Lotus Soul Gym

Instructors

Yoga has been a major influence in Henri Ferguson's life for 25 years. He took his teacher training with Sandra Sammartino from Kairos Yoga Centre in White Rock, BC as well as Sapta Yoga teacher training with Sushil Bhattacharya in Pokhara, Nepal

Henri personifies his values and beliefs; taking his life experience and understanding of yogic and Zen philosophy into each class to facilitate student's efforts toward self realization and empowerment. His eclectic and holistic style of yoga is energetic and healing, with emphasis on core strength, flexibility and mindfulness.

Henri is also a Licensed Massage Therapist trained at Crestone Healing Arts Centre in Colorado, USA

I have been an avid Yoga practitioner for many years and am a certified Yoga Instructor. I'm a mother of two, a sister of two, a wife, a daughter, a friend and a student of life. I have traveled all over the planet and watched the sun rise and set over many different oceans. I've had lots, and I've had nothing, and I still can't tell you which is better. I love to cook and I love to laugh. I still make mistakes but I am learning...

I believe that goodness is innate and I strive to recognize it in myself and others everyday. I still wish on the first star every night.

I began my training as a certified Doula through the Optimum Birth Care Centre in Brisbane, Australia and learned a lot. I gave birth to both my children at home and learned more about the birthing experience than any text book could ever reveal. I believe yoga is the great metaphor for life. .. holding- releasing, holding- releasing ...searching for balance, reaching for stillness, finding connection, merging and becoming whole...

This is the road we are all traveling on. This is Life. This is Yoga.

My journey as a yoga teacher is a beloved undertaking that has enriched my life experience in a profound and lasting way. After many years of practice, I ventured to India to further my studies in an ashram environment. This experience was deeply life altering, and both challenging and blissful. I completed my teacher training certification in Nasik, India under the tutelage of Sir Vishwar Mandlik at the Yoga Vidya Dham College of India; however it is with great humility that I recognize that becoming a teacher is a life long endeavor. I am committed to continue learning and gathering information on the many ways Yoga can promote health, wellness and vitality.

Laeonie teaches pre-natal, post-natal, restorative and Hatha. Her teaching style and abilities will appeal to a broad range of ages and abilities, including children, seniors, disabled individuals and committed yogis.

Do Yoga. Do life.

Namaste

Laeonie Ferguson

"Yoga Jayanti" is the name that was given to me by my guru Paramahamsa Niranjanananda Saraswati when I was initiated into Karma Sannyas, on the Blue Moon night of July 2007. ‘Jayanti’ means the joy of inner expression.

I studied Massage Therapy in 1999 in Crestone Colarado at the Crestone Healing Arts Center where I began to understand the body both on a physical and pranic level.

In 2004 I studied Hatha Yoga with Diane Donovan at Body Works in the Cayman Islands where I lived from 1997-2004 working as a massage therapist at the Westin Cassaurina Spa.

I later traveled to Los Angeles California where I completed my teacher training, with Bikram Choudhury . And consequently taught for one year at Bikram Yoga Edmonton.

Over the years I have also studied with Sandra Sammartino of Kairos Yoga Center, in Whiterock B.C who has been instrumental in my evolution as a teacher and as a student.

In 2005 I spent a year working as an Educational Assistant at Glen Allan Elementary School, where I began my exploration of Yoga for Kids.

My heart then lead me to Bihar India where I spent a year studying and living at the Bihar Yoga Bharati, home of the worlds first Yoga University. I completed the four-month course in Yogic Studies and then stayed on as a resident where my learning continued in the ancient Gurukul tradition.

My goal as a Yoga teacher and my ongoing commitment to learning as a student of Yoga is to provide tools of self-empowerment to others. To follow the example of my gurus mission and to follow the precepts of seva (service), karuna (compassion), prem (love). I enjoy incorporating my tools of massage and body work, yogic practices, knowledge of Ayurveda (Science of Healing) and spirituality into my teaching style.

Jessica Ferguson

As an experienced guide and instructor, Jai Kairupan integrates the modalities of yoga and fitness to help people reach their goals towards holistic health and wellness. Blending humour and compassion in his teaching methods, Jai offers the beginner to advanced yoga practitioner a challenging yet comfortable area to develop a healthy practice. His yoga teachings integrate breath, posture alignment, strength, flexibility, balance, body awareness, and mind concentration for both an energizing and relaxing experience. He has trained extensively with world-renowned yoga masters in India, Hawaii and North America.

