Our Instructors

Fiji McAlpine is an ERYT 500 yoga instructor and is one of the founding yoga teachers featured on DoYogaWithMe.com. Her online popularity has grown significantly over the years, giving her global reach in the online platform, and has allowed her to offer frequent guidance to thousands of students each week. Fiji is now devoting more time and energy into bringing a personal experience to those who have practiced with her for so long. She has been offering retreats and workshops around the world to connect with her global yoga family and to share her love for this practice. To keep updated on her upcoming retreats, workshops, and teacher trainings around the world visit her website: https://www.fijimcalpine.com/

Fiji’s personal practice and classes focus on vinyasa flow, infused with power, strength and precision. Having trained extensively in California, Costa Rica, and Canada, her classes are often described as a strong practice that allows students to face challenges with support and guidance, inspiring them to move forward fearlessly and more consciously. Over the past decade, yoga has helped Fiji through personal transformation, she openly shares about finding yoga to be a vital tool of healing as she overcame an eating disorder.

You can find Fiji and all her personal offerings at fijimcalpine.com and live in studios on lower Vancouver Island.

I practiced yoga in my early 20's and returned to it later on because of a little pain in my hips. I was also having a conflict with someone I worked with at the time and needed to release that stress and process how I was to deal with the situation. My first class was so good that I had to come back. I also needed more rigorous activity and at the time I didn't know that there were different styles of yoga to suite my needs.

I've done most of my formal training for Yoga & Yoga Therapy in Victoria at Pacific Rim College of Complementary & Integrated Medicine. My inspiration to teach came more from my experience of going deeper into the yoga and from all my teachers who have taught with all their conscious awareness and heart.

I teach a couple of different styles of yoga. My favourite is very much Yin. I also guide and appreciate a flow style class with fewer students so that I can infuse their practice with therapeutics of touch and conscious awareness of body. I appreciate postures that are held for longer than the average so that release can be invited.

The realization that yoga is not only what happens on my yoga mat in a studio has been my greatest learning. Being aware that cultivating that same feeling of acceptance that I have for my body when I practice and transferring that awareness to all aspects of my life, brings me a great sense of peace as I go through my day to day. Yoga is not just a form of exercise it is a way of being.

David is the visionary behind DoYogaWithMe, a transformative platform with a global reach of over 300,000 active users. His journey began with a debilitating back injury in his late teens that served as more than just a wake-up call. It was a catalyst for a life-long quest to harness and channel energy in a way that empowers individuals regardless of gender, to lead, inspire, and live healthier lives. He teaches an holistic approach to well-being, addressing everything from emotional vulnerability to mental health challenges like anxiety and depression.

David is not just a yogi; he's a healer, mentor, and entrepreneur. His platform has helped millions find their path to mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. He's also a seasoned meditator, having attended numerous Goenka-led 10-day silent retreats.

With an academic background in Environmental Science and a 250-hour, in-depth yoga teacher training, he's uniquely positioned to evolve leadership through mindfulness. His practices are designed to free people from the societal shackles of shame and addiction by teaching them how energy flow can be a transformative tool for personal and professional growth.

Tracey is light, fun, humorous, and passionately dedicated to the teaching of yoga. She brings in everyday life, speaks from her heart and inspires her students long after they leave the mat. Tracey offers public and private classes to all ages, creatively sequenced workshops, teacher trainings, on-line classes, personal training sessions, and mentorship for yogi graduates. Tracey has a passion for youth, teaching mindfulness and body awareness in classrooms around the city. She offers group sessions for many high profile businesses and she hosts events with local DJ’s to bring a fun, and creative element into the space.

Tracey was named the “Most Distinguished Teacher” at the 2017 Victoria Yoga Conference and sat on the selection committee for 2018. She is a graduate of McMaster University with a Physical Education Degree. She offers over 25 years experience in health and fitness, over 4000 hours teaching yoga, an E-RYT 500 hour and ACE Personal Trainer Certifications.

She is based out of beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, has a love for life, her children, her partner, her dog, travel and study. Tracey loves teaching ~ moving bodies, inspiring minds and is beyond grateful for the life she lives!

I discovered yoga during high school, when one of my friends invited me to a yoga class. While I found the class really challenging, as I was not very flexible or athletic at the time, it also felt like a very comfortable thing for me, like coming home. I purchased a two week unlimited pass that day and just immersed myself in the practice. A couple months later, I did my teacher training and the rest is history!

I completed my 200 hour training with Yyoga’s teacher college in Vancouver. While I draw from many different lineages, the majority and foundational training comes from Vinyasa and Vijnana lineages. Rachel Scott, Anila Lacroix, Kristin Campbell, and Kelly Colleen from Vancouver all played major roles in my early education. Since I started teaching, I have also become a physiotherapist, and my education and practice as a therapist inform my teaching - I apply anatomical and biomechanical concepts to add depth to my practices.

