That Yoga Place

My yoga journey started out as purely physical practice for me, as it does for many. It made me feel great and look great and it made me stronger and more flexible. Yet, as time went on, I began to notice a subtle shift in my mind as well, a sense of calmness in a yoga class that would follow me out into my day. It was as though there was more space created in, not only my body but my mind and heart as well. There were less struggle and more acceptance, less judgment and more compassion, less doing and more being. The impact on myself and my family was profoundly positive and I made the decision to become a yoga teacher to deepen my experience and share that experience with others.

I was an elementary, special needs teacher for many years prior. When my youngest child was born I chose to stay at home with my husband and children and devote more time to the important things in life, but I missed teaching. I also knew in my heart that I wanted to share yoga with others, so when the opportunity came up to take my teacher training at That Yoga Place, I did it! How brilliant to be able to combine the two things I love to do – teaching and yoga! And how awesome that I would be able to do it so close to home, at my favourite studio! I am so grateful for this amazing adventure I am on and this opportunity to share yoga with others! I love the fact that yoga is a never-ending journey of self-discovery with no particular destination and I look forward to the next leg of my journey!

Namaste!

Connie has been practicing yoga for 10+ years and began teaching in 2012. She started off her yoga career teaching pre-natal yoga which set a strong foundation for offering gentle and beginner yoga classes. She learned how to modify and adjust poses to suit all bodies in a pain-free way. 6 ½ years later she has built up a strong practice and reputation for teaching challenging vinyasa style classes. Connie has also developed a unique yoga training background that includes Ashtanga, Power, Yoga for Youth, Yin Yoga, Yoga for Athletes and more. Connie has had the opportunity to train with and attend numerous workshops with many international and local yoga teachers. Connie believes that in order to be a great yoga teacher you need to experience the knowledge from a variety of teachers yourself. Everyone has something to offer and will influence you in some way. Connie hopes that she will be the next teacher to positively influence you on your yoga learning journey. Namaste!

My yoga practice emerged on a cold winter day in 2008 when I was desiring some form of physical activity but did not want to venture outside into the bleak, cold, Edmonton winter. I cannot even remember how I had heard about yoga, and it just seemed the right thing to do at the time, and before I had realized it, I began practicing in front of my computer, following along to yoga podcasts and videos online, before venturing out to my first yoga class.
Like so many, with my first class of yoga, I was hooked and have since then thrown myself into the philosophy, mysticism and physical practice of yoga. It has allowed my mind to slow to a brisk walk, and at times even become still within the meditation that flows from the asana practice. My body, with the exception of my hamstrings, has opened up on so many levels, and with the joy of flowing from one asana to another, a simple humbleness has evolved within my being. Diet, relationships, energetic levels, positivity, openness within the community, awareness of space being occupied, of the breath, the list of benefits of a yoga practice is endless. And it continues to amaze me every single day.
In October of 2012, I journeyed to Rishikesh, India and achieved my 200HR teacher training in Akhanda Yoga under the guidance of Yogrishi Vishvketu. India opened my eyes to the spiritual and physical level, as I became overfilled with gratitude for the experience, and for the blessings within my own life. I also met a very kind Yogi named Yogi Uday, who would run a little sweets and treats project out of the office at Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram, which is where I was doing my training. I became quite attached to the sweets and treats and was overjoyed and honored to be invited into the project known as Yogi Yum Yums. Yogi Yum Yums is a project that involves making delicious sweets and treats that are all-natural, raw and organic, and any profits made go back towards some children in India, helping to take care of their medical, educational, and transportation costs. For more information or to order a cookbook, please email yogiyumyumsyeg@hotmail.com.

Daria started practicing yoga in her late twenties and throughout her life always being a competitive athlete in horseback riding and training horses, yoga was not something that came really easy to her. It was and sometimes still is a struggle to overcome the powerful ego inside and surrender, surrender to the beauty of the yoga practice and the stillness of the mind through meditation. In her early 30s, Daria started teaching yoga in Austria, her home country. In 2014 she made a life-changing decision to marry her soul mate and move with her horse to Canada – this is when she became fully devoted to teaching yoga and practicing JSJ-acupressure at her home practice at Wizard Lake. Ashtanga yoga and yin yoga practice are the two styles that make Daria complete and feeling at home wherever she might be: teaching retreats or workshops in Europe or across Canada. In her own words, the most important is: “It is the true inner smile from the inside out, from the soul, from the heart that makes every day simply fantastic! Be in the NOW and enjoy every moment…just BE!”

I’ve been practicing yoga since 2008. I’ll never forget that first class, a friend had been trying to get me to go with her. After saying forever that yoga wasn’t for me I finally went. Turned out yoga was and is totally for me. Physically, mentally, emotionally. Its been life-changing. I spent the next 7 years practicing, learning, growing. In 2015 I decided I wanted to further my own practice and share it with the world and took my first teacher training. Since then I’ve tried my best to share what I know with the world, literally. Teaching classes, and guiding retreats in Canada, Mexico, and Southeast Asia. I’ve also made a point of continuing to learn from some pretty amazing teachers from all over this amazing world. I’ve had the pleasure of practicing and learning in over 12 countries and 5 continents, a list that will continue to grow. I have graduated with additional teacher training in Rocket yoga, Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) yoga and as a Paddle Canada instructor. I still lead retreats - or as I like to call them - Adventures. Combining my love of the outdoors, yoga, mountains, ocean and sharing all of that with all of you. See you on the mat!