Jai is currently registered as a teacher with the Yoga Alliance, certified with the American Council on Exercise (ACE), Fitness Professional International (FPI) and a member of the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

He has authored the book "SURYA YOGA" - A practical yoga training guide for mind & body health, and has released a "SURYA YOGA" audio CD.

Alex practices and studies raja yoga. She is a dedicated practitioner and teacher. She gently teaches her students classical asana postures, while cultivating awareness for prananyama. Meditation is foundational in her teachings and practices. She believes that the practice of asana is a moving meditation, where one can begin to cultivate awareness of themselves, and begin detaching from the ego.

Hari Om Tat Sat

Annika has been practicing yoga for five years and has experience in hatha, bikram and ashtanga yoga. She took her hatha teacher training at the Yandara Yoga Institute in Baja, Mexico, and is certified through Yoga Alliance.
Annika is also a licensed Occupational Therapist. This background has given her insight into various illnesses and individual abilities. Annika believes that each person is unique and will benefit the most from making each posture his/her own, coming into it from a slightly different angle or mind set. She hopes to use her knowledge of the body to guide others towards a greater self awareness.

Bhavisha was first drawn to Yoga due to the influences it had on the lives of her family members, with several instructors in the fold, the attraction was always there, but the discipline was lacking. Needing to discover the art and lifestyle for herself, she embarked on her journey and once she did, her life changed forever. Certified in Hatha Yoga through the Yoga for Today teacher teaching program in Sherwood Park, Alberta, Bhavisha continues her journey and path to discovery of immersing herself within the practices of Yoga, while developing a greater appreciation for its theories and principles. She brings her energetic yet gentle nature and her calming, relaxing voice to her students in her classes. Bhavisha loves to share the joy, peace and physical benefits yoga has offered her and believes Yoga is for everyone.

Her passion for yoga is in its strength, flexibility, breath awareness and energy, and for the peace and tranquility that lives within the practice. She teaches a series of Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Power and Prenatal Yoga classes (certified through the Seattle Holistic Center).

Cole has been instructing yoga in Edmonton for almost 7 years. His teacher's training was in Koh Phanan, Thailand at the Chakra Yoga Pyramid. He has recently taken yoga on the road to Peru where he incorporates adventure travel with yoga and service projects. www.PlanItAdventure.com

When I began my yoga practice in 2004, my hope was to develop a different type of athleticism. I assumed I would gain strength and flexibility while at the same time de-stressing my life. As a mother of two and someone who actively volunteers in some intense settings, I needed a physical activity that would complement the running I had been doing for several years.

Yoga has certainly offered me those two things and so much more. Physically and mentally, the flexibility and strength I enjoyed as a kid has reappeared. And while we all live with stress, my awareness and approach to managing it has improved my life and is a key element now to being present.

What I did NOT anticipate was the community that is available to yoga practitioners. No matter what our practice is or looks like, whether it’s done in a hot studio, in a cool breeze on a beach or on a cushion, the possibility to connect with another person is infinite. I’ve learned that as we cultivate awareness of who we are and what matters to us, we recognize that everyone we meet, including our fellow practitioners, are on a journey of their own. Sharing that journey can enrich us in unimaginable ways.

Every practice, whether I’m teaching or a student, offers me the chance to move my body and mind in a purposeful way. It is liberating and enlighting to breathe, and stretch and consciously decide to become a pose. I feel it personally and I am privileged to witness it when I teach.

More than the physical practice, yoga provides me the opportunity to acknowledge and accept responsibility for who I am, both my strengths and my weaknesses. It encourages me to be compassionate, loving and open to everyone and everything around me. It is a blessing I want to share, both on and off the mat.

Chantelle McNichol, RYT

In 1999, I was involved in a motor vehicle accident that left me with a debilitating back injury. After many other holistic attempts at relief, my physiotherapist recommended yoga. I lost all flexibility and strength due to the accident and was terrified at the idea of starting yoga. Once I stepped onto my mat, I was astonished at the natural way my body embraced the postures, even backbends. Several years of being a practitioner and focusing on regaining the strength in my back, I enrolled in a teacher-training program to teach others that you can live without back pain. I’m a strong advocate of yoga as a therapy for physical ailments and focus strongly on proper alignment in all of my classes.

“Yoga has brought me the most powerful of gifts; body awareness, calmness, rhythmic energy, inner peace, grace and freedom. Enjoy all that yoga has to offer and accept all of what yoga is…. stillness.”

