 Tim, a landscape gardener, and Louise, a yoga teacher, have chosen Inverloch as their special place to prosper and grow. Today we talk LIFE with these two enterprising locals. Tim and Lou, how did you meet each other? Louise: We met when we were both helping my brother move house back to Melbourne. Tim and Pat had been friends for some time, but Tim and I hadn’t yet met. My brother had told each of us about the other as Tim had just arrived home from 12 months of working in the UK as a dinghy sailing instructor, and I was 6 weeks away from leaving for 12 months to work as a sail training instructor on a tall ship over there. Tim: I think Pat knew that we would have a lot in common and he was keen for us to meet. I don’t think he expected us to fall in love and get married though!  Why do you love living in Inverloch? Tim: Inverloch is an amazing place. The people here are amazingly friendly and everyone stops to say hello. It’s a small town with a great local vibe and access to an amazing amount of fresh local produce, great cafes, and opportunities for both of us to grow. Louise: Absolutely, but there is also the breathtaking location; the beaches and countryside around the town are so beautiful that I almost have to pinch myself on a daily basis to remind myself that it’s not a dream and that we actually live here, with fresh air, a salty sea breeze, and no rat race to bring us down or hold us back. And the community has been wonderful – it’s such a nurturing and welcoming place to live. I feel incredibly grateful to have found a town filled with such open hearts.  Lou, how would you describe your yoga classes? Louise: My classes are a balance of traditional techniques - asana (postures), pranayama (breath work), and meditation - but I also like to keep a fun, interactive and joyful atmosphere. My classes are so much about connection with the self, especially, but I am also working to develop a sense of community in each class, a sense that the classes belong to those attending - to the ‘tribe’ in Peace Tribe Yoga. That’s the environment I want to create. Peace Tribe Yoga is about creating a space for like-minded people to come together and share their practice, their energy, and their story. The intention is to hold the space for each person, so that that everyone feels safe to hold that same space for themselves and for others.  Tim, do you do Lou's Yoga classes? Tim: Yes! I go Monday and Thursday at 6:00pm, and Sunday at 8.30am. I find yoga amazing for my spine, for my flexibility and for my core strength, all of which have caused me issues in the past. Yoga helps me learn to support my body in order to heal and gain strength for my own work.  Tim, what are your passions? Tim: I love the outdoors - mountain biking, camping, beaches, surfing, bush-walking, hiking and gardening. I love it all! I am also passionate about good food: I love to cook and to seek out amazing local produce.  Lou, can you describe what students get out of your Yoga classes? Louise: I think that my classes do different things for different people. Some experience huge shifts in energy or emotional release; for others the focus is on the physical strengthening and toning of the body. For many students, meditation practice and learning to still and focus the mind is a big factor. And then there’s the sense of personal connection and the development and cultivation of loving kindness towards the self through yoga practice. But I also hope that my classes give people an opportunity to connect with others and produce a sense of joy and community. That is what I have set out to bring to each class.  How does yoga heal the body? Louise: On so many levels! The whole practice of yoga both on and beyond the mat is an opportunity to find self; and the further we develop our sense of self-realisation, the more we heal. Just to give some basic examples: on the physical level, our asana practice strengthens, tones, and brings flexibility to the body. It aids in the development of coordination and balance, as well as restoring homeostasis to our hormonal system; it also aids our understanding of our physical gifts and limitations, teaching us to approach both from a place of love and compassionate kindness. Our pranayama practices can heal, balance and improve our circulatory and respiratory systems, whilst also bringing balance to our energetic system. Energetically, these practices cultivate and move prana (life-force) through our bodies, which in itself stimulates healing and longevity. Mentally, our meditation practice trains the mind to be still and present, and to release stress and anxiety. Our practice also stimulates a more positive self-image, which can help treat symptoms of depression. Yoga is really a very powerful healing practice which can have profound effects on the whole mind-body-energy system.  What is your interpretation of energy? Louise: Energy is many things. Prana, for example, is life force or Qi as it is often known. It is the spark of life itself; and the more we cultivate it, the greater our longevity. But energy is also about connection; it is what connects us to the earth, the wind, the movements of the tide, and the moon. It’s hard to put into words, but for me it’s what moves through us and allows us to be vessels of healing to others. It’s love. It’s our personal power as well as our collective and universal bond that reaches from my soul to your soul and deep into the soul of the universe; it’s how we remain connected to all people and all things. Tim, what do you enjoy about gardening? Tim: I love the satisfaction of taking something wild and out of control, or even just a little bit neglected, and turning it into something attractive - a place that feels good and where you would want to spend time, somewhere that people are proud of. I also love that it gets me outdoors working with my hands and helping people to achieve their vision of, or even just to maintain, a space they can enjoy. Lou, do you get to help Tim with his garden work? Louise: Absolutely. Whenever I can or when a job is big enough to require an extra pair of hands. I also love spending time in the garden, especially to be out in the veggie patch. That’s my favourite type of gardening.  How do you both see your lives ahead of you in Inverloch? Tim: My focus for the moment is definitely on developing my Garden Care business and taking on more gardens to care for and keep looking great throughout the year. My clients have all been fantastic, and I am looking forward to taking on more work so I can keep on doing what I am doing and continue to grow. Louise: I am really looking forward to being of service within the community. I am taking on some additional training this year to develop my skills in pre-natal and post-natal yoga, which has been a passion of mine for a long time. I hope that the additional expertise in this area will add another dimension to my own practice as well as another avenue with which to be of service to women in the community. On a personal level, I think we are both really looking forward to connecting with the community and establishing meaningful relationships and friendships here. We love Inverloch and have prized getting to know it so far. It already feels like home, so I think we both can agree that we are looking forward to becoming more and more a part of the community. Tim: Absolutely - that and perhaps learning to surf along the way!
Louise is the founder of Peace Tribe Yoga at 39 A’Beckett Street, Inverloch. For more information on yoga with Louise, general class timetables, as well as enquiries into private tuition in yoga and meditation, you can contact her on 0409 765 540 or via [email protected] Tim is the founder of McFox Garden Care, operating in Inverloch and surrounds. You can get in touch with Tim about your garden care needs including clean ups, mowing, mulching, edging, tree pruning, landscape installations, etc. by calling 0474 000 767, emailing [email protected] or visit  |
Photo used under Creative Commons from jikatu
