LOUISE PAITI
Louise Paiti is a body-mind practitioner with over 25 years of experience across musculoskeletal physiotherapy, rehabilitation, yoga, breathwork, and Polynesian bodywork. She offers a uniquely integrative approach that merges modern clinical expertise with ancient wisdom traditions, creating space for true healing within a bio-psycho-social framework. Whether guiding recovery through hands-on therapy, designing tailored exercise programs, or holding space in retreat and community settings, Louise brings a grounded, compassionate presence to her work.
After graduating from Otago University in New Zealand in 1995, Louise began her career at Auckland Hospital, gaining broad experience across intensive care, neurological rehab, orthopaedics, and outpatient physiotherapy. She developed a strong foundation in rehabilitation and manual therapy and soon specialised in musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Her work took her to London, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Manipulative Therapy at Curtin University in Australia and additional training in Polestar Pilates, lumbo-pelvic stability, and postpartum rehabilitation.
Louise’s approach to rehabilitation is both evidence-based and deeply personalised. She combines manual therapy with bespoke exercise prescription to alleviate pain, restore movement, improve function, and empower clients in their recovery. She is passionate about functional movement—helping people not just heal, but return to doing what they love with strength and confidence.
During her time in London, Louise also worked within corporate health through the Bupa Wellness Group, supporting staff at Goldman Sachs, PwC, and other major firms. She saw firsthand the impacts of stress and sedentary work on the body and developed wellness programs focused on movement, breathwork, and stress resilience. This was the beginning of a broader shift in her practice—from simply treating pain to helping people truly thrive.
As a long-time yoga practitioner and teacher, Louise incorporates breath-centred Hatha yoga into her therapeutic approach. She believes that the physical practice of yoga (asana) is a powerful gateway to deeper self-awareness and nervous system regulation. Her study of yogic philosophy—particularly the Yoga Sutras—sparked a recognition of the strong parallels between Eastern and Western approaches to the mind, which led her to begin a Master’s degree in Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is currently halfway through the program and integrates this evolving perspective into her work with individuals and groups.
Louise also facilitates on camps and trainings at the Rites of Passage Institute in Byron Bay, creating safe, reflective spaces to support personal transformation and community culture building. She guides participants through group processes in circles, nature-based activities, embodiment practices, parenting education, women’s work and weaves in breathwork and mindful movement to reconnect participants with themselves and with community—addressing one of our deepest human needs: connection.
In addition, Louise is trained in Level 6 Kahuna massage through Mette’s Institute, a flowing, heart-centred form of Polynesian bodywork that she offers on retreat and in private sessions. As a proud Cook Islands woman, she draws on her paternal heritage when hosting yoga and wellness retreats on the stunning island of Aitutaki, home to the world’s most beautiful lagoon.
Louise’s practice is a convergence of disciplines—clinical, somatic, psychological, and cultural. Whether she’s helping a client recover from injury, supporting someone through life’s transitions, or guiding breath and movement practices, she holds a clear intention: to help people return to their bodies, feel more whole, and reconnect with their innate capacity to heal.