Clare has been a practitioner of yoga for over 8 years with experience in Hatha, Bikram, Anusara and Ashtanga yoga. She has been studying Iyengar yoga intensively for over 4 years, attending the teacher-training program at the Yoga Studio College of Alberta in 2005 (Certified). Clare holds a certification through the Yoga Association of Alberta (YAA) and is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT) with the Yoga Alliance. She received her Pre-Natal certification in October 2005 from Janice Clarefield at Urban Yoga in Vancouver.

I was doing yoga poses even before I knew it was yoga. I would stretch and pose because it felt good. Now I realize I was doing shoulder stand, plow and back bends. With a background in sports and marathon running, yoga soon became the most rewarding experience for my mind and body. It has been said that people come to yoga through the "Asanas" or physical poses. I am finding out that other amazing self-discoveries are learned through the yoga journey.

Not only do I feel physically wonderful, but I am inspired and excited by what the body is capable of. Inside, I feel calmer and more 'in the moment'. Yoga has a peaceful affect on the mind as well as the body. The stillness of mind and focus on breathing really brings one into an awareness, away from the distractions of daily life.

While traveling India, I discovered a daily Ashtanga practice, studying in Mysore, India at the Shala (Ashtanga Yoga Institute) with Sharath, Saraswati and Guruji; Sri Pattabhi Jois.

To further my curiosity, I explored Iyengar, Ashtanga and Viniyoga Yoga Alliance teacher training certification at Yogaworks Santa Monica, while living in Los Angeles. Exploring new methodologies and modalities opened
my mind and my repertoire for sharing the yoga gift with others.

I call myself an 'aesthetic-to-ascetic', as my career path has been interior design. Yet I have always been more interested in guiding people in cultivating their own 'interior design', through yoga; from the inside, and out.

“Be the beauty that you love.”
~Rumi

My yogic journey started four years ago when I was living in Australia. I timidly wandered into a beginner yoga class led by a beautifully inspiring teacher named Kristy. Over the next couple of years my practice blossomed. An energy and desire started to burn within me. When I arrived home, there was no need for me to consider what I wanted to do for a living, for my calling was obvious: to share Yoga with the world. I completed my 200 hour teacher training with Gaiatri Yoga. The amazing people from Gaiatri helped to spark a sense of wonder inside of me that expands everyday.

In this life there are so many distractions of the mind. I believe if we can turn inward and dwell in the space of our hearts instead of our heads, we will never be led astray; for it is our hearts that guide us to our truth, our passion, and our peace.

"With a new eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and into the very depth of joy, we see into the life of things."
-William Wordsworth

Graham has, throughout his life, been drawn towards the things behind things, and after a foray into the sacred movement of Taoist Tai Chi, began to explore the path of Yoga in 2004, and has been continuously captivated by the blessings, challenges, purpose and harmony that it has brought to his life. Certified as a Yin Yoga Instructor after spending time with teachers in British Columbia and Hawaii, Graham enjoys creating an atmosphere of warmth and stillness in his personal practice, which has allowed him to do so in his classes. Our lives demand such a myriad of mental and emotional calisthenics as we move through each day, and the gift of being able hold space together and let all this silt settle, so that we may see clearly into the warm still centre of ourselves and one another, is one to be cherished. Let's explore together.

I had a hard time to find a balance between my inner self and external world until I met Yoga. As a little overweight young girl, I had tried many other exercises paining to keep fit. But the harder I tried, the worse I felt. Yoga surprised me with the peace and satisfaction I felt after my first class. That was not only because it burned more calories but also I felt released from worrying about my physical imperfections by focusing on the mental practise of each physical pose. Since then, instead of complaining about my overweight body, I learned to feel my body, to appreciate my body. Day after day of yoga practice, I was experiencing how yoga changed my mind and gave me a better life. Keeping fit became a bonus of yoga my practice.

I did the Yoga teacher Training to help my mother's back pain. She was suffering with this pain for more than 15 years. My research focused on Hatha and yin yoga. Yoga did help my mother as well. Then I kept trying to find that balance between physical exercise and mental practice in order to find the balance between strength training and flexibility improvement. My hope is to help people find that balance.

i feel that i have just begun my journey with yoga. i have practiced for over 9 years but the first 5 without much focus or discipline. Attending my first class with Charlotte Smith in 2006 brought together the physical, spiritual and mental harmony i needed so badly; I have been a devoted, disciplined practitioner since then. i love yoga so much that i wanted to help others experience al the joy, focus, balance and stress-relief it has brought me. i became a Yoga Alliance Certified instructor in 2008 and have been on my path ever since.

