I feel so lucky to have stumbled across your website this year when feeling like my energy was never going to come up again. The skills you have, the knowledge that you willingly share, and your passion for Ayurveda including yoga, meditation, and nutrition are awesome. I’m very grateful to have benefited from them. – P Osborne
Perry is a respected Ayurvedic and Yoga practitioner/tutor, who delivers the essence of Ayurvedic lifestyle and yogic practices to her students, patients and course participants with competence. Moreover, she embodies the philosophical underpinnings of Vedic sciences through her commitment to peace, compassion and inclusiveness – Dr Vijay Murthy
“Being new to Yoga and suffering from Meniscal damage to my knee I have found Perry to be the perfect introduction to the world of Yoga. At he ripe age of 50 and a sports enthusiast who thought Yoga was for “girls” when I started I needed nurturing with a steady hand and have found Perry to be the perfect blend of tutor and practitioner taking into account my injury and yoga naiveté
19 months later I hate to miss a class and am preaching to others of the benefits that Yoga can bring to the uninitiated and uninformed.
I have no hesitation in recommending Perry as a Yoga instructor and believe her understanding of personal needs and limitations will provide a positive outcome for whoever is fortunate enough to find time for her class” – Reno W
“I started attending Perry’s yoga classes two years ago. I have had Psoriatic Arthritis for 19 years and had been looking for a yoga teacher who could teach me how to work around my joint problems and be able to improve my health. Perry has been very understanding and so wonderful!! I still look forward to every yoga class and always leave feeling so good!
Shortly after commencing yoga I also started seeing Perry as an Ayurvedic Practitioner. I had been taking natural supplements for many years to help with my condition but Perry was able to fine tune these and offer me more specific remedies to treat my condition. I am really thrilled with the results the combination of regular yoga and supplements has given me. Over this two year period I have steadily improved, I now have less pain and far fewer flare-ups from arthritis, more energy, and my strength and flexibility has improved greatly. Thank you Perry!!
I have also attended Perry’s Ayurvedic Cooking Classes, Meditation Workshops, and Yoga Retreat at Mana. Perry’s warm kind personality has made all of these a pleasure to attend along with being very interesting and informative.
I highly recommend Perry to anyone who wishes to improve their health and wellbeing”. Sharon
“I began Yoga lessons with Perry McDonald about three years ago. About the same time my husband was diagnosed with a terminal cancer. He died nineteen months later. Yoga was my rock during those months and during the subsequent year since he died. I have found the physical benefits of Yoga to be very rewarding. I feel stronger and am infinitely more flexible. I am for the first time in my life looking forward to exercising. Far outweighing the physical benefits are the mental and spiritual aspects. I feel calmer and more centred. I am learning to be truly present and to look at life from a very different angle.
I have also consulted Perry in her Ayurveda role. I have attended the cooking classes, thoroughly enjoyed massage, learnt about meditation and taken Ayuvedic prescriptions. All of these things, along with Yoga, have made the last three years manageable. Perry McDonald is a talented teacher; she is passionate about helping people through yoga and through her huge depth of Ayurvedic knowledge. She is very perceptive, wise and thoughtful and is a living example of her teachings. Perry is a gift to us all.” – J Revell
” I have known Perry Macdonald for approximately two years from the time she took over our Yoga class at The Yoga Sanctuary, Mairangi Bay. From the beginning she was an inspiring and caring teacher. She has a rare ability to assess individual needs and how to help without any disturbance. Her encouragement has helped many pupils to make great progress. Her relaxation and meditation time at the end of class sends everyone home with a calm outlook. Perry was well known as an Ayurveda practitioner before I met her and since then during a period of ill health I had help from her in that capacity. She is so kind and helpful with a range of natural treatments and helpful living advice. She radiates kindness and love. I know she has helped so many other people as she has me. As part of Ayurveda she also takes cooking classes using spices for natural health. These are great fun and most illuminating. Perry is an inspiration!” Lorna Laurenson
“I met Perry Macdonald first of all at a Yoga Workshop that she teaches – as a trained Pilates Instructor – I was looking for a form of Yoga that complimented the Pilates I practice. On the first lesson – I knew that what Perry was teaching was perfect alot of her methodology and instruction was enhancing what I already knew about my body & pilates. 15 weeks later I feel my Pilates has improved along with my flexibility – I find Perry’s classes not only good for the body but great for the mind. Additional to the Yoga – I have participated in one of Perry’s Ayurveda Cooking courses – I would highly recommend the course , the flavours ,recipes and background on the ingredients was very informative. Lastly but not least are the regular hot oil massages that I now incorporate into my routine with Perry. This year when I look back – I would like to say that Perry has been a positive highlight in my life.” Carole Fraser- Owner Pilates Unlimited, Takapuna Beach.
“One of the best things about doing yoga with Perry is that there is no pressure to push beyond realistic expectations. After sustaining neck and back injuries,I am slowly gaining confidence in my yoga practice under the watchful eye of Perry.
I have total trust in her teaching methods and the immense knowledge she has gained over many years and would recommend her classes, particularly to anyone recovering from injury.” – Dennise Wynstock
“I have been a member of Perry’s yoga class since early 2009. As a middle-aged male struggling to retain fitness, these classes have been invaluable over the past four years; both from a strength and flexibility perspective. I therefore strongly recommend her class and techniques to anyone with an interest in (or present involvement in) yoga; Perry is an excellent and patient instructor who has had a major impact on my mental and physical wellbeing.” – Steve Hart, Remuera
Cooking Class
Sarah Lang of the New Zealand Hearld attended a cooking workshop with Perry and wrote a review for the Herald in October 2009
“I have been using the recipes with great success. I am really enjoying the new style of cooking”
“I have benefited greatly from the cooking classes. I now can cook vegetarian food that tastes wonderful instead of bland and boring as before.”
“I have more awareness as to what I should put in my mouth and what I should. not! I also have used the principles behind Ayurveda cooking in other cooking styles.”
“It was both good value and a good experience” “Loved the environment, the food and the people who attended. I enjoyed learning a little about your approach to life. Very thought provoking.”
“I enjoyed coming to your lovely home, bathed in sunshine. Cool company and delicious new ways of cooking. A very nice experience.”
“I enjoyed the smells, the process and of course eating ther cooking!!!. The company was lovely – I enjoyed getting to know my fellow `diners’. I am very excited about cooking what I’ve learnt at home for guests. Healthy and beautiful tucker”
Yoga Retreats
[Regarding Mana Retreat] “Being a yoga rookie with less than 3 months experience and with no knowledge of Ayurveda at all, I knew when I read that the weekend was going to be for “exploring the concept of the perfect Yoga Practice for your Dosha”, I was headed either for confusion or a learning experience! Well it most certainly turned out to be the latter.
We had Perry and Denise as our teachers:
Perry was the Ayurveda and meditation specialist. She has a passionate understanding of Ayurveda and spirituality, combined with a deceptively easy teaching style that you almost don’t realise you are learning, but you are.
Denise was the “rock star” yoga teacher! She imparts yoga teachings in an inspiring and compassionate manner. Under her skilful guidance, you are safely challenged to find new levels in your yoga practice, while the spiritual wisdom she shares in each session give you insights to yourself and life.
I came home feeling uplifted and rejuvenated, nurtured inside out, and you know something, I now know what is the perfect Yoga Practice for my Dosha! Alan McCracken
Joshua Owen
Joshua’s eczema was quite severe. It started at 6 weeks of age but at 8 months it became increasingly bad. Joshua’s lower back was covered with eczema and felt like a grater. At this point we took him to a pediatrician, who referred us to a dermatologist who prescribed cortisone, fattylemnis cream as a moisturizer and an emollient to bath him with. We had cortisone for his face, his body and an antibiotic cream. When the eczema got yellow and pussy behind his ears our GP prescribed different cortisone for his ears. So all in all 3 different cortisones. The dermatologist referred us to an allergy specialist, who advised us after an allergy test that Joshua had no allergies and that it was genetic in his case. We were to continue using the cortisone as prescribed but this only helped keep it under control, to a certain extent, and offered no relief. There were times that 90% of Joshua’s body was covered in eczema. It caused him a lot of discomfort, especially at night. I took Joshua to see Perry when his eczema was at its worst. Although the allergy specialist advised us that Joshua had no allergies, Perry put him on a gluten, wheat and dairy free diet, advising that sometimes there are intolerances to certain foods that can cause/aggravate the eczema. Along with this new diet Perry gave us some natural alternatives to reduce the inflammation of the eczema. We were advised to be patient. Within a month we had really good results. Joshua’s face was clear for the first time in ages. Unfortunately he developed a chest infection and was put on an antibiotic. Within a day of being on the antibiotic his skin flared up. We went back to Perry who arranged for a probiotic and helped us once again get the eczema under control. Three months from the time we first saw Perry Joshua’s skin is looking amazing. He has never had skin as smooth and clear as he does today, and is still wheat and dairy free. He is a much happier child. Recently our doctor saw Joshua and was amazed at how good his skin looked.