I began my yoga practice journey in 2011, seeking an alternative to high impact sports, weight training, and other similar activities.  As a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and Certified Child & Youth Care Counsellor (CCYCC) within the Province of Alberta, accessing yoga and other wellness programming regularly is one of the reasons I became a yoga teacher in 2017.

My yoga philosophy has always been to provide yoga & wellness for every Body-Mind-Soul; providing opportunities for unique yoga classes to build on one’s yoga practice or learn something new on and off their mat. I am also bilingual in French, and love to practice and teach in both languages.

I am an RYT-200: Registered Yoga Teacher (2017) with the Yoga Alliance and am trained in the following capacities on and off my yoga mat:

~ RCYT: Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance (2020)

~ RPYT: Registered Perinatal Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance (2020)

~ Level 3 Reiki Practitioner (2018)

~ I also love to provide yoga classes with the following focus: Ahkanda Yoga, Family Yoga, Kids Yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Reiki Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Animal yoga, and many more as I continue to expand on my yoga practice & learning on and off my mat!

I cannot wait to see you on your mat!

Soham | Namaste

I am a daughter, sister, wife, and mother. I have 2 beautiful children, one fur child and a love for life and all of its journeys. I love to see people smile, grow, change and discover! I am passionate about yoga, friends, family, nutrition, nature, skiing, a good book, and finding ways to challenge my body.

My love for yoga began to blossom a few years back. I was looking to find a deeper connection within myself. My practice quickly deepened. After some time, I began to feel the benefits and grow profoundly in many aspects of my life. My entire world began to shift as I fell deeply in love with my own practice and noticed growth and balance in many areas of my life.

I began to feel a very strong urge to share the practice of yoga with others and made the decision to take my 200hr yoga teacher training. I am now very excited to share what I know with others in hopes of helping other people find the many benefits of yoga. My mission as a teacher is to give others the opportunity to grow, find balance, build strength and feel the gift of life in every breath and in every moment.

I’ve always had a love for health and fitness, so much so, I had obtained various certifications. Over the years, I found myself incorporating more and more yoga into my wellness regimen.

My yoga journey started as purely a replacement for the frequent need for therapy visits/treatments for old injuries I had sustained in the past. I found by incorporating yoga into my weekly routine that I started to see the chiropractor and physiotherapists less and less. Over the years I have not only noticed the physical changes and benefits from practicing yoga, but also the mental and spiritual connections I have made within myself and from my yoga and meditation practices a mind, body, and soul connection. That is what compelled me to take my 200-hour yoga teacher training at That Yoga Place in 2016. Since completing my teacher training, I feel so passionate to motivate and inspire others. I look forward to teaching and learning alongside my students.

My hope is to create a balance for my students physically, mentally and spiritually. To help them look inward and see what has always resided within themselves. I hope to motivate and inspire students to feel physically strong, confidant and mentally sound. My goal is to increase flexibility and have students leave class feeling more balanced overall in their body, mind, and soul.

I am so excited and grateful to be teaching at my favourite studio (That Yoga Place). I feel so at home here and have such a love for this studio. I’m looking forward to the journey ahead.

Quotes:
“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” ~ Maya Angelou
“The answers truly are within us all and with time and practice the answers will come to light.” ~ Kristina Magee

Some words of positivity and inspiration to hold close to heart and live out:

Love
Acceptance
Light
Compassion
Kindness
Happiness Laugh
Trust
Courage
Dream
Inspire
Truth
Balance Encourage
Believe
Creativity
Patience
Forgiveness
Gratitude

My yoga practice began 3 years ago when my best friend convinced me to join her in a 6:00 am hot yoga class. I was very apprehensive at first and actually thought she was a little crazy but as soon as I stepped into the room I was in love. Yoga started out first as a physical practice for me where I didn’t think too much about the mental and spiritual side to it – all I knew was that I loved the way I felt during class. As my practice deepened, I noticed that my yoga came off the mat and into my life with me. I noticed myself becoming calmer and able to move through my day less affected by the difficulties of life. Yoga has changed me in so many ways and has affected how I view myself, the world, and it has affected the relationships I have with others. I look forward to sharing my practice with you and to help you find your practice on and off the mat.

A friend of mine asked me to take a hot yoga class in 2013 and my life changed forever. I fell in love with the yoga practice, I was hooked! It was a challenging practice, I could not touch my toes or hold a plank, but through steady practice, I became stronger and developed flexibility. I was able to accomplish things with my body I would have never thought possible. I created a new level of awareness in my body that I never had before, it was like I was living in a completely new body both physically and mentally. In the combo of breath and movement, I felt like I was doing a dance that allowed me to escape my problems in the outside world. I found that if I truly was focusing on my breath and the movement I could not focus on anything else. That presence brought forth a better headspace so I could handle stressful situations with a sense of calm both on and off the mat.

In 2014 I sought to deepen my knowledge of my practice by signing up for Empowered Yoga’s 200 Hour Teacher Training where I studied with Danielle Murray, Michelle Theoret, and Bonnie Parkes. I later also attained a 50 Hour Yin training with Joe Barnette, along with further training in Anatomy, Restorative Yoga, and Yoga for Athletes. I love to teach a fun, strong, and breath-focused class that pushes you to your edge, but you can find a sense of ease within each posture. No matter the level of the student I hope to make everyone feel welcome and encouraged. I love the practice of yoga. It’s my true passion, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to share the knowledge I have of the practice while learning new things every day from my students. It’s truly an honor to have each of you in the class, where we can all learn, breathe and practice together. Thank you for being here and I hope to see you on the Mat! Namaste.