Kate comes from a dance and gymnastics background which led her into a yoga practice as a teenager over 20 years ago. She became certified as a Hatha Yoga Teacher at Yoga For Life in Toronto in 2002, and brought her experience to Edmonton 2 years ago. Kate also teaches first aid and trains lifeguards. She has a love and a gift for teaching people of all backgrounds.

I began my yoga journey looking for a way to keep my body active and healthy. As I consistently practiced over a 3 year period, I realized that although the asanas are an integral part of yoga, it offers so much more. My sense of wellbeing, the way I was responding to the world, and the ways I was relating to challenges in my life changed in subtle but powerful ways. My desire to learn more about what I was experiencing led me to India. I completed my hatha yoga teacher training certification in early 2009 at Yoga Vidya Dham College of India. After my training I have become an even more committed student, and am continuing my personal growth and learning with Myra Lewin of Maui, working both distantly and in person. Yoga is a practice of being in each moment, and I am continually amazed by the depth and beauty this journey of life offers us. Through teaching pranayama, meditation, and asana, I am blessed to witness my students cultivate consciousness, clarity, peace, and health. I look forward to sharing class with you.

Namaste.

Kelsey Brusnyk

Formally trained and certified at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, Kristine Hagen teaches an egoless practice focusing on the eight limbs with particular attention to alignment, mindful movement, and breathwork. Her classes move beyond the physical aspect of yoga to promote energetic, emotional, spiritual, and psychological wellbeing. In particular, Kristine aims to assist practitioners in developing an objective mindfulness, a deep flexibility towards life, and an openness towards present moment experiencing.

Rather than falling back on rigid thought patterns and unhealthy ways of being, Kristine encourages her students to see through their stories, attachments, and expectations, to make healthy choices on and off their mat. To complement her teachings, Kristine draws upon her many teachers, spiritual mentors, and education in psychology.

Having obtained a Masters in Counselling Psychology, specific training in yoga therapy and trauma-sensitive yoga certification, Kristine is committed to offering classes that will encourage practitioners to move through yoga and life with openness, presence, and connection. Kristine is honored to offer herself in service, give back what has been given, and teach to learn.

Namaste.

After playing team sports for many years, I felt it was time to try something new. Over 3 years ago I stepped into my first yoga class and fell in love. I immediately felt the connection my mind and body were longing for. I became passionate about yoga and took my practice one step further by taking my teacher training. I truly feel that my mat is my haven and I am so inspired and amazed by the many paths of yoga. I am learning everyday and am so grateful to be able to teach and practice in such great community. I look forward to seeing you in class.

Perhaps my teacher training classmates sized me up accurately. They said, Marianne is a monkey. It has been my blessing and my challenge to find ways to harness my abundant energy and enthusiasm. I climbed street lamp posts and trees, paved a path of handsprings down many a grassy patch, and often explored an upside down view of life. Yoga found me about ten years ago in search of a new harness, but it kept me with its grace and grounding.

After many years of practicing Ashtanga yoga and dabbling in teaching friends and family, I embarked upon a formal path of study. Little did I know the sea of yoga is vast and deep and the path is lifelong. I find much joy and healing in yoga, and seek to share my appreciation with whoever might be ready to try something new, or find something new in something old.

Marianne Decore

Meaghan has been teaching children of all ages for the past 10 years as a French Immersion, music and physical education teacher. It is her aspiration to empower others by teaching ways to live fully amongst the daily challenges we all face.

“We all truly can live our full potential; yoga is a pathway to achieve this reality.” - Meaghan

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

- Marianne Williamson from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

I often come back to this quote when I feel a little uninspired. The simple words along with their accompanying truth remind me of the sheer potential of life as it is. I am the luckiest person I know-- my life is filled with radiant, shining people who unfailingly encourage me to shine along with them.

I began practicing yoga after the official conclusion of my basketball ‘career.’ After a lifetime of team sports (soccer, basketball, swimming, track, etc.), I was ready to try something on my own. Ideally, I was hoping to find a physical activity that would keep me fit and work with my busy schedule. I found so much more-- my entire universe expanded! I found my breath; I found my heart; I found my light.

