Meet The Team
Radiance Retreats has been offering yoga and wellness retreats since 2002, in some of the world’s most beautiful locations – Byron Bay, Wanaka New Zealand, Ubud Bali, the French Pyrenees, Northwest Spain, Tuscany and beyond. Each retreat is built around twice-daily yoga and restoration, guided hiking or walking adventures, nourishing food, and genuine care from an experienced team. Whether you’re new to yoga or deepening an existing practice, you’re warmly welcomed and well looked after.
Jessie & the Radiance Team
Jessie Chapman - Founder, Retreat Host, Yoga Teacher & Author
Jessie Chapman has been teaching yoga for over three decades, bringing a wealth of experience and care to every class and retreat. She is passionate about yoga as a nourishing tool for life – and in particular restorative yoga to replenish the body’s systems, quieten the mind, and cultivate emotional stability. Jessie was introduced to yoga through her mother, completed her teacher training in 1996, and has been teaching full time ever since – continuing to gain much insight from many leading teachers, particularly in the Iyengar yoga method.
In 2002, while living in Bali, Jessie and her sister combined their mutual love of yoga and Bali’s holistic spa traditions to offer the first Radiance Retreat. Today Radiance Retreats runs in Byron Bay, Bali, New Zealand, France, Spain, and Italy – holistic journeys designed to help people move well, breathe deeply, settle the nervous system, and restore strength and vitality, while enjoying nourishing food, beautiful walks, hiking adventures, and the inspiration of natural surrounds and local culture.
Author of four yoga books (HarperCollins Australia and Ulysses Press USA) – including the bestselling Yoga Postures for Your Body, Mind & Soul – and co-creator of the Radiance Yoga DVD Series, Jessie’s teaching meets you where you are, offering practices that both support and challenge, whether you’re new to yoga or deepening an existing practice.
When not guiding retreats, Jessie lives in Byron Bay where she offers Byron Bay yoga classes and on-demand yoga video classes filmed at her home studio.
Lee Purdie - Yoga Assistant & Facilitator
Lee Purdie has been part of the Radiance Retreats team since 2006, bringing warmth and connection to everyone she meets on retreat. Lee joins Jessie on some of our Radiance Retreats in Byron Bay, New Zealand, Bali, France, Spain, Italy, and beyond. Lee assists in yoga classes, offers adjustments, and guides walks throughout the week. A dancer and dance teacher, Lee completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2004 and went on to blend her two passions — creating uplifting Yogadance sequences set to beautiful music that relax the body, open the heart, and are accessible to everyone. Lee is also certified in Yoga Therapy and Kids Yoga Teaching, and lives between Byron Bay and Adelaide with her family.
Anthea Amore - Yoga Assistant & Facilitator
Anthea Amore has been assisting on Radiance Retreats since 2004, supporting yoga classes with adjustments and coordinating spa services for guests. Anthea began practicing yoga from a young age and completed her Yoga Teacher Training in 2002. A passionate and qualified Massage Therapist, Reiki Master, and Natural Beauty Therapist with over 30 years’ experience in holistic therapies, Anthea is also the author of two bestselling vegan cookbooks — Passion and Hungry – and designs the all-organic plant-based menu for our Byron Bay retreats.
Jacinta O'Leary - Yoga Assistant & Facilitator
Jacinta O’Leary is an experienced and certified Iyengar yoga teacher based in Melbourne, where she lives with her family. Jacinta joins Jessie on some of our Radiance Retreats in France, Spain, Italy, and beyond — assisting in yoga classes with hands-on adjustments, individual guidance, and plenty of care and attention for every guest. With a deep understanding of alignment, breath, and the use of props, Jacinta brings a warm and knowledgeable presence to every class – supporting beginners and experienced practitioners alike. A passionate traveller with a love of culture and design, Jacinta also brings these interests to the retreat – guiding walks and leading mindfulness drawing sessions that offer a creative and meditative complement to the yoga practice.
Zarn Tazana Karjana - Mantra & Sound Healing
Zarn is a certified Sound Healing Practitioner, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist. During Byron Bay retreats she guides Mantra & Sound Journey sessions — combining uplifting, easy-to-follow mantras with the healing vibrations of crystal singing bowls. Her sessions are accessible, deeply relaxing, and create a genuine sense of peace and connection. Passionate about the power of sound and music to restore and uplift, Zarn brings a beautiful energy to the retreat.