ERYT 200, M Ed. In Counselling Psychology
I received my yoga teacher training in 2015 after realizing how valuable yoga was in helping with people’s emotional and mental health. I have been a mental health counsellor over 14 years, mostly helping at risk youth and families who suffer from different types of mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, trauma, etc. I came across yoga used for people with trauma and began to see how valuable using the body was in conjunction with therapy. I received my 200-hour yoga teacher training at Karma teachers, a by-donation yoga studio in the Downtown East Side, with an emphasis on training people to use yoga for people with trauma, addictions, and people in need of connection and community. Personally, I also found yoga as a great anchor for both fitness and mindfulness, especially after I was in my own car accident and having a chronic neck injury in my path to healing and dealing with grief and loss. What I have come to realize is that no matter what challenges life brings us, there is healing and peace in understanding how to use our minds and body to move forward.
In my spare time I am a hiker, rock climber, and all around nature lover who loves animals, family and good food. With a background in Vinyasa, you can expect my hatha classes to be combination of strength, movement and fun, with physical and emotional safety for all levels, and an element of curiosity of our mental processes. In my therapeutic classes, there will be emphasis on how to use yoga and mindfulness to help with emotional or mental challenges and create more resilience and self compassion in dealing with hard times.
I have trainings in various mental health/yoga programs:
Therapeutic yoga for trauma, resilience, and emotional well-being
Y12SR for addictions – yoga of 12 step recovery
Applied polyvagal theory in yoga
Mindful self compassion