Teaching seemed like a natural progression. Sharing my love of yoga with students is both a pleasure and a profound blessing. I learn so much every time I step on my mat, whether it’s as a student or a teacher.

Ultimately, my toes have become a little more accessible. So have my dreams. If I have learned anything from my practice, it is that life is without limits. Each day is a new opportunity to shine.

I been practicing yoga for over 10 years and instructing for 8 years. I consider myself to be a perpetual student learning from many great teachers and students. I am always continuing to evolve my practice as my life evolves. I have had the opportunity to witness transformation in my own body as well as hundreds of clients and students. I have specialized in elite athlete conditioning working with NHL, WHL and junior hockey athletes, I have explored bodybuilding, martial arts and gymnastics. I am a certified personal trainer and have a degree in exercise physiology. I have experienced many extremes in my body and have studied several fitness practices in depth. I have discovered I am not perfect and I never will be. In life things happen, sometimes they are expected and sometimes they are not. Discomfort is un avoidable no matter how strong, rich or powerful we become. However our resistance to this discomfort is avoidable. In the small space of time between a stimulus (an event) and our response we have an opportunity to make a choice. When we choose to accept circumstances for what they are we become enlightened and grow. When we choose to not to accept them we create resistance. Resistance manifests itself in the body in may ways; Anxiety, fear, stiffness, obesity, upset stomach, constipation arthritis, fatigue and the list goes on.

My yoga practice allows me to let go of my resistance, to give up, to surrender. My practice is not always easy but it is always the truth, a mirror into my life, a direct reflection of where I am at in the present moment. The practice of yoga has woken me up from moments of unconciousness when we loose control. In a difficult pose when I am struggling with every bone of my being to hold on, I go inside with my breath and become aware of my resistance. I begin to feel my thoughts become harsh and angry. I feel myself at war just trying to survive and win at all costs, and then with an exhale I let it go. No judgment. Being a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend is no different, there are moments when we begin to lose control however my practice has given me that option of just simply breathing and being fully present to my thoughts and actions. I believe that physical fitness is about feeling great, not just looking that way. Sculpting, toning and challenging all of your muscles and your mind. As you begin to lose weight you will gain vitality. As you shed unwanted baggage and toxins you will gain confidence in all aspects of your life as you sculpt your ideal body, unleash your true potential and transform your life forever.

I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experience with all of you, assisting you in unleashing your true potential and achieving optimal health. The Truth is there is no magic pill or perfect exercise. Find something that feeds both your body and your soul. I sincerely believe that anybody can accomplish anything they dream, if the intention and willingness is there. It is my goal as an instructor and friend to take this intention and turn it into a reality.

Live an Extrordinay Life,

Namaste,

Michele Theoret

I started my yogic journey in 2005 and began practicing yoga to quiet my mind and sharpen my mental focus. At the time I was pursuing my degree in sociology and I soon found that the stresses of being a student began to fade into the background. I now incorporate yoga into my daily life both through asana and philosophy. Yoga is not only about the postures but how you live your life off of the mat.

In addition to my 200 yoga alliance certification, I have attended a number of workshops to deepen my knowledge of the physical practice as well as my knowledge of the yoga sutras. I have had the pleasure of attending workshops with instructors including Swami Lalitananda, Yogi Vishvketu, David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Rodney Yee, Baron Baptiste and Robert Birnberg.

I strive to create a comfortable and welcoming environment in my classes. I look forward to continually increasing my knowledge of yoga and sharing it with those around me. Yoga has been such a blessing for me and has positively affected every aspect of my life.

Michelle Desnoyers

Nine years ago, I began practicing yoga to complement my training schedule as a competitive mountain bike racer. My introduction to yoga was primarily through the physical practice. With the demands of training, racing, life changes and challenges, I began to wonder what it was about yoga that made me feel so serene and peaceful after class. It was through developing a meditation practice, and studying the philosophical and spiritual sides of yoga that I began to understand yoga beyond the physical practice, and its far-reaching benefits – emotionally, mentally and spiritually. As my practice has deepened, so has my sense of inner stillness, inner space, and compassion. I hope to provide my students with the space and support to re-awaken and cultivate their own sense of inner spaciousness and serenity.

Being an Occupational Therapist, I have developed deep respect for the body, mind and soul, and hope to create a yoga class that can be helpful for all students. In this way, I recognize the great potential we all hold, and the path of yoga as a way to bring us back to our true selves.