I teach anatomy-focused classes that inspire beautiful movement. My intention is to encourage my students to find both freedom and strength in their bodies. Many of my students say that I use colourful cues and interesting language in my classes, so I guess if you’re into that you should give one of my classes a try!

Yoga has taught me the value of stillness and slowing things down, as well as consistency and persistence. I think these values have all shown up in and improved my personal and professional life.

I've been in the wellness industry for over 20 years - certified as a personal trainer in 2000 and as a yoga teacher in 2005 - with over 10,000 hours of teaching experience. Throughout my yoga career I've continued to learn, completing courses in restorative yoga, advanced teacher training and Ayurveda. I just completed an online 300 hour YTT program and am learned about pain science, strength training, accessibility and anti-oppression. I've taught extensively on many platforms, producing two DVDs, had a weekly TV segment, have taught at fitness and yoga conferences and online at DoYogaWithMe since 2010.
I'm friendly and easy going and teach with humour and heart.

Yoga came in to my life when I was having a difficult time personally. I needed something to give me a sense of purpose and schedule and I signed up for a trial pass at a studio near my home. I had tried classes here and there over the years, but this time I felt supported by the teachers and the community, and it became a regular part of my routine.

My primary training was done at Semperviva Yoga, and I continue to work and train with them. I am inspired by so many different teachers, but I feel particularly drawn to those teachers that bring their genuine selves in to the space. They don't try to be anything else and they share the practice from the heart. It gives us all permission to be true to ourselves and to take from the practice what we need on any given day.

I teach Hatha and Yin Yoga, as well as some specialized workshops for students working in bigger bodies (called Full Bodied Yoga). My intention in all of my classes is to invite students to come back to that innate connection that we have with our bodies. To feel good in the skin we live in. My classes would suit those people seeking to move beyond the physical. I like to focus on alignment and breath so that we can safely move beyond them, getting to the deeper and more intentional parts of the practice.

Yoga has allowed me to find joy in a body that I thought I would always be at war with, and I want everyone to have that. To feel empowered and free, so that they can move through life with more ease.

I endeavour to live my life in such a way that the light inside of me ignites the light in others.

I long to help others to uncover within themselves what makes them shine, to find their own distinctive voice, and to broadcast that voice with confidence and skill. On every path I have explored throughout my life, whether personal or professional, I have chosen to help others to radiate their own light into the world.

THEN.
As a makeup artist, I saw my primary role as helping women, transgendered women, drag queens, men, aging women, teenagers – those who saw themselves on the outside of the mainstream definition of beauty – to see their inner light and embrace what makes each of them unique.

As a manager of people, I endeavoured to help individuals thrive with confidence in their current roles, and to flourish forward in their careers.

As a manager of businesses large and small, I aimed to help teams leverage customer service excellence, organizational strategy, and collaborative partnership to achieve a common vision.

NOW.
As an educator, I strive to help leaders and entrepreneurs dig deep within themselves to understand why they found themselves at the helm of their organizations, and continue to forge their path from that distinct place.

As a brand storyteller, I seek to help leaders and entrepreneurs wordsmith nuanced identities, amplifying their messages to be heard above the din.

As a yoga instructor, I seek to help others find their true strength, to create a subtle (sometimes radical) revolution within themselves, and to draw upon their own capacity for self-empowerment.

Yoga is a way of life; a way to live a meaningful life with purpose, ease, balance, awareness, love, and compassion. To me, it’s a practice of coming back to wholeness, coming back to myself, coming back home.

I like to say I have been doing yoga my entire life, like many of us. During sports games instead of waiting for the ball, I would be the kid in the outfield practicing my handstands. Before I slept at night, I would hold shoulder stand as long as I could. Not knowing what yoga was, I was an intuitive little being meditating on my breath at lunch and recess. I finally went to my first yoga class at age 25 and instantly knew I was in the right place. Soon after my very first class, I found a teacher and began to study yoga in India.

I trained at Vinyasa Yogashala in Rishikesh, India. This is where my curiosity was sparked and guided me to continue to learn from the teachers all around me, the Ganga, the mountains, my cohort, my breath, and the practice of yoga. My inspiration comes from nature, children, and many different embodiment practices such as dance, nature connection, and play.

My style ranges from passive held yin postures to power vinyasa. However, my themes tend to stay consistent. The foundations of my teaching practice are non-judgement, compassion, and discipline.

My passion lies in holding space for people to come as they are and to dive deep into the present moment through the practice of coming back to the body through yoga. I aim to influence, integrate, and harmonize all the levels of the being; the physical, the pranic, the emotional, and the mental. I recommend students from all levels who are curious and maybe a bit playful to join my classes.

Yoga has changed every single aspect of my life. It has brought me into the present moment so I can experience life to its fullest without getting caught up in the waves of life. I have found peace, kindness, happiness, and love through my yoga practice. I also have cultivated motivation, discipline, devotion, and determination.

