I first discovered yoga in the early 1990’s when my roommate and I found a class being offered at a local community centre. I was intrigued by the juxtaposition of complexity and simplicity of yoga. I continued a self-led practice off and on for many years before I moved back to Saskatoon and once again engaged in a regular practice with others. For me, yoga has always been a private journey of self-discovery. Having spent most of my childhood and teen years participating in various sports I always thought yoga was more about relaxing and less about being fit, strong or athletic. What I soon realized is that yoga quietly creeps into your body and mind to create an unimaginable level of strength and flexibility.

As a Human Resource professional, I have always been fascinated by people. What makes them tick, what motivates them and how that is influenced by circumstance, activity, education, lifestyle or any other external stimuli. I spent years as a corporate trainer helping others learn and grow in their career, it was always one of the most satisfying parts of my job. I never considered combining my love of yoga and love of teaching until events in my life made me realize how much of a connection there could be.

The loss of both of my parents over a span of just eight months combined with the unprecedented experience of living through a global pandemic made me understand that life is not about surviving – it is about thriving. In order to thrive I decided that I needed to take a more wholistic approach to life. The notion that life can be compartmentalized into baskets we label as work, social, education, health etc. no longer made sense to me.

During my teacher training at IPY I experienced many things but potentially one of the most satisfying was reigniting my love of writing and storytelling through guided meditation. Creating a deep state of relaxation for students through visualization will be a big part of my teaching.