Namaste,

Sandy Ayre

Yoga came into my life after my travels to Thailand. The buddhist ways and the easy going feel of the country made me wanna seek the happy, content, and mellow life style. Yoga and traveling have both helped me access these characteristics, and I am so grateful to have discovered this part of me. Yoga allows me to be creative and to explore my body and mind. As well, it helps me to really listen to people and understand what they are trying to say. When Ipracticeyoga, my mind finds a place of quiet, my body enters a stage of euphoria, and I come out of class with the hope of spreading my joy and my passions with the world. When Iteachyoga, I get this amazing sense of accomplishment and glee; I love watching my students walk away feeling calm, with content smiles on their faces and of course, happy bodies.

NAMASTE

I LOVE YOGA....I began my journey 15 years ago. My body was stiff and sore from all the running I was doing. I fell in love with the feeling of relaxation and bliss that followed each yoga class. I completed a yoga teacher training certificate with Ken Stacchan at the Edmonton Yoga Studio. Ken has trained with Iyanger so his style has a strong alignment philosophy. In August 2008, I travelled to Santa Monica to train with YogaWorks Mia Togo and John Gaydos.This experience deepened my love for the flow style of yoga. In August 2009, I returned to Santa Monica to train with Shiva Rea. Her commitment to being in your truth has influenced me to find confidence and contentment in the practice of yoga. I love to use my intuition and training as a healer to inspire my classes. I believe anyone can do yoga. Just put your mat down and enjoy!!!

Sheila

Sherie is a fun-loving and dedicated yogi who has been practicing yoga since 2005. Sherie’s classes are challenging to both the physical and ego-self, to find the beautiful balance between strength and grace in asana (postures).

Sherie is a student first and continues to advance her education of yoga through a daily physical practice, meditation practice, and through following the 8 limbs as ‘guidelines’ in daily life. Through workshops all over North America she has spent time with some very special yogis, including but not limited to Yogi Vishvketu, John Friend, David Swenson, Doug Swenson, Ron Reid, Seane Corn, Ray Long, Sharath Rangswamy, Natasha Rizopolous, Rene Johnson, Dawn Lamothe, Michelle Desnoyers, Paul Broomfield, Danny Paradise, and Baron Baptiste. With the knowledge and love she has received from these teachers, she hopes to pass that along to her students in a loving and safe environment.

Through yoga I have found my truth.

When lost in the mind, the power to fully connect with oneself is washed away on the tide of a chaotic ego. The only place where we have the ability to choose our future, change ourselves, and grow into our potential is in the present moment.

We all have a colour; a vibration of energy that radiates from within and penetrates into the physical world surrounding us. When united in harmony, life can be illuminated to show its true vitality and colour, and we become instruments of the divine.

Conjure your colour, express your song… pure-light is made when all colours resonate as one.

Sophie Fairweather trained as a professional dancer at the Laban Dance Conservatoire in London, studying dance and yoga for four years. After touring internationally with the Taudevin Dance Company, Sophie moved to Edmonton where she taught and performed contemporary dance with Mile Zero. Sophie will also graduate as a Holistic Health Practitioner.

I went to the source of yoga, India and Nepal, for almost nine years, to study it, live it, breathe it and to try to Be yoga. Just when I feel that I have mastered one aspect, I realize how little I really know. That is the challenge and sweetness of yoga. It is never ending. Since 1971 I have taught yoga and later meditation and sacred Buddhist tantric dance in many countries.

Titles and auspicious names have been given to me - probably to test my ego! I believe that we all need a light attitude as we go through life and my classes have a lot of laughter in them. The gentle, steady, penetrating path for me brings flexibility, strength, and awareness, sprinkled with lots of love.

Lately the International Yoga Federation has conferred me with an honourary membership on the World Yoga Council. I am a senior teacher for the Yoga Association of Alberta and happily help others progress on the yogic path and learn how to teach it. Penetrative insight into the body, mind, emotions and spirit is the gift of yoga.

My yoga teacher, Swami Gitananda was a student of the Sleepless Saint, who was written about in the book "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Yogananda. My Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher is Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, who studied with one of the Dalai Lama's teachers. Having been blessed by a number of saints and sages it is now my turn to bless others. I really enjoy teaching all levels and those in my classes work at their own level. Many who come to me have health issues as I am also trained in yoga therapy. We live in a busy world and the wonderful techniques of this ancient practice always help us to better all round health.

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