom within, so that you can make a difference to yourself and in the world.

Our Mission

To create a safe, comfortable space to explore your inner light. To show up authentically and be held in community.

Our Vision

To be a sanctuary that inspires growth, and values diversity and inclusivity. A space to develop the tools to empower you to live your fullest human existence. A place that provides education for growth and transformation.

Our Values

At Basecamp we value conscious contribution. Love, support and kindness are at the base of how we show up on and off the mat, and commitment is key. Commitment to yourself and to your practice.

Our Culture

Basecamp yoga is a beautiful community residing in the heart of Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. We offer a diverse range of classes to meet every need. Whether you are wanting a strong power class, a creatively sequenced Basecamp Flow, Hot Pilates, Revive and Restore (a mix of movement and restorative) or something more restorative like Yin or Yoga Nidra, you can find it on the schedule. Our classes are all designed to develop awareness in body and mind and our dedicated teachers are here to provide support and offer tools to help you harness your potential.

We also offer beginners courses, 200hr and 300hr teacher trainings, workshops and events. Our beautiful light, bright modern space is available to hire out for corporates, photo shoots and events.

We practise Yoga because of the real results it produces physically (tinana), mentally (hinengaro), and spiritually (wairua). Basecamp is a place where you cultivate power and strength in your body. We invite you to discover what is possible (taea) with regular yoga and meditation practise. Our yoga, with consistent practise, will help you have better focus, feel energised, reach new heights, and support you in getting where you want to go.

Our name was inspired by mountains with a solid and wide base – where you reach up into the world. Basecamp is a foundation that lasts through all poses and situations in life. Basecamp is a meeting place to climb life together without any perceived limitation. It is from our foundation in which we grow together. With a solid foundation, our possibilities are endless.

We believe we are more powerful together. Come experience what it is like at Basecamp with us.

Our Team

Lisa Eliott

Owner of Basecamp

Lisa has been practicing yoga for a significant number of years and been teaching in various studios and online for the last 3 years. She has completed her 500hr YTT including modules in philosophy, biomechanics, psychosomatics, yoga Nidra and restorative yoga and continues to study, learn and practice.

She teaches a variety of styles including Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Somatics. Lisa has an absolute passion for yoga and loves to be able to share the gift and learnings from all her study and embodiment practices. She likes to teach from a place of felt experience and is immensely fascinated by the human body and is forever learning and trying new things in a quest to better understand and grow an intimate and loving relationship with her body and self and empowering and encouraging others to do the same. Building strength and awareness through all the layers of the self.

For Lisa, yoga is a way of life. It is not just the Asana. It is an entire philosophy that she lives her entire life by.Lisa’s 3 kids are her biggest inspiration. She loves being a Mum and watching them grow and develop and is honoured by the opportunity to guide and shape these wonderful beings. She is excited to have Basecamp as her 4th baby to nurture and love and the opportunity to foster beautiful new relationships with a wonderful community.

Sandey Hoskin

Owner of Basecamp

Sandey has been in the health and wellness industry for over 30 years; empowering others to realise their own inner strength and innate qualities. She’s been an experienced practitioner of yoga for nearly two decades. She has studied intensively in biomechanics, energetics, philosophy, tantrik philosophy and practices, meditation, mindfulness and yoga nidra. 

In 2021 she completed a Certificate Programme – Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy. With a passion and proclivity for yogic philosophy and energetics, she teaches from a wide range of different styles including Hatha, Vinyasa, Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Restorative Yoga as well as Pranayama (Breath work) and Somatics. In all of her teachings there is an element of deep care and compassion for everyone. She is deeplyintuitive and her teachings offer so much on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level and is so excited to bring these offerings to the community.

She believes that yoga is so much more than just a physical practice, and her teachings transcend the mat into her daily life.She has curated and lead 200hr Yoga Teacher Trainings and 300hr Advanced Teacher Trainings. Her passion for people, tailored teaching methods and innate ability to bring out the light in others shines as she guides and inspires her students through their training. She is a deeply nurturing presence and will bring this to the beautiful space and community at Basecamp.

Kylie Rook

Kylie is a natural-born teacher, a forever student with a passion for Movement, Anatomy, Neuroscience, Breathing Physiology, and Meditation.