I hope to inspire my students to come back to the body and into the here and now; it's truly a wonderful place to be.

Rachel first starting practicing yoga about twenty years ago to cope with the stresses of New York City, and stayed for the amazing mind-body connection. She also found that yoga helped her slow down, take a deep breath, and generally be a much kinder human being! After taking her first teacher training in 2003, she was hooked! She dove in headfirst, completing two 500-hour certifications, hundreds of hours of continuing education hours, and becoming a teacher trainer with Yoga Works.

She became the Director of Teachers College for YYoga (Canada's largest corporately owned yoga company), where she created their 200 and 500 hour certification hours in addition to numerous continuing education programs. She currently helps yogis and yoga studios all over the world create excellent trainings and online courses. She loves teaching flow, hatha, and power style classes and continues to lead teacher trainings in Vancouver. You'll love her classes if you appreciate a keen attention to alignment, anatomy and detail!
As a yoga expert, has written for periodicals such as Yoga International and the Huffington Post, made guest appearances on CTV, Breakfast Television, and numerous podcasts, and presented at venues such as Wanderlust and the Omega Institute. She exuberantly shares her knowledge and skills through coaching, her blog, YouTube channel, and free online classes.

The first time I tried yoga, I didn't like it! It took me a few years to come back to it and find a teacher who inspired me. What really hit me was the sense of peace I felt after each class..... that is what continues to bring me home to yoga.

I have trained primarily in India (Sivananda) and Vancouver. My main teacher is Clara Roberts-Oss, but formative teachers for me have also included Janet Stone, Shiva Rea, and Swami Govindananda.

I teach Power Vinyasa Flow yoga, using peak pose sequencing and drawing on energetic or elemental themes. My classes are always creatively different, will challenge you in fun ways, and will always make you sweat! I want to make you strong and open you up - in your body, in your mind, and most importantly in your heart. My classes are for continuing practitioners and courageous beginners!

Yoga makes me a better person. When I practice regularly, I have more patience, more understanding, more compassion, more strength, more tenacity, and more love to give. My hope is to help others discover this connection within themselves, as well.

I steadfastly believe that people are capable of more than they think. And that they will never know that unless they try. So I will do my absolute best to give you the best chance to wildly succeed in your practice, and in your life.

Yoga came into my life when I was young. I was born and brought up in India and yoga is a way of life in my family. My grandfather was my first Guru (teacher). He taught us how to do joints movements, asana, breathing techniques and meditation. As we lived in a joint family, we all met in the morning and practiced yoga together. Yoga practice was like a ritual in the house every day, each morning without a holiday. I was young when I started to practice and did so mostly in a playful way. Initially I loved the asana part but was not a fan of breathing and meditation. Since I respected my grandfather and saw my parents, uncles and cousins practicing every morning, I used to do the same. As I grew older my reason to go to the practice became effortless. Early in my teens I realized the power of the breath and grew to appreciate the philosophy behind this holistic wisdOM.

I completed my teachers training from SVYASA and Sivananda Yoga. My intention as a teacher is to share with the community my experiences of the union and the meeting point of body, mind and breath.

Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realize,
Be Good, Do Good, Be Kind, Be Compassionate,
Adapt, Adjust, Accommodate,
Be Good, Do Good, Be Kind is the Highest Sadhana
Be Good, Do Good, Be Kind is the Highest Yoga

I teach Classical Hatha Yoga and Sivananda Yoga. In my classes I try to bring in the wholesomeness of the eight fold yoga practice for everybody and everybody.

In my personal life, yoga always helps me to understand that the only thing that is permanent is the impermanence. So live in the present!

I first tried yoga simply to increase my strength and flexibility, not realizing the life enhancing journey it would lead me on and the all round benefits to my body, mind and spirit. Becoming a teacher then came naturally from delving deeper as a student. My first teacher training was a unique and special experience, I lived with a family in India and they taught me yoga as they had learnt it. The traditional aspects of hatha have then led my practice, having breath and awareness always at the center.

When practicing with me, whether a gentle or fiery practice, expect to slow things down and go deep into all aspects of self. Come ready to learn, if you’re looking for an experience that’s introspective, that’s exactly what you will find.

I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with communities in many countries around the world, so to be part of a global network and increase accessibility to yoga and wellbeing direct to your home, is an honor. I’m excited to practice with you.

Tara Heal (she/her) landed in beautiful Victoria, BC in 2017 from a 14 year stint living in NYC, and couldn’t be happier with her latest chapter as a new(ish) Mama & Teacher on the beautiful west coast!

