Please take a moment to become acquainted with our teachers, manager and studio directors.
teacher, studio director, teacher trainer
Natalia is co-director of the Uptown Toronto Moksha Yoga studio and co-founder of Moksha Yoga. A deep interest in alternative holistic forms of healing led her to yoga in 1997 after years of dealing with depression and chronic respiratory problems. Her path since then has included teacher training with Judith Lasater (restorative yoga), Ken Scott (partner yoga), Janice Clarfield (pre-natal yoga), and Bikram Choudhury among others. Natalia is certified in Traditional Thai massage, is a trained facilitator in The Work of Byron Katie (non-violent communication), and practices Vipassana (insight) meditation. She most recently attended a Mindfulness Yoga Teaching Intensive at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Currently she is enrolled in a three year program with the Transpersonal Therapy Centre here in Toronto. Natalia has deep interest in the mysteries of shamanic work and homeopathