Yogi bare: Renee Stewart heart & soul
by Metropol | January 21, 2026 8:41 am
Defining wellness on her own terms, dancer and yogi Renee Stewart is bringing her mindful movement teachings to Christchurch. Speaking with Metropol deputy editor Tamara Pitelen, she reveals how spirituality runs strong in her maternal line and that Saturn’s return cracked her open.
As the daughter of supermodel Rachel Hunter and musician Rod Stewart, modelling and music are in her DNA, but Renee Stewart is now offering her own take on the power of movement through a blend of her contemporary dance background and deep yogic practice. Now in her 30s, the half-Kiwi, London-born, LA-raised teacher is bringing her mindful movement teachings to New Zealand. This will include a day retreat in Christchurch, alongside the launch of her online Movement Library devoted to embodiment, connection, and inner awareness.
This is Renee Stewart in her own words…
My name is Renee. I get called Nay, or Nay-nay, most of the time. I was born in London but grew up in Los Angeles. Since we were babies, mum has been bringing my brother Liam and me down to New Zealand. After I graduated high school, I took a gap year to travel and lived in New Zealand for three months. Now, coming back each year and spending more time here as an adult is really special. I have a huge connection because of the time spent and family.
I started dancing at age seven. After graduating from The London Contemporary Dance School with a BA Hons, I worked as a dancer with a variety of fashion brands, directors, photographers, and choreographers. In 2022, I worked with Jacob Jonas The Company for a season in Los Angeles. I love performing; however, I’ve come to this place now where movement has a deeper meaning than just performing. Movement reminds me that I always have a choice to shift how I feel at any given moment. Whether it’s the movement of breathwork, meditation, gym, dance, yoga, walking, or just moving intuitively on the mat.
My yoga journey started in 2011, purely as something to do when I wasn’t dancing. Back then, I only saw yoga as a physical practice. By 2013, I was deciding whether to do my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) or go to university; I chose university. Then, in 2019, I came to an intersection in life. I wasn’t booking jobs anymore, I was unsure of my purpose, I felt unsettled and disconnected within myself, and everything came to a screeching halt. So yes, this was the beginning of my Saturn return! I found myself at that place where you can choose to continue plodding along as you are or listen deeply to that voice that’s quietly saying, ‘make a shift, grow, and create.’ I went back to the drawing board of things I loved doing and yoga appeared again. I signed up to do my 500-hour Teacher Training at the Sattva Yoga Academy in Rishikesh in North India. That decision opened so many doors for me, both in growing personally and what I wanted to offer in the world. I look back now and see timing is everything.
For a long time in the West many understood yoga as just a physical practice (including myself!), however there is so much more to yoga and so many entry points for people to start. Whether that be through asana, pranayamam, kriya, mantra, meditation, or the philosophy. Yoga meets you where you’re at, whether that’s mentally, spiritually, or physically. I was really lucky to study at Sattva Yoga Academy where they teach the full aspect of yoga and its philosophy. It’s rooted in Vedantic and Tantric traditions, weaving together different yogic practices. I’ve returned many times since to do other courses. I go back to India once a year, either for training or just to visit. It holds such a special place in my heart. Everyone should visit in their lifetime if they can.
There are so many aspects of yoga that nourish me; however, kirtan, devotional chanting and music, and the healing qualities of sound truly took me by surprise. Every time I enter a kirtan, my heart opens and softens. It’s beyond words.
Being a dancer, I’m very connected to my body, but yoga opened up this greater understanding of life and all its ebbs and flows in a really tangible way. The timeless wisdom and yogic philosophy guide us back to unity within ourselves and all around us. When you read the yogic texts that were written thousands of years ago, they are still so relevant to this day and will continue to be. Yoga has offered me this toolbox that I can turn to when I need to move through a specific mindset or emotion, whether that’s the feeling of anxiety, resistance, or sadness. Turning to the breath, meditation, mantra, movement, etc, yoga guides me back to my truth within myself, but also allows me to fully feel everything I need to move through.
Mum and I both did our yoga teacher training at the same school, but at different times and for completely different reasons. When my mum did her training, she didn’t go to become a yoga teacher, but because she was mourning the death of her mother. That’s what drove her to do something so different. I did see an unspoken shift in mum when she returned, but there was no driving force of one person telling the other to go do their yoga teacher training. A few years later I was at a pivotal point in my life and it brought me back to that place in 2013 when I was thinking of doing my teacher training. So I went and did it finally.
This path and journey of yoga and spirituality have been in our family for many years. My great-grandmother used to listen to Krishnamurti’s [Indian spiritual teacher] talks on the radio. My grandmother was very connected in that way as well, but in her own expression of art, tarot cards, and being very psychic. My grandmother’s sister, Aunty Barbara, has also been a yoga teacher for many years. So, whether it’s yoga or spirituality, it’s woven very deeply into my mum’s side of the family.
Mum and I host a retreat once or twice a year together. It works very well because we are such different teachers with different experiences to bring to the table. We have a retreat coming up at the beginning of February.
I move around so much and meet many people on retreats who still want to practise. So my intention in creating an on-demand platform – The Movement Library – was to still practise together from wherever we are in the world. The platform, which is forever growing, weaves my experience and studies in movement, yoga, and mindfulness. There are on-demand classes and monthly live online classes in practices such as free movement, asana, pranayama, kriya, mantra, and meditation. Whether you only have 15 minutes or 60 minutes, there’s something for everyone.
With its abundance of nature, New Zealand is the perfect place to hold retreats! This is my second year offering retreats, events, and weekly classes, and I absolutely love spending this part of the year here. My intention is to bring movement, mindfulness, and connection. A place where people can rest, listen, and see what’s calling deeply within them. All of my retreats and movement library offerings can be found on my Instagram bio @renee_stewart.
PRACTISE WITH RENEE
To launch her on-demand platform The Movement Library, Renee is holding her first in-person experience in New Zealand on 1 March as a Day Retreat in Matakana, Auckland region, followed by an event in Christchurch. Later this year, she is hosting retreats in Spain and Greece. For information, check themovementlibrary.co or reneestewartofficial.com.
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