With a Bachelor of Nursing Kylie understands the body from a Western perspective and fuses that with the tradition of yoga creating a learning environment that is informative and fun. Her sequencing is smart, accessible and assists her students to increase their mobility and understand their bodies better.

She is a Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist and contributes to the Yoga Medicine Online Platform.
She is also a teacher of multiple teachers running 200hour RYT and 300 Hour RYT Advanced Modules, and YACEP Mentoring programmes for teachers.

She has a passion and skill for working one to one, is able to see both the physical and energetic impediments in her clients and assist them to work through these as well as creating greater self awareness and resilience.

Kylie teaches to inspire others towards self-realisation, liberation and a healthier way of being.  To help students and teachers to reach their full potential.

Mallari Martin

Originally from Seattle, WA, USA. Mallari began practicing yoga in 2017 while residing in the Bahamas. She was hooked after her first class, finding herself filled with curiosity and excitement to learn new poses.

Mallari took a range of classes including Vinyasa, Yin, Nidra, and Aerial. Before she knew it, yoga had completely transformed her life both on and off the mat. She quickly realized that the physical practice was only a small part of yoga and knew she was on a path of self discovery.

Mallari lives in New Zealand with her kiwi husband and French Bulldog since 2019 where she began practicing at Om Studios. Mallari completed her 200 hour teacher training through Inspire Yoga Training. She enjoys guiding classes that are fun and approachable, with a strong physical aspect while guiding you on your own path to self discovery.

Ashlee Lala

Ashlee fell in love with Power Yoga 8 years ago while living in Melbourne, at a time in her life when she was doing a lot of long distance running. At first yoga was just a way to stretch and release the physical tension accumulated from pounding the pavement, until she became curious and started to dive deeper into the practice. 

Ashlee wanted to become a teacher because “when you’re super passionate and obsessed with something, I believe you have a responsibility to share it with others.” In 2020 she completed her first 200hr Teacher Training with Power Living in Sydney and in June 2022 completed Basecamp’s Path to Power Teacher Training. 

She is committed to her core values of strength and faith and her classes reflect this - expect to sweat and be challenged while having a good laugh along the way. For Ashlee, yoga has also had a profound impact on her mental wellbeing, building a sense of faith and connection within herself.  Off the mat, Ashlee loves being creative with design, writing and artistic projects. 

Ashlee’s BIG dream is: to spend all day enjoying dynamic, powerful movement practices with awesome people and then relax at the end of the day with a good book and a cup of tea.  

Ben Simcock

Ben was born and raised in Wellington, lived in London for a number of years, and has since made the city of sails his home. 

His passions include spending time with friends and family, being out in nature, different forms of movement such as yoga, martial arts, and calisthenics; and exploring paths to self-mastery with a focus on being of greater service.

Ben views teaching Baptiste Power Yoga as a privilege having regularly experienced the powerful ways it helps him and others to tune in, reset, align, and optimise different aspects of the human experience. For him, yoga at Basecamp is also a way to not only connect in to oneself but to be part of an amazing community and tribe.

Ben’s BIG dream is: to live an amazing life, continuing to experience greater levels of ease, flow, peace, joy and freedom and helping others to do the same.

Robin Kelly

Robin came to yoga in 2021 after lockdowns and life in general brought him to his knees. From there he found Child’s Pose and the rest is history. He plunged in with abandon and found a place, a practice, and a community of wellbeing and personal growth. Now he teaches yoga and fills his classes with all the passion and playfulness that yoga has brought to his life.

A musician by trade, Robin often brings his love of music and guitar to his classes for that extra-special touch.

Robin’s big dream: To make a living in kindness and playfulness, and to make his life a playground for the little ones that will take on the world

Fiona Liu

Fiona is a dedicated yoga and mindfulness practitioner and teacher with over 13 years of teaching experience. Having previously owned two successful yoga studios and led numerous teacher trainings, Fiona is committed to empowering her students and clients by sharing the tools of yoga, Mindfulness and Compassion. 

Fiona’s strengths are teaching Yin Yoga, Yin Yang, Hatha, Meditation, Pranayama, as well as integrating Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, Taoist yoga and Mindfulness into her teaching. Through growing up in China, but also studying with world-class yoga teachers like Sarah Powers, Bernie Clark, Jo Phee, Tiffany Cruikshank, Tara Judelle, Scott Lyons, and Donna Farhi, Fiona holds both the Eastern and Western philosophies simultaneously, having interwoven their unique and individual wisdom into both her daily life and her teaching.

Fiona’s commitment to both her young family and teaching led her to sell her two studios to create space for herself to offer more retreats, yoga teacher trainings and her passion to work with individual clients.

Mibella Villafana

Mibelladid her yoga teacher training in 2013 in Los Angeles after lifelong movement training in gymnastics and a BA in Psychology. She then studied Pilates after having her 2 children, and is passionate about teaching students how to achieve wellness through movement and meditation.

Though she has studied under numerous great traditional yoga teachers, she has gained most of her expertise through studying the movement patterns of her clients who always keep her on her toes and motivated to consistently grow with them through all facets of life.

Kirsty van de Geer

Kirsty’s breadth of knowledge of anatomy, biomechanics and asana, shine through her intelligently sequenced classes, to provide accessibility and challenge to a wide range of bodies and experience. Her devotion to non dual philosophy and eastern psychology is woven through her classes guiding individuals to make deeper contact with themselves, with arising wisdom and with radical self love.

Sophie Kaufusi

Sophie first experienced the power of yoga while living in the UK. What started off as a physical practice quickly turned into a way for her to not only sweat, but to release anxiety and stress. After a decade in the corporate world Sophie Kaufusi threw in the ‘office life’ towel to focus on bringing the benefits of yoga out to more people. She has since been creating unique mindfulness & yoga encounters across Tāmaki Makaurau for fringe suburbs & corporates. Sophie gained her 200hr Integrated Yoga Certification in 2019 and her Yin & Trauma 50hrs Certification in 2022, with a current mentorship programme underway with esteemed NZ yoga teacher, Kylie Rook. She is also a trained Mindfulness Facilitator, Life Coach and Mind-Body Practitioner. Sophie’s classes fuse strong movement with mindwork to tone, stretch and most importantly, get you out of your head and into the moment

Pamela Sidhu

Pamela was first introduced to yoga during her professional dance training at the New Zealand School of Dance. During her studies, and since graduating in 2012, she has worked with Black Grace Dance Company, The New Zealand Dance Company, The Lion King (Australian Tour) and The Lion King (Netherlands).

Throughout her career Pamela developed a strong and personal yoga and pilates practice which she believes has sustained the health of her body and mind. Preventing injuries; assisting with muscle recovery; and offering a place of refuge, from the fast pace of everyday life, to slow down and reconnect.

To take her practice further she completed a YTA 200hr vinyasa yoga teacher training in Spain with Frog Lotus Yoga. She taught in Amsterdam for two years before returning home to Auckland in 2018. Upon returning she completed her Barre training through Studio Three. Along with her artistic endeavours she has continued to teach those two principles, and loves that she gets to invite and guide others to journey on the same thoughtful enquiry of their bodies and minds.

Gamo Farani Tomlin

Gamo has been teaching yoga in Auckland since the covid pandemic brought her back from Sydney in 2020. Having completed trainings in south east Asia, Sri Lanka, Nz and the u.k.

Gamo likes to interweave traditional and more contemporary teachings into her classes to create a dynamic yet supportive yoga experience for all.

Ant Ward

Having a busy family life, a passion for sports & owning and running a business in the corporate world has shown Ant how important mindfulness is to balance his life. 

 

Ant was introduced to yoga 7 years ago & found it complemented his life so much he quickly had yoga/mindfulness as a non-negotiable in each day. As a result, Ant loves to bring mindfulness & intention to his classes but also builds in strong elements, loves powerful flows & a few balances.

 

Since having his eyes opened through yoga, Ant and his wife Paula relocated to Muriwai and built a wellness venue Kula Muriwai. Through Kula, Antmet Sandey and was compelled to join the Inspire 200hr YTT. Since completing Ant has created a loyal following for his Tuesday morning sunrise flows in the Muriwai community.

 

Ant’s goal is to open the door to people caught in the rate race, to incorporate mindfulness into their daily habits. Yoga was the gateway for Ant into mindfulness and he wants to allow others to find this also.

Maryam Al-Roubaiai

Born in Canada with Syrian and Iraqi heritage, Maryam is a certified yoga and meditation instructor and facilitator of workshops and retreats that include Reiki, cacao, sound healing and somatic therapy. She firmly believes in the power of unity, love, and collective energy as catalysts for healing. With over 500 hours of training acquired internationally across Latin America, Canada, and New Zealand, she brings a rich tapestry of knowledge to her practice.

Maryam’s ability to create a safe and nourishing space while guiding you on a journey to a deeper self-connection forms the foundation of all her practices.

Danielle Ramaekers

Dani began her teaching journey in Melbourne after training in SomaChi (200RYT), a dynamic mix of Vinyasa flow, Tai Chi, and dance.

In 2009, she moved home to Auckland to complete a Bachelor of Naturopathy (BNatMed) and continued to share her love of movement with students of all levels in local studios, corporate boardrooms, and at island retreats.

She enjoys sequencing classes to meet students' capabilities and draws inspiration from the stories behind the poses to help unify body, heart, and mind. 

Jemila Kester

Jemila (she/her) combines her dance training, Ayurvedic learnings, and over 20 years of ashtanga practice to create yoga classes that move the body and calm the mind. She was introduced to hatha yoga, ballet, and Bharatanatyam dance in primary school in the ‘80s, but it wasn’t until moving to NYC in 2000 that she began a regular ashtanga practice.

During her PHD studies, Jemila needed a way to de-stress so she did her 200hr yoga teacher training with Mimi Loureiro in 2014. Jemila has been teaching ever since!

Jemila's classes combine an energizing and playful flow with a focus on breath and alignment. Every class is thoughtfully sequenced to play athletic vinyasa flows off of grounding and heating pranayama (breathing); to balance the alignment and focus of Iyengar with the lightness and fluidity of dance. She provides challenges for the experienced practitioner, modifications for injuries and those new to yoga, and verbal cues and encouragement to keep everyone engaged and having fun. Her goal is to support each student in their personal yoga journey.

Off the mat, Jemila is a lecturer and researcher in microbiology. Her focus is on the science behind Ayurveda: how what we eat impacts our gut and immunity. She and her husband moved to Auckland in 2021, along with their amazing kids and dog named Steve. She is so happy to join the Basecamp family!

Melissa Franklin

Melissa’s yoga journey began as a teenager when her mum took her to a yoga class at the local high school. She will never forget being told to ‘roar like a lion’ on all fours, amongst the school desks.  She went on to explore aspects of the practice while living and travelling overseas, but it wasn’t until she was residing in Sydney and after having had her first baby, that she dived deeper into the practice of yoga and meditation. 

Her local Sydney studio supported her transition into motherhood and ultimately laid the groundwork for what has become a deep commitment and passion to her personal practice. In 2018, Melissa embarked on a 250-hour teacher training with Nikki Ralston, specialising in alignment and anatomy-based yoga, then further deepened her teaching practice by completing 50-hours of Embodied Transitions training with Adele Kingham. As a lifelong learner in all things yoga, Melissa continuously pursues further training and teachings to evolve and enrich both her personal journey of growth and understanding and her teaching abilities. 

With a deep appreciation for this transformative practice and driven by a desire to help others embrace mindfulness, compassion, and self-awareness, Melissa has spent the last few years focussing on offering prenatal and postnatal yoga.  She has 3 young boys of her own and has found the space and time to commit to teaching additional yoga classes. 

 

Melissa’s teaching style revolves around a dynamic flow sequence infused with mindful movement that nurtures physical well-being, calms the mind, and fosters a deeper connection to yourself.

Chenoa Harvey

Chenoa’s introduction into the world of yoga began 3 years ago when she relocated from Australia to New Zealand. Curious about the practice, she found herself drawn to its calming influence and the opportunity it offered for self-reflection.

Yoga quickly became a grounding force for Chenoa. Motivated by the growth since yoga became apart of her life, she enrolled in a 200hr YTT with Inspire to deepen her understanding, continued on with a 30hr Restorative & 50hr Functional Anatomy & Biomechanics Module. Shortly after the Restorative training she started sharing it with others. Chenoa chose to share restorative yoga because of the impact that mindful movement and deep relaxation had on her ability to bring a deeper connection to self and a calmer state of mind in day to day life. She looks forward to continue growing, learning and sharing with you all. 

