Dear Yogis,

Hi there.  I have posted this again because I have received few replies or feedback and this is quite important news.

You need to know this –   After 10+ years of being out in the cold, 16 Natural therapies, including yoga are going to be allowed again as part of the HEALTH INSURANCE FUND REBATES.   This means that your clients will be able to access discounts from their health insurance funds for classes they have with you.  This applied years ago, I am not sure it made a heap of difference to me, but it did acknowledge that yoga was a valuable health practice.

It will mean that if you want to access it there are requirements (of course!)….  you will have to update your first aid certification, and CPR. You will naturally have to make sure your registration with us is up to date, and you will need to update your Personal  and Professional Indemnity insurance, AON is our preferred company.

This is fantastic news, not just for yoga, but also for pilates which is (as they say) also “getting a gurnsey”.  We have been the exotics out to the side for so long, and I am thrilled that at last the government is acknowledging the amazing contribution that yoga is making to everyone in our communities.

The motto here is BE PREPARED so you can hit the ground running.  We don’t know exactly what we will be required to do, but I do know that the various registrations and certificates above will be needed.  Get in line now, because once more studios realise that things are changing, getting your CPR and first aid will take longer due to wait times.  You can update your registration today – all you need is to email me and I will send you the forms, once you have all of these you can begin to move forward.

Last time it was allowed, I had invoices prepared for my clients quoting my registration, accreditation and insurance details as required, and they could claim with their tax at the end of the year.  Most felt that dealing with the Health Insurance companies directly was too confusing, and time consuming but getting health rebates at the end of the year was embraced.

It’s up to you.  We never had the little machines you find in doctor’s surgeries, neither were we able to do the equivalent of bulk billing, however, what we did have helped a lot of my clients to access my services.   It will help you.

 

YOGA –  WHAT’S ON

MONDAY:  Studio yoga 1pm, Zoom 6.30.

TUESDAY: Yoga Windarring 1pm

WEDNESDAY: Chair Yoga 10am St.Mary’s Hall, 1pm Studio Yoga

FRIDAY: 10am Studio Yoga.  Zoom “Yoga Pelvic Health Class”.

Private Yoga Classes available by appointment. yogafirst2@bigpond.com

TEACHER TRAINING MONTHLY CLASS.    Starts again in January.  I think we may do it zoom – online – get back to me about this idea.

YOGA MONTHLY LUNCH: On 25th January’26 at 12 noon at the Victoria Hotel in Woodend.

WOODEND ART MARKET: Starts next February.

MT.MACEDON GALLERY  I have an exhibition of Miniatures (see on Instagram) – Official Opening February 8th, and I will be exhibiting in ART ON PIPER in Kyneton from January – my work is there. Go see.. You can also make an appointment to come see me in the gallery or in my studio..

 

NAMASTE – JAHNE

Dear Yogis,

Don’t forget the zoom class at 6.30 on Friday – an introductory class to all things reusable pads – make-up pads, menses pads, toilet wipes, incontinence pads, even pets wee pads!   If you email me I will send out the link so that you can join in. I will answer all the questions, by this time a book of patterns should be on etsy. EMAIL. YOGAFIRST2@BIGPOND.COM

As you know, I hand make the pads,   dolls and lovely treasures in my magical work room in beautiful Woodend.

I sell the dolls and paintings on ETSY and I also have them at Art on Piper in Kyneton, the Mt.Macedon Gallery and Dromkeen (the home of children’s literature illustrations) in Riddells Creek.

SURPRISE SAVE TIME/MONEY COOKERY – if you have been to my studio since covid, you will know the cat has been very disgruntled since her rabbit and hare dinners were discontinued.  I have tried everything, but I think after agony on both her and my days, I could have solved the problem a feed and a regime that suits her (and me)  I now feed her 3 desserts spoons of “Purr mince” (its the only one she’ll eat), on another plate 1 heaped dessert spoon of this treat.

TUNA FUSSY CAT FOOD. Recipe: $1.10 tin of tuna in spring water, equal amount of real milk, and 2 tins of cooled,  cooked mushy rice.  Mix thoroughly until  you can’t see tuna flakes.  The cat loves it.  She is sleeping better and more, is contented.

MEATLESS PULLED PORK BURGER.  Recipe: Strip the skins from bananas, scrape off the white, mushy string part on the inside, take off the knob at the top.  You can run a fork down the length of the banana to strip it.  Then cook in a frying pan with butter or oil, spices and sliced onion  until the bananas are still soft, black/dark brown then cut onto shorter pieces with a knife,  add some bbq sauce when they are cooked through, and treat like pulled port on your burger.  I think they are delicious and actually taste meaty.

 

YOGA –  WHAT’S ON

Windarring Yoga –  Kyneton Tues. 1pm.

STUDIO YOGA,  WOODEND:  Monday 1pm.  Wednesday 1pm and Friday 10am 

YOGA CLASS in NORMA RICHARDSON hall.  Chi(chair)Yoga Wednesdays starting at 10am.  This is a mixed class.  Students with Chair, Wheelchair, Wheelies, walking sticks all welcome. –  FIRST DAY Wednesday 21st January. 

ZOOM YOGA PHILOSOPHY CLASSES :  Mondays, 6.30  – don’t miss them.
ZOOM PELVIC HEALTH CLASS, FRIDAYS: Starting 16TH January at 6.30

TEACHER TRAINING MONTHLY CLASS.    Starts again in January.  I think we may do it online – get back to me about this idea.

YOGA MONTHLY LUNCH: On 25th January’26 at 12 noon at the Victoria Hotel in Woodend.

WOODEND ART MARKET: Starts next February.

MT.MACEDON GALLERY opens again in January, and I will be exhibiting in ART ON PIPER in Kyneton from January – my work is there. Go see.. You can also make an appointment to come see me in the gallery or in my studio..

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a successful, abundant new year.

NAMASTE – JAHNE

Dear Yogis,

Ram Dass a favourite, yogi, meditator, and author said..  “I never use the words audience or student because I always feel as though we are just fellow travellers, walking each other home….”  This is exactly the way I feel about my students, every single one of you no matter if you are in my present classes, have graduated from our Institute,  have never graduated, or just came to a class one day and never came back.  We have connected and that is enough – we have completed out Karmic connection.  We don’t know why, or where it will take us.  We have a duty to karma which we have obeyed.   

YOGA STUDIO NEWS:   Ever since our Shire Council brought to me the possibility of running a workshop on making incontinence pads, and linking that to yoga exercises which can enhance the health of the pelvic musculature – I have been on a journey.  It is a much bigger undertaking than I envisaged, and I encourage you all to take the subject very seriously.  Just from a waste point of view millions of pads are discarded every week.  Not pretty, clean pads, but huge, soggy stinking things, number of which people who need them use every day.

Then there are the make-up pads,  menstruation pads, and other products that can be hand-made and used again and again.  Even if you don’t use them every day,  changing over occasionally still helps us to reduce the paper products in landfill.

DOLLS:   Miss Margot below…..     I first fell in love with doll making many years ago however, little did I know while sitting at my sewing machine how the collection would grow.  Each art doll is handmade from top to toe.  The body is calico, dressed with beautiful modern and vintage fabrics and embroidery from a time gone by, they are embellished with hand-picked trims and findings.

As you know, I hand make these lovely treasures in my magical work room in beautiful Woodend, where I bring my wonderful dolls (and yoga/yogis) to life.  I sell them on ETSY and I also have them at Art on Piper in Kyneton, the Mt.Macedon Gallery and Dromkeen (the home of children’s literature illustrations) in Riddells Creek.

YOGA –  WHAT’S ON

Windarring Yoga –  Kyneton Tues. 1pm.

STUDIO YOGA,  WOODEND:  Monday 1pm.  Wednesday 1pm and Friday 10am 

YOGA CLASS in NORMA RICHARDSON hall.  Chi(chair)Yoga Wednesdays starting at 10am.  This is a mixed class.  Students with Chair, Wheelchair, Wheelies, walking sticks all welcome. –  FIRST DAY Wednesday 14th January. (we could make it the 7th if you have a change of heart!)

ZOOM YOGA PHILOSOPHY CLASSES :  Mondays, 6.30  – don’t miss them. First class 12th January ’26
ZOOM PELVIC HEALTH CLASS, FRIDAYS: Starting 16TH January at 6.30

TEACHER TRAINING MONTHLY CLASS.    Starts again in January.  I think we may do it online – get back to me about this idea.

YOGA MONTHLY LUNCH: On 25th January’26 at 12 noon at the Victoria Hotel in Woodend.

WOODEND ART MARKET: Starts next February.

MT.MACEDON GALLERY opens again in January, and I will be exhibiting in ART ON PIPER in Kyneton from January – my work is there. Go see.. You can also make an appointment to come see me in the gallery or in my studio..

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a successful, abundant new year.

NAMASTE – JAHNE