Her teaching has spanned NHL teams, teens, Broadway performers, office groups – always offering classes that are powerful, soulful, and dynamic, while incorporating innovative, intelligent sequencing and functional alignment. She aims to encourage body awareness, agility, and strength, while illuminating the peace and power that comes from mindfulness. Tara fell in love with this transformative practice in 2001. By 2008, she began formal training with Rod Stryker’s Para Yoga Vinyasa Certification (Mary Bruce and Johnna Smith), and has continued with trainings, immersions and inspiration from The Iyengar Institute, Laughing Lotus NYC, Kula Yoga NYC, Moksha/ Modo Yoga, Sivananda, Janet Stone, Carly Forest (Yin), Christine Price Clark, Ryan Leir, Dina Tshouluhas, Witold Fitz-Simmons, Ted Grand, Jessica Robertson and will be a student for life!

Tara is honored to share the practice that has brought so much courage, resilience and joy into her own life, and intends to bring light, humor, patience and authenticity into her teaching. Alongside Yoga, her work as a performer has taken her to stages all over the globe. She feels endlessly grateful to continue sharing her “why” through movement and music.

For info on events, special offerings, privates, retreats, and mentorships or simply to connect with Tara, find her on IG @tarahealybird.

I teach yoga from the perspective that everyone is unique – no two bodies, minds or hearts are exactly the same. I believe that yoga practice is about discovering, embracing and acting from your deepest, most authentic self. When you take one of my classes, expect to be grounded, centered, challenged, and reinvigorated – all delivered with a dose of fun and humour! My own yoga history, training and certification are extensive, varied and ongoing. This variety is reflected in my classes as a fusion of seated and moving meditation, flowing vinyasa, powerfully held hatha postures, contemplative yin, pranayama, and guided relaxation including yoga nidra. I also bring my extensive training and experience in yoga therapy to all of my classes, making sure that all students are safe and able to work within their individual capabilities.

Yoga came into my life when I was a child. As the child of hippie parents, I grew up watching my parents practice together in the living room and trying to do headstands with my Dad. Yoga was always a part of my life. The first time I was in India, I was practicing sun salutations with friends on a beach and one of my friends said "No! That's wrong! That's not how you do it." I was shocked, I had no idea there was a right and wrong way to do yoga ! He was wrong, I know now, it was just a different variation of a sun salutation. But it did get me thinking that maybe it was time to have a teacher and go to a class. When I returned to Canada, a few months later, I found a class with a woman in her living room who had just returned from living in an Ashram for 20 years. I realized the value of having a teacher and a teacher who not just taught yoga but did their best to live yoga as well. This was almost 20 years ago and I am still hooked.

My first training was in 2006 in Athens, Greece where I was living and very based in Anusara. I have had a variety of training's since then, including kids, prenatal,yoga therapy and advanced training's in a few different styles. My most recent teacher training was a Jivamukti training in 2013 and this is where my heart landed and what inspires me today. I love the fierceness of the practice as well as the grace of the teachings. I find that without one, I feel unbalanced. Yoga is a full practice and I like to incorporate all of the teachings in my classes and share what has helped me thought the years in my life. My teachers inspire me. I am constantly in awe and humbled by their practice and dedication to their practice.

My style of yoga is Jivamukti and based on the Jivamukti method. My intention as a teacher is to share my love and understanding of yoga, however I can and in whatever capacity I can. I have had amazing teachers and traveled around the world to seek them out and to learn. If I can pass on some of what I have learned and it can help someone, then what better way to teach? I have a busy mind! I have found that I need to have a strong physical practice, rooted in the philosophy of yoga, in order to be able to quiet my mind. I think the students that would enjoy my classes most are the ones who like a strong class, are interested in deepening their practice and learning about the other aspects of yoga and can either enjoy or ignore my slightly random sense of humor.

Yoga is helped me through living in a foreign country for years, having a child, parents who got sick, injuries, heartache, confusion, starting all over again in a new country, being a parent, being a wife, being a woman, being a human...in all the different parts of my life, it has helped me. Its like learning where your center is. Where your home is and then learning again and again, how to come home. That even when things change, when things get hard, you can always come home. That there is more space than you know. Between your thoughts and between your thoughts and reactions. This is what yoga has given me.

In 1999, she stepped into her first Yoga class and discovered the joys of having a teacher and being taught from another's experience and knowledge. In 2006 she completed her first teacher training in Athens, Greece. With a strong background in alignment and Anusara, she began to explore the world of Vinyasa and philosophy, chanting and the devotional aspects of yoga.

A 500 hour RYT, she has taught numerous yoga teacher trainings internationally, where her love is to share the Bhagavad Gita and to teach service and compassion as a way to happiness and realisation. Jonni-Lyn knows Yoga to be sacred, healing and powerful. This is how it has affected her life and spirit. Her greatest joy is to share her knowledge and pass on the teachings of her beloved teachers to others, in hope that it serves them in their lives.

Call me cliché—and cliché again for saying it—but yoga helped me to not only heal physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually! It came into my life when I needed it most and aided in the transformation to the person I am now happy to be.

