About Us
Dan Jakes
NDA, Dip Acupuncture, BEd(PE), GradDipTchLn, MNZRA
ACC Treatment provider
Dan completed a 4 year full-time Diploma of Acupuncture from the NZCCM which included study of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Western Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology and Tui Na (Chinese Massage and manipulation). He holds a National Diploma of Acupuncture (level 7) and is a Member of the NZ register of Acupuncturists and an ACC treatment provider. Dan also holds a Bachelors Degree with a major in Physical Education and minor in Health Education and Classical studies.
“I am passionate about promoting good health and believe the integration of complementary and conventional medicine is the way forward. Preventative health is also more important now than it has ever been which is why I try to empower and educate my patients to enhance their own well-being.
I enjoy working with a wide variety of health areas and have a keen interest in musculo-skeletal medicine, chronic health issues and mental health. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is incredibly effective at treating such a wide variety of complaints in a truly holistic way.
Outside of working, I make the most of the wonderful out door playground we have here in Canterbury and enjoy mountain biking and kayaking. I am also a keen martial artist and find that this practice gives me many insights into health that I apply in clinic.”
Anna Jakes
BPRTMgt, GradDipTchLn,
DipYoga, RYT, Bikram Yoga Cert.
Anna shifted to Canterbury (from Invercargill) in 1994 to complete a degree in Parks and Recreation at Lincoln University (majoring in community recreation). After which she spent three years traveling overseas and working as an Outdoor Recreation Instructor.
On returning to New Zealand she retrained as a secondary school teacher and spent four years teaching Physical Education and Health at Akaroa Area School. Her interest in health and wellbeing and love of yoga led her to Auckland to study for a Diploma in Yoga at Wellpark College of Natural Therapies. She has also trained in Natal Yoga (with Swami Shantimurti Saraswati, Ashram Yoga , Auckland), Yoga for Post Natal and Infants (with Amanda Reid, Samadhi Yoga, Wellington) and Bikram Yoga (with Bikram Choudhury, in Mexico).
“I am eternally grateful for the guidance and inspiration of my teachers Dr Sridhar and Dr Pooja Maddela who run the Yoga faculty at Wellpark. Although I had been practicing yoga for a number of years it wasn’t until I met Sridhar and Pooja that I truly understood the immense benefits and joy that yoga offers.
I am very grateful to be sharing my philosophy and passion for health and well-being with everyone at our Sanctuary.”
Anna is a registered teacher (RYT - 500) with the Yoga Alliance .
Jo McHarg
Jo is presently teaching the Monday Level One class and will also be taking some pregnancy classes.
"I have been practicing yoga on and off for about 8 years. I first discovered yoga while living/working in London and practiced a style called Sivananda. I immediately loved Yoga and found it to be an essential way to find some relaxation and calm in the midst of a big city and a hectic, fast paced life style. Once in NZ, I dabbled in some Bikram and Ashtanga, before finding Anna’s class about 18 months ago and have been practicing at Sanctuary Health ever since.
At the beginning of this year I decided to take my passion for Yoga to the next stage and completed a 1 month intensive yoga teachers training course in beautiful Byron Bay. I loved every minute of the course and am looking forward to sharing some of my new found knowledge with you.
Apart from Yoga my passions are for travel, running, reading, cycling, playing tennis and camping.”
Rachel Brownie
Rachel taught some of our pregnancy classes during Term One and will be taking a range of classes during Term Two.
"I've been hooked on yoga for a number of years. My mum first started yoga when she was pregnant with me so I'm sure that yoga has just been part of my system since I was born! As a kid I used to attend some of her classes playing around in different poses. For many years I then didn’t have a lot to do with yoga. It wasn’t until I was living in London and needing a little regularity and grounding that I started attending classes again. Ever since then it’s just become part of who I am, what I believe in and where I'm heading. My first teacher training was at Healthy Balance in Christchurch and I'm looking forward to another teacher training workshop in June with Donna Farhi and then an intensive course in August in Australia."
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