The Practice of Using The Tools of Yoga
Yoga offers us many tools that, when used with intention, can greatly impact our sense of well-being and health. The tools of yoga include Asana (physical postures), pranayama (breath work), dhyana (meditation), chanting (sound), prayers, diet, exercise, being in nature, as well as engaging with family and community.
Working regularly with a yoga therapist, can help consolidate your home practice so that you feel more in charge of your health and well-being.
The practice room is a place where you can access class recordings.
You will find Chair Yoga, Slow Flow, Yoga Nidra, and shorter classes focusing on breathing and meditation practices.
The cost for monthly membership is $25 per month.
Slow Flow $10
Wednesday 9:15 am (gentle)
Friday 9:15 am (gentle)
Yoga Nidra (free)
Thursday 7:15 pm
Chair Yoga $10
Tuesday 9:15 am
Thursday 9:15 am
Individual Yoga Therapy Sessions
If you’re dealing with a health issue, chronic or acute, and would like some gentle guidance in developing a home practice that can support you, please book a session.
Individual Yoga Sessions
I am happy to guide you through a tailor-made yoga practice suited to your body’s particular idiosyncrasies.
What is Yoga Therapy?
Yoga Retreats
Twice a year, I run retreats in the Haliburton Highlands twice a year. This time of retreat allows our community of yoga practitioners to go deeper into our practices bringing stability and lightness to the rest of our year.
Cancer Retreats
Several times a year, I am part of a team of people at the Abbey Retreat Center who facilitate retreats for people living with cancer and those walking next to them on the journey. The retreats are designed so that participants can experience several different healing modalities (yoga, meditation, art, music, massage) in a beautiful and supportive setting. The hope is that the retreat offers space and time for people to digest the news of their prognosis and also care deeply about themselves.
My Story
I began to study yoga over 20 years ago. After a few years of regular practice, I took teacher training with the Sivananda Ashram in Val Morin, Quebec. After the one month of intensive training, I taught a few classes a week but continued to follow other pursuits, teaching elementary school and then travelling to Kenya, Rwanda and India to work with International Development projects.
In 2007/2008, I had a baby and learned at the same time that I had a cancerous tumour on my foot. It was extremely challenging to be a new mom and go through treatment for the tumour. During that time, I sought out the help of Yoga Therapy Toronto (founders Felicia and Ante Pavlovic). Felicia worked with me to design a home practice that helped me stay sane and feel good in my body. The experience of working with Felicia inspired me to attend a 300- hour teacher-training program with Felicia and her Partner Ante, and then later, to become a yoga therapist. I finished my Yoga therapist training in 2013 and have been conducting yoga classes and working individually with people since then.
Today, I work as a yoga therapist from my home studio, holding one-on-one and group sessions. I am happy to make home visits for people who prefer I come to them. For those who would prefer a group session, I run group classes at Connect Yoga, a fantastic studio on the Danforth.
I’m also working closely with the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in their Cancer Clinic, and am helping to design and facilitate cancer retreats at the Abbey Retreat Center (ARC) in Haliburton, Ontario.
My teaching and therapy have been guided and formed by my teachers Ante and Felicia at Yoga Therapy Toronto, their teacher Desikachar and his teacher Krishnamacharya. I am also quite influenced by the Sivananda style of yoga because my first experiences with yoga involved Sivananda-style classes. Ideally, however, I teach from the belief that yoga can/should be altered to suit the needs of the individual. Finally, my style and approach to yoga are also heavily influenced by the teachings of Zen Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, whose writings I have studied.
EDUCATION
B. of Arts in English/Anthropology, Trent University, Peterborough, On Canada
Master of Arts in Teaching, Willamette University, Salem, OR, USA
Masters of Social Justice and Inter-Cultural Relations, School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT USA
YOGA
200 hour training Sivananda Ashram 2004
300 hour training Yoga Therapy Toronto 2009
700 hour training yoga Therapy, Yoga Therapy Toronto 2014
14 hours Rod Stryker 2016
On-Line training with Rod Stryker through Yoga Glo 2017/2018
10 month Ayurveda Training with Yoga Therapy Toronto 2017
On-Line Living Ayurveda Training with Cate Stillman 2017/2018