Since my original Hatha Flow training at Prana Yoga College in 2011, I’ve continued to study, learn, and evolve as a teacher and person. Most of what I teach in class comes from life experiences, although I’ve supplemented my training with group fitness, STOTT Pilates, meditation, rehab and physio experience, integrative nutrition and recently a 500 RYT certification. Having taught from Vancouver and Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and then the Middle East, I’ve seen the way yoga can reach different people around the world; this global view and understanding certainly influences my teaching style.

These days I’m joyfully busy as a mom of two little ones. Enough said!

Outside the family, my focus is on supporting women’s health—particularly through prenatal yoga, a wellness blog, and retreats. Because of a traumatic and disempowering first birth experience and the subsequent reclamation of my power and most amazing second birth (all thanks to prenatal yoga and the community built around it) I am committed and honoured to help pregnant women experience their own power and own their birthing process and transformation to motherhood with yoga.

I came to yoga when I was working at a high stress job in the UK. I waltzed into an Ashtanga Flow Class thinking “I've been a dancer for 17 years, so how hard could this be?” I got schooled in the physical sense but calmed mentally. Thus began my practice, subsequent one year 200 hour teacher training intensive in 2007 and certification.

I have since taken more than 300 hours in trainings in Yoga Assists and 100 hours of pre and postnatal yoga training and anatomy. The main styles I teach today are restorative, yin and pre and postnatal. I love teaching pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as healthcare workers who benefit so much from self care.

Yoga has helped me navigate my life by being my “built-in breath machine.” It’s helped me stop and take a good hard look at my life as well. I know when I practice that I am happy, and as a result I only invite people and experiences into my life that maintain that.

I took a pilates class for the first time because they were offering it at the YMCA where I was the fitness coordinator and I felt I should know what it was. I wasn't a fan right away but then something shifted for me in my body and my body awareness skyrocketed. My back started to feel strong, I got leaner and I was hooked.

I trained with Mary Bowen (one of the pilates elders), who inspires me to be the best teacher possible. She's fit, knowledgeable, humble and humorous - all traits that I strive to have.

I mostly teach pilates (mat, reformer, cadillac, chair and barrel) and I also teach yoga and spin. My intention as a teacher is to motivate my students to challenge themselves and work within their range. I believe in enjoying, laughing and embracing the movement and finding your strength and power within even the most subtle movements. I encourage everyone to take pilates whether you are a medalled athlete or a newbie to exercise. There is something in pilates for everyone. You can try pilates for relief from back pain, circulation, anxiety, mental calm, elimination issues, postural alignment, improved strength, power and flexibility.

Pilates has helped me rid my body of back pain, improve my posture, lose weight, get rid of anxiety and it also helps me sleep.

My students often tell me (and I agree) that pilates is very addicting. It feels good in your body and has so many benefits. I'm grateful I found pilates (or it found me).

I originally discovered yoga 13 years ago as a cure for ‘dis-ease’. During difficult times, Yoga became a necessary therapy to bring balance back into my life. Today, Yoga has become a lifestyle for me. I believe that teaching Yoga is one of my true callings as I love helping others to reach and maintain their own optimum wellness. I have over 1000 teaching hours and 600 hours of training. I am a skilled Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist, Thai Massage Practitioner and Energy Worker. I am the previous owner of Barefoot at Heart Yoga & Wellness and am now focusing on this therapeutic practice helping people use grief and loss as a tool for personal growth. Having lost my Boyfriend to cancer and my mother to Suicide, Grief has very much been a part of my personal journey, and because of this I feel called to help others move through their own transformative process. I invite you to check out my website for FREE free classes, resources and tools. NickyCJones.com

Yoga came into my life in London, UK, when I was seeking greater ease & stability in the wake of trauma. I completed my first teacher training in 2004. My teaching includes components of subsequent certifications in Integrative Yoga Therapy, Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Functional Yoga Therapy and Restorative Yoga as well as my training in Pain Care Yoga.

Since 2004 I've shared yoga in prisons, treatment centres, corporate boardrooms, yoga studios, mental health teams, art galleries, transition houses and more, with a focus on offering yoga from a strength-based, trauma-informed perspective. I work as the Director of Programs at Yoga Outreach, am a yoga therapist with Fine Balance Yoga and am inspired by the resilience of the people I meet and by the power of movement and mindfulness to offer tools for life.

My practice has been a huge part of my own recovery and helps me show up for my life with more energy, peace and discernment. I'm committed to widening access to the benefits of yoga as well as to addressing the societal injustices that negatively impact people's health and well being.

My first yoga class in 1999 was during a theater intensive with Calgary-based "One Yellow Rabbit". I had been dancing professionally for 15 years so was used to being physical and flexible. I enjoyed the stillness, strength, and demands that the Ashtanga classes put on my body. I have been generally blessed with some innate understanding of how to care for myself physically, and had been doing Pilates for about 3 years so I wasn't having to work through some of the physical imbalances which show up in a performing career. But what I did notice with yoga, over time, was the quality of focus and calm it brought to my mind. This is what inspired me to continue practicing.