Brydie Colquhoun

A freelance movement guide and creator, he mokopuna no Ngāti Kawa, Ngāpuhi.  Brydie is passionate about accessibility and inclusivity in movement, both physically and emotionally. She was fortunate to study her 500 hours YTT in Rishikesh, India. She blends the concepts of  traditional Yoga philosophy and her passion for mobility with Te Ao Māori. 

She believes that how you walk through daily life hugely impacts your hauora and she always strives to lead with kindness. Yoga has been a waka that guides her on and off the mat. 

She graduated from the New Zealand School of Dance in 2012 and has loved navigating a life of movement and creation amongst the dance world and Yoga spaces around Aotearoa. 

Laura Trundle

Laura is a performer specialising in puppetry and motion capture. She has always been fascinated by the way the body moves and our emotional connection to our extremities. As a very physical performer she instantly fell in love with yoga and the freedom she has found in meditation. 

Being a part of Basecamp academy's teacher training programme opened a new world of community and practice. Her favourite game is visiting other people's classes and pinching their ideas for her own practice and classes. Laura takes such joy in sharing what she has learnt through her lessons. 

Laura's BIG dream is: to one day be a Pambassaor (Panda ambassador) for Chengdu


Cat Thompson

Founder

Cat is the founder of Basecamp Power Yoga. Hailing from Houston, Texas, she fell in love with a Kiwi and his country. She was willing to pick up and move across the globe bringing her love of yoga with her. Cat created Basecamp Power Yoga for you, offering all that she’s learned and discovered through the practice and study of Baptiste Yoga.

Cat had a life changing experience while trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal. She took on the adventure of a lifetime trekking to high altitude, sleeping outside, eating in the villagers homes and being welcomed by the Budhist people. Life became simple even in the hardship of exploring at high altitude. She discovered a new sense of vitality and self love while being way out of her comfort zone. This experience was the inspiration for the name of our studio. Basecamp is a place to return to, come home to, while always exploring out into new territories, mind and body.

Cat’s BIG dream is: to deliver a TED talk about how to be nurturing and present as you are.

Mari Colbert

Weaving together 15 years of experience with movement as medicine for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being, Mari began yoga in the midst of dance school and immediately recognised the benefits of the practice, which became a place of refuge in the demanding environment of professional dance. 

In 2017 she embarked on her first Hatha/Vinyasa yoga teacher training with Heather Elton and Emil Wendel in Goa, India. In 2018, she completed a further 200hr teacher training in Embodied Flow™ with Adele Kinghan in Auckland. This training introduced her to Tantra, specifically Non-dual Shaiva Tantra, which ignited an enduring passion for this rich and beautiful tradition and yoga philosophy. 

She has since immersed in the philosophy and study of yoga, Classical Tantra, embodiment, somatics, biomechanics, and many other body-based therapies to bring a holistic, inclusive, and trauma-informed approach to her offerings that welcome the individual however they are. She is immensely grateful to her teachers who have been beacons and transmitters of these paradigm-shifting practices and teachings, including Christopher Wallis, Kavitha M. Chinnaiyan, Adele Kinghan, Sarah Hon, Tara Judelle, Scott Lyons, Sandey Hoskin and Kylie Rook. 

Mari now enjoys wearing many hats as a seasoned yoga facilitator, including a 1:1 somatic coach, teacher mentor, and yoga teacher trainer with both Inspire YTT and Rise (Embodied Flow™) YTT here in New Zealand. She is also a registered ACC provider for group Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, working together with experienced psychologist and yoga teacher, Sandra Palmer.

Forever a student, these experiences and teachings have been a huge part of Mari’s own healing journey and she is committed to providing up-to-date, authentic, embodied, and compassionate guidance to support others on their unique journey back home to themselves too.

Hannah Denton

Hannah is a down-to-earth, nurturing yoga instructor who lives with her tribe of four kids, animals and husband at the base of the beautiful Waitakere ranges. She came to Yoga as a way to blend movement and mindfulness - enabling her to show up gently and authentically.
Her aim as a yoga teacher is to help people tune in to their bodies, to be present in the moment and to be inspired to take their yoga learnings off the mat!
Hannah’s classes focus on moving in a way that is right for your body at each moment in time. They are an opportunity to honour yourself. You can expect a welcoming class where Hannah will hold space for you to explore your own practice.

Hannah’s BIG Dream is: to study permaculture and grow a food forest in her backyard to nourish her family and community.