I am a yoga instructor with 700 hours certified by Yoga Alliance. Certified Pilates and Fitness instructor Specialist both by Can Fit Pro, and Soul Body Barre Certified by Soul Body Barre. Employed by GoodLife Fitness  And Pan Am Sport Center in Scarborough.  From a young age I had trouble with my neck. As the years went by, the pain become debilitating on some days. Then one day I heard about yoga as a method to treat pain and improve functioning.

18 years ago is when I tried my first yoga class; it was uncomfortable and some of the poses seemed strange and challenging—it was all so new to me! But the relief I felt after the first class was undeniable. After that, I started to attend yoga classes regularly and began to educate myself on yoga practice, poses, and the health benefits yoga brings.

As my life became busier juggling a business, family, and work, I realized yoga was a necessary outlet for me to attain that balance I needed in my life and to distress. So I started doing yoga daily, and experimenting with different types of yoga.

Over time, as my knowledge and skills in yoga developed, I was regularly approached to teach yoga. From this, I realizing I loved not just doing yoga, but also sharing my knowledge through teaching. To do this I attended an intensive and comprehensive yoga training program through Breath of Life in Crete, where I had the honor and fortune to be taught by yogi Harishehandra Yadav whom traveled all the way from India to teach at the Breath of Life School. A few years after this program I attended another intensive 500 hours yoga training in India Rishikesh at Vyasa Yoga Peeth.

It was through this teachings I learned immensely about yoga, from the philosophies, to types of poses and yoga styles, to body alignment, and pranayama (advanced breathing techniques).Upon finishing my Yoga certification, I was employed by Goodlife.

My teaching style is dynamic and flexible, from gentle and flowing (hatha, kundilini, yin) to more challenging (dancing, power, vinyasa) styles of yoga. I pay special attention to developing mindfulness, body awareness, proper body alignment, and effective breathing.My passion and dedication to learn more about how the body works, led me to take the Certified Fitness Instructor Specialist course, which provided extremely comprehensive knowledge on kinesiology, physiology, anatomy, and biology of the human body. This has allowed me to become a certified Can Fit Pro Instructor. This certification allowed me to work with individuals as either a personal trainer, and as a group fitness instructor.

 

My goal is to share my love of yoga, pilates, soul body barre and fitness through teaching fun, authentic, and challenging classes. I also hope to increase body awareness and mindfulness through my teachings.

What impact has yoga had on my life?

The practice of asana, pranayama and meditation has challenged me to grow stronger and be less afraid. It had helped me handling stress with ease.  It has helped me temper the ever present human need for outer approval with a deep self-love and self-confidence that I can turn to in the tough times.The asana practice has helped me to be-friend to my body and understand it more so I can work with it to heal whatever is hurting rather than be afraid. I have learned how to be stronger inside and softer outside. I can work smarter rather than just harder and enjoy life more as a result. It seems like my life has gotten easier.

What do I recommend to people that are brand new to yoga?

Find a style and a teacher that suits you and makes you feel safe and better about yourself all at the same time. Be willing to try different styles so you know what you are choosing. I believe that Yoga should increase one’s amount of self-love and inner strength.  If that is not happening, maybe it is time for a different teacher or style. Yoga is intended to introduce a person to their own higher wisdom and empower and strengthen them physically, spiritually and emotionally.

 

Learning about your anatomy and physiology is very important. Without that knowledge, you can get hurt while practicing and just think you are too stiff or too weak or doing it wrong. This is not usually the case. I am a believer in learning alignment based yoga at some point in one’s practice. Especially if you wish to practice for the rest of your life. Also, there will be times when you cannot practice physical asana, but the skills you gain from this study and the attitude it engenders within you will see you through the ups and downs of life. Find a style that is oriented towards laughter and lightness if you want to increase your level of joy.