Since then I have practiced a number of different yoga styles to varying degrees; Bikram, Iyengar, Hatha, Ashtanga and eventually did my teacher training with Kate Potter (Namaste Yoga) in Vancouver (2004/05). I enjoy Kate's Vinyasa style, she has a huge knowledge base, and the fact that she lived in India for 7 years inspired me. I have also studied with Tom Myers (Anatomy Trains) and Gioa Irwin, and have to give credit to embodiment practices: Gyrotonics, Pilates, Mitzvah, as well as the classical, modern and contemporary dance training which I have embodied. Further studies continued with Vipasana meditation retreats, Krya Yoga at Rikhia Peeth (Bihar, India), and of course, studies continue daily as I observe how I interact with a world that is full of joy and madness.

Non "yoga" related but which inform my teaching style has been studies in Somatic Experiencing (2015) as well as Sexological Bodywork (2011). I am fascinated by neuroplasticity, our brain's ability to change, and our body's ability heal from past trauma.

My teaching style, Vinyasa Flow unites breath and movement, tapping into my physical understanding and wisdom. I feel flow is the way I aim to move in the world. In our yoga practice, we will find postures that are challenging and others that are easier. Just like life. From an experiential perspective, we rarely live in stillness.

Yoga has given me a place to gather myself through stressful and challenging times. Being physical has helped to keep processing emotions. We are meant to be physical beings and our bodies are built to work. Our physical systems flush toxins with movement and the pumping of muscles. Our culture has become increasingly sedentary and the incidence of disease is common. With a Conscious, Mindful Practice, moving our bodies into a wide range of shapes, connected with breath, we are ensuring strength and mobility stay optimal as our bodies flush toxins out through digestion & elimination, sweat, lymphatic pumping, and exhalation. I currently work from my studio and intimate retreat center in Cobble Hill, on Southern Vancouver Island, as well as leading retreats worldwide.

My first yoga class was at Moksana with an amazing teacher named Tiffany. Yoga basically hurt! I was very very tight from tree planting and my past athletic endeavours and I couldn't even touch my toes. I didn't understand why everyone said stretching was so great because it HURT so much! Eventually, my body and my heart were transformed by yoga. All of the words and feelings, philosophies and beliefs felt like home to me. I was hooked.

I have trained mostly in Victoria and I have taken many, many, many courses. I think I am a course junkie! My love and endless fascination for the body, Pilates, Acupuncture and Yoga have melted together in a way that makes sense to me. I love how we can learn so much about ourselves in how we move, how we feel, how and where we store tension, when and why we open, and how this can be a never-ending/journey. I love how yoga encourages us to love all beings. I am addicted to love.

I want everybody to be able to do my classes even though they are sometimes hard. You can always modify the poses. I want my classes to be a place where you can listen to your body and honor the idea that "less is more." I believe that it's fun to find our weaknesses and not always focus on our strengths. This is what makes our bodies more well-rounded and balanced. I hope that I encourage people to focus on technique and the "how" rather than the "how much." To really honor and accept where each individual’s body is so that true change can happen. I hope that my classes are fun and real and that we can all check our ego in at the door and make our practice all about us.

Yoga has inspired me to love more; to try and practice loving presence in everything that I do (which is reeeeallly hard and I haven't nailed it yet...but I am really trying. To love and accept and to deepen our connection to ourselves to be better for the whole. I absolutely love being part of a yoga tribe where I feel at home around people who feel and hope for a higher consciousness that will make a difference in the world with peace and love. PLUS I love being more stretchy!

I dabbled with yoga for a few years, going to classes once every couple of months. Years after my first class, I began to experience some pretty intense anxiety, and tried all sorts of things to help alleviate it. A friend at the time suggested going more regularly to yoga, and I bought a pass at the Open Door Yoga Studio in Vancouver. Really committing to going two or three times a week was amazing and really helped ease my anxiety. From then on I was hooked! I really understood that high you get after an amazing class.

I have taught Yin, Hatha and Flow (both slow and more challenging). My preference at this time in my own practice is a slower flow - I really enjoy moving through poses with an emphasis on breath, but at a slower pace than a higher energy flow class. My intention as a teacher is for people taking my classes to feel into their entire bodies, to relax into their bodies, and find energy and activation within that softness and relaxation. I also like to bring a sense of spirit and play into my classes. I would recommend anyone that likes to focus on breathe, and be both challenged and find relaxation to try one of my classes.

I first started yoga in 1998 when I was experiencing low back pain. From that point forward yoga became a daily part of my life. I immediately felt the physical, emotional, and psychological benefits from practicing yoga. From there it became my spiritual path.

My first training was in Ashtanga Yoga, and my subsequent trainings were in Hatha, Prana Flow, Kundalini, Yin, and Tantra. I've trained in Canada, the USA, and India. Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa has been my most influential Kundalini Teacher. Kundalini Yoga has been my inspiration for integrating a lot of pranayama and mantra in my classes, and Yin Yoga has been my inspiration for maintaining energetic awareness.

Currently I teach Kundalini Yoga and Yin Yoga, and both are infused with Tantra. My intention as a teacher is to give an experience of Infinity, elevate consciousness, and increase our conscious connection to Bliss - our essential nature.

Yoga keeps me connected with mySelf. It helps me continue to appreciate and honor this body temple every day. It is a gateway to being present with and fully knowing the light and the dark. Yoga brings the unconscious into clarity, and the small mind in right relationship with Consciousness and Energy/Shiva and Shakti. Yoga connects me with Kundalini Shakti, my life force, my sexual force. Yoga keeps me sourcing energy from the Infinite.

My name is Tianne and I am thrilled to share yoga with you. As a fully accredited Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist and Athletic Coach, I offer you extensive experience and knowledge. I have also seen first-hand just how powerful yoga can be. Whatever you are experiencing, take it to the mat. Yoga can transform illness to health, injury to strength, and anxiety to joy. Yoga does this by working on all aspects of our being – physical, mental and emotional – bringing us to a place of health, wellness and joyful vitality.

Life is an ever-changing kaleidoscope of experience and as such I have been drawn to different styles of yoga to help address different needs. Power Yoga keeps the body strong and fit. Hatha and Restorative Yoga helps relax and stretch the body from head to toe. Therapeutic Yoga helps address specific health challenges. I am excited to share what I have learnt along my journey, and look forward to helping you achieve your personal health and wellness goals.

Alyssa Jean has been teaching yoga for 11 years, prenatal yoga for 6 years and has been a certified doula for 5 years. Yoga and Motherhood are tightly interwoven for her - it was meditation and later the asana practice that brought her comfort during such a rapid period of change into motherhood. Since then she has been dedicated to supporting families through her love of music and yoga. She currently teaches prenatal, mom and baby, toddler yoga classes, and sing-along music classes and is also apart of the doula program at Pacific Rim College, providing yoga as a labour and delivery tool. She believes that community is of utmost importance, including parenthood, and she believes in the healing power of playfulness for ourselves and our little ones.

My first Yoga class completely rocked my world, in all the best ways. I had never felt so relaxed and centered my mind focused on only one thing Yoga! As an adrenaline seeking, type-A personality this was miraculous. I left feeling like I was walking on a cloud. I clearly remember saying to my friends, “I’m going to do Yoga forever!”

My first teacher training (300 hours) was heavily Iyengar influenced I then pursued my Advanced Yin Yoga Certificate (500 hours) and most recently, I completed my Yoga Therapy Training (800 hours) at Ajna Yoga College. Additionally, I have studied Traditional Chinese Medicine and several Bio-Medical courses at Pacific Rim College to augment my Yoga Therapy practice.

I teach Therapeutic Yoga with a focus on Back Pain, I'm a Yin Yoga expert. I also love and teach Restorative Yoga and Meditation.

My classes will appeal to creative types, people who likely don't think they are 'yoga people' or don’t feel at home in mainstream Yoga Circles. The Rebels, Misfits, the Underdogs, the Introverts, Geeks, and Bookworms. Also, those who suffer from Back Pain, and folks who aren’t human pretzels.

Yoga has helped me unravel years of chronic neck and back pain. My Yoga and meditation practice has, and still does, help me show up in the world more patient, loving and kind. My yoga practice has given me the time, courage and skills, I need to heal and grow and change even when life gets messy.

My areas of expertise: I teach Back Pain Yoga, Restorative Yoga and I am a YinYoga Expert.

Jeff Lichty is an avid adventurer and thoughtful seeker of truth and wisdom.

Sixteen years as a critical care paramedic along with his pre-existing existential inclinations led him to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga and the direct study with Sri K Pattabhi Jois and Sri R Sharath Jois. He has traveled to India over 17 times to study directly with the masters of Ashtanga Yoga.

Authorized to teach the practice by Guruji and Sharath in 2006, Jeff has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga full-time in Canada and internationally.

Former co-founder and director of Ashtanga Yoga Victoria, he recently relocated to Calgary, Canada. The Calgary Ashtanga Yoga School now provides a space for a thriving community of practitioners, and Jeff continues to infuse the city with the dynamic & practical teachings of Ashtanga Yoga.

Jeff is approachable and practical in his teachings. He has a real talent for expanding the ordinary definitions of yoga beyond the reach of our current body centric-culture and revealing how these practices powerfully penetrate into all areas of life.

He is an excellent resource for lifestyle coaching and personal transformation.
His teachings lead us to the pursuit of our highest selves.

I was introduced to yoga in the early Eighties as a means of alleviating insomnia that I had experienced from infancy. This introduction to Yoga Nidra meditation not only helped me finally get a good night sleep but it opened the door to a life long study of yoga and its traditional Eight Limbs. Over the years I have taken many hiatuses from yoga but have always found my way back, because yoga works.

I teach what I have learned over many years of practice and study under many amazing teachers and masters of yoga. I have tried every style or lineage available to me. I teach what I choose to practice based on what has worked for me. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to different styles of yoga over the years to combat different difficulties I have faced such as; ADD, dyslexia, chronic insomnia, migraines, asthma, serious allergies, depression, poor digestion, general health issues and sports insures. Over the years different teachers have introduced different techniques to eradicate problems which plagued me. To put it simply if it worked for me, I teach it to my students. I have been fortunate to study in-depth the tradition of the Eight Limbs of Yoga and am humbly trying to pass this system on to my students.

Yoga brings balance and inspiration to me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Yoga is a Sanskrit word most commonly translated to yoke, bind or union. To me it is the union of breath, body and mind and when we find this union life becomes easier. We are healthier, happier, and we learn how to prioritize which brings contentment.

Jennifer is a mentor, educator, writer, and recording artist who lives to help others tap into the Yoga of rest, sleep and dreams.
Her work connects individuals to that power.
She spends her days sleep/dream whispering and coaxing magic from insomnia and burnout.
She specializes in helping honor tired-ness and exhaustion as a sacred portal into one's depth of worth and love.

Mindfulness is an ancient Buddhist concept dating back 2600 years. It can be defined as the ability to observe thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations in the present moment with an accepting orientation (Spijkerman, et al., 2016, Clinical Psychology Review, vol. 45).

A carefully cultivated mindfulness practice can serve as a non-medical remedy to suffering. A recent summary of 142 clinical trials found the most consistent evidence for depression, pain, smoking, and addictions (Goldberg, et al., 2018, Clinical Psychology Review, vol. 59).

Developing a mindfulness practice helps to find new ways of coping with physical and emotional obstacles; generate compassion for ourselves and others; greet uncertainty with courage and patience.

I live in Victoria (British Columbia) and teach mindfulness-based practices in community, workplace, and geriatric care settings. I also offer bedside visits, interment of ashes, and celebrations of life.

Erica took her first yoga class in 1996 as a student at the University of Victoria. The once-a-week class did not feel like enough, so she began her home practice, adding to her day the few poses she could remember through the week. She continued off and on with yoga through the years, and after her daughter was born in 2007, went back to the studio to practice Bikram yoga with others. Within a year, she was reading yoga magazines and running her own 'teacher dialogue' in her head as the teacher at the front of the room lead the class. It was clearly time to become a teacher herself.

Erica's classes are alignment-based and include many therapeutic routines for specific areas of the body. Her students always share that they have more insight into poses after her classes than with other teachers and that they learn about their bodies in her class. Erica is heavily influenced by Noah Maze and Jill Miller. Erica's mission as a teacher is to bring you ease - ease in body, mind and spirit. She specializes in tailoring practices for professionals that target the needs based on their field and how they use their body for hours each day working.

Yoga came into my life when I was a professional dancer in New York, and it was my saving grace after an ankle surgery ended my career. Through the practice I found Yoga Therapy, which has been the heart of my career for the past 10 years. Now as a clinical counsellor I see yoga practices, including breath work and meditation, as a part of a well-rounded self-care practice.

My teaching is inspired by my work as a therapist, my interest in embodied mental health, and the teachings of mindfulness and self-compassion. What inspires me to teach in the way I do are the students and clients who show up to class as a declaration of their worthiness for self-care.

My teaching style has evolved over the years. In my 20’s I was excited to teach advanced postures and the spirituality of the practice, but in the current season of my life what I am most interested in is supporting people in exploring their embodied experience with non-judging awareness. My style is trauma-informed, steeped in mindfulness, and emphasizes a connection with one’s breath and body.

Yoga, breath work and meditation are opportunities to nourish my body and mind, connect with my breath, slow down and manage stress.

When you practice yoga, there are no “should’s” and there is nothing you HAVE to do, other than take care of yourself. You always have permission (without apology) to rest, come out of poses early, modify, adjust and change the practice so that it serves you and your body. The most important parts of the practice are invisible - your inner experience, your relationship with yourself, your mindful awareness, and the practice of self-compassion.

Jennifer Pritchard is the pioneer, senior teacher and kirtan singer at Victoria's longest running Ashtanga Studio and Mysore Program, The Yoga Shala . Jenni established The Yoga Shala in the fall of 2002 upon her return from yoga training with Guruji in Mysore, India. Jennifer is authorized by KPJAYI, and is an E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) with the Yoga Alliance.

She has been exploring yoga most of her life as her mom started her yoga explorations in the 70's. She has been a dedicated Ashtanga Vinyasa practitioner for 13 years and was introduced to Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Primary Series in 1997 at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, and again with Nancy Gilgoff in 2001, in Victoria. Nancy Gilgoff is the first certified female student of Guruji's and encouraged Jenni to attend David Swenson's YTT in Vancouver in the summer of 2001, sparking a serious interest in Ashtanga Yoga.