The Open Mind Space is for the student, the teacher, the soul searcher.
A place to connect with a conscious community and grow into your full potential.
We offer yoga, meditation, movement classes, events and personal healing. Our intention for The O.M. Space is to approach self-development, wellness and spirituality with an open mind, making its tools and concepts, simple, approachable and accessible to all.
We could say the sky is the limit… but it’s really not. Together, let’s look to the edges of the Universe and beyond.
Our teachers and practitioners are all on their own journey of growth, and are here to hold space and welcome you to explore inner and outer worlds.
Click through the links below to meet our people, view the timetable, and read more about how The Open Mind Space came to be.
Our Manifesto
No matter your age, gender, income, world view, beliefs, what you wear, who you love, where you live, why you’ve come… The Open Mind Space is here for you. Whether you’re not quite sure about the whole ‘woo-woo’ side of things, or you wholeheartedly accept the existence of unicorns and dragons (they are both totes real), you are welcome here. Let’s experience, share, connect, learn and grow together.
Our wish for the Open Mind Space:
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To create a safe environment that is free from judgement, welcoming everyone (or everything!)
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To support each other through learning, teaching and sharing
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To understand that everyone is equal, and each human adds value to the space
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To create a shift in the wider community, by uplifting the individual
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To support the growth of conscious community, in Newcastle and beyond.
Video content created by One Stop Productions.
Our teachers are passionate about sharing and learning.
They bring their own unique life experiences to their teachings and are here to ensure you have a safe and supportive environment for your open-minded explorations.
Murray Smith
Teacher/Co-founder
Coming from a background in construction with a passion for surfing, Murray totally understands the need to maintain a healthy body. On a deeper level and through his own life experiences, he also knows how important it is to maintain mental wellness.
Murray is extremely passionate about men’s mental wellness, connecting people to nature, aiding people in rediscovering their true selves, and cultivating a safe environment in which people can continue to build a healthy relationship with their mind, body, and spirit. He builds smart programs and classes tailored to achieve long-term benefits.
Murray offers one-on-one sessions and healing Thai Yoga Massage. Find out more about his sessions here.
You can find Murray teaching the following weekly classes:
Tuesday - 6am - Open Heated
Wednesday - 5.30pm Open Heated
Thursday - 6am - Open Heated
Renée Wilkinson
Teacher/Co-founder
Renée has been working in areas of complementary therapy and healing for more than ten years. In 2014, yoga became Renée’s go-to moving through PTSD. It helped her re-connect her mind and body, and she is now honoured to share and create a similar experience for you.
Renée combines her yoga studies with her intuition and insights to deliver classes that go beyond the purely physical experience.
Renée is also a Kinesiologist and Energy Healer, offering sessions in our upstairs treatment rooms. Find out more about her Kinesiology practice here.
Renee is currently on maternity leave! Don't worry she'll be back and we'll let you know when she's back to teaching regular classes.
Our People
Cat Mead
Yoga Teacher & Studio Manager
Cat began teaching yoga in 2015 at a time when she was looking for change and a deeper experience with life. Since her first real introduction to yoga in 2013, she has spent much time testing and trying different styles of yoga, and has since found that her love and strength is in the simplicity of it. But you still might find her at a hot, sweaty heated class too.
Yin Yoga is Cat's favourite, to both practice and teach, and after a few years of finding her feet with her teaching style, she has decided to focus on yin while still getting creative with flow.
Cat's other strengths lie in her ability to organise, be creative, make music and support people in their growth. In her role as studio manager she gets to do all of this and call it 'work'. Check out her yin and creative stuff.
You can find Cat teaching the following weekly classes:
Monday - 4pm - Yin
Tuesday - 4pm - Yin
Sunday - 5.30pm - Yin
Stella Umeh
Yoga Teacher
Stella has been a committed yoga practitioner for more than 15 years and loves to share her love for the practice teaching classes & workshops all over the world to anyone who has a thirst to live a life of breath and elevated fluidity.
As the most prolific gymnast in Canadian history, Stella championed the stage with several stints at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and a trip to Barcelona, Spain for the 1992 Olympic Games. Stella wrapped up her International career with an all-time honoured college career and UCLA as a ten time All-American and NCAA Champion leading her to her 2012 UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame induction.
Stella recently wrapped up a 13-year love affair with Cirque Du Soleil where she became the only female artist to master virtually every single female role in the touring show Varekai. Taking her from being a key participant in the creation of the show to mastering the role as the lead female clown understudy. Stella's knowledge was not limited to on-stage performance. She held the positions of choreography assistant and artist integration supervisor.
Stella is truly a consummate “Jack of all Trades,” and it is precisely this label that prompted her to start her own company and wellness brand: The Ivory Elephant Group.
You can find Stella teaching the following weekly classes:
Tuesday - 10am - Flow & Release
Wednesday - 10am - Flow & Release
Thursday - 5.30pm - Open
Jacqui Black
Yoga Teacher
Jacqui comes from an extensive and classically trained dance background and as a result has a strong awareness of body conditioning and expressive movement.
Jacqui’s yoga journey commenced in 2009 when she first discovered Bikram yoga and the benefits of Asana. After some time living abroad, Jacqui returned to Australia on a deeper quest of self healing and yoga therapy. This is where she did her initial teacher training and devoted her life to giving and sharing the practice of yoga.
She has a love for mindful movement and deep relaxing yin practices, however her passion for teaching is in dynamic power flows where she draws inspiration from dance, martial arts and many styles of yoga. She has spent the past twelve months travelling the world experiencing, training and practicing yoga within a variety of cultures.
Now she brings an attitude of self discovery, challenge, fun and consciousness to her classes.
You can find Jacqui teaching the following weekly classes:
Monday - 6am - Open
Monday - 10am - Flow & Release
Monday - 5.30pm - Open
Wednesday - 6am - Open
Wednesday - 7pm - Yin
Thursday - 7pm - Yin
Tara South
Yoga Teacher
Yoga is not what I do, it's my lifestyle. It’s my medicine, my rituals, my guidance, my coming home. My passion is to share it with the world.
Through my 20 years of discipline to the art of yoga, and my more recent trauma therapy background, I have deepened, discovered and expanded. This is my path and it is ever-evolving. It's what I share with you on and off the mat. It's the REAL DEAL! To simply observe and let the truth unravel, allowing us to build and deepen connections
You will be challenged in your own practice whether you are new to yoga or an experienced yogi, you can enjoy a beautiful vinyasa flow practice delivered with lightness and a sense of humor or guided through a deeply nourishing yin journey as you uncover and discover all of the parts to yourself. As well as teaching all levels of Yoga, I am proof that living healthily means living happily – even a little crazily!
You can find Tara teaching the following classes:
Tuesday - 5.30pm - Open
Tuesday - 7pm - Yin
Saturday - 7am - Open
Saturday - 8.30am - Flow & Release
Louis Hill
Yoga Teacher
Yoga has allowed Louis to experience vast empowerment and profound healing in both body and mind. He teaches a fluid and powerful vinyasa that encourages exploration, as well as yin, the yoga of deep restoration. Louis became a yoga teacher in 2014 and had been immersed in learning ever since.
He is inspired by Nicole Walsh, Rod Galbraith and Mel McLaughlin. Louis draws from his honours degree in Psychology and Philosophy, and his continuing success as an endurance triathlete. Louis believes we can fall in love with every moment when we pay attention.
Louis is deeply passionate about living his best self. He believes in and encourages living in vitality and clarity every single day. Louis gets excited by both the heating and the cooling aspects of yoga, and how these energies work to create intimate self-expression.
You can find Louis teaching the following weekly classes:
Thursday - 10.00am - Flow & Release
Friday - 6.00am - Open
Tara-Lee Bagnall
Yoga Teacher
Tara, the founder of Ohm Wellness, started her yoga journey more than 11 years ago. At the time, she was a busy single mother of her three beautiful children.
Her life came to a rapid halt when she found herself hospitalized requiring heart surgery. Quite a big shock! Life delivered her the experience that caused her to really pause and examine the path she was on, for her and her children. It was made quite clear to her that she needed to start to really take care of herself.
She had always wanted to try yoga, but had never found the time. Now was the time!
She found her local community yoga and simply committed to a weekly class. The benefits mentally were amazing. She continued just with a weekly class for years and then after a break when she had her fourth child with her husband, she finally returned and was ready for more.
Tara completed her initial training with Karl Jaross, the founder of Yoga Body Works in Newcastle. Training in Yin & Yang Yoga, following the lineage of Baron Baptiste’s Power Yoga and Paul Grilley’s Yin Yoga.
Tara is also constantly absorbing and learning from mentors such as Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nat Hahn and Dr Joe Dispenza.
Her personal practice is ever-evolving, adding much richness and personal experience to her teachings.
You can find Tara teaching the following classes each week:
Sunday - 8.30am - Open
Yaz Mohib
Yoga Teacher
Yaz is a Yoga & Pilates teacher, Qualified Personal Trainer and Group X Instructor with over 10 years’ experience.
A movement enthusiast, passionate about inspiring people to understand the benefits of movement while exploring their strength, Yaz believes that movement is where we learn to enhance our ability to discipline the mind and constantly flirt with the magic outside the comfort zone.
Yaz specialises in natural movement to gain a deeper awareness of breath, physical ability and to achieve an even deeper awareness of the mindset. He offers a holistic and all-encompassing approach to live a strong, fulfilling and capable life.
‘I’ve been teaching for over 10 years and I teach as I practice: strong, playful, challenging flow, a moving meditation with abundant awareness to breath and alignment. I enjoy teaching to both the absolute beginner, and challenge the “advanced“ practitioner.’
You can find Yaz teaching the following weekly classes:
Friday - 10.00am - Flow & Release
Gabby Vinden
Yoga Teacher
Gabby offers a holistic understanding of yoga. She has a deep knowledge and weaves her wisdom into class intentions. Gabby is a holistic dietitian and specialises in plant based nutrition, disease reversal and eating disorders. She is passionate about helping people cultivate a better relationship with themselves by creating deeper union between the body and the mind. Her soft energy and trusted guidance helps people to connect with their body and start working with it instead of against it.
Her classes have a focus on breath and and include mindful, intentional hatha as well as dynamic vinyasa flows that become a moving meditation guiding people out of their heads into their hearts. She also loves teaching yin yoga where she has an amazing gift to hold space and offers a safe space for introspection. People often describe feeling relaxed and invigorated simultaneously after her classes. Gabby hopes to inspire you let go of what does not serve you. She encourages you to fall in love with where you are at and accept yourself as you are
You can find Gabby teaching the following weekly classes:
Friday - 6.00pm - Yin & Meditation (from May 14)