Millbrook Resort has always prided itself on offering something for everyone – one of the stand out attractions is the yoga programme, led by highly rated teachers, as Miranda Spary discovered.

Millbrook is owned by the Ishii family and Eichii Ishi who was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015 for his services to New Zealand-Japan relations, golf and tourism has been the driving force.

His mother, Fusako Ishii, who was a key supporter in the purchase of the internationally renowned resort, described it as  “heaven on earth” and her family today strives for members and visitors to feel the same way.

In recent years Queenstown has become a highly yoga- focused place – there are advertisements everywhere for yoga classes in any number of dedicated yoga studios. In summer there are even classes on mountain tops and in the resort’s rose gardens.

Eichii Ishii recognised this growing passion for yoga and was quick to see that creating a purpose-built yoga studio at Millbrook could only add to the overall experience for people visiting the resort.

Millbrook’s Health and Fitness Centre has employed the best of the best yoga teachers in the area to lead the classes and consequently has one of the most consistently busy studios in the Wakatipu.

Mark Hunter is a long-time yoga devotee and a Bowen therapist and is doing more and more work with the over 60s sector, especially regarding their balance and stretchiness – two very important parts of healthy old age. He is also focused on keeping the fascia smooth and supple which means fewer aches and pains and his diverse classes are always fun and inspiring.

Like Mark, Rachel Land also did her initial training under yoga god, Lance Schuler of Inspya Yoga in Byron Bay. She has since undertaken several full dissection anatomy courses so she really does know what our bodies look like on the inside and why some bodies work so differently from others. Her expertise has led to her training yoga teachers in yoga medicine all over the world and her sessions at Millbrook have a strong following.

Yoga is considered one of the best ways to maintain body health and Millbrook Resort has embraced this principle by offering its varied mix of vinyasa flow, yin and yang, yoga yin, yin restorative and barre yoga and barre warrior classes. The response to all the classes underlines the ever-increasing demand for quality yoga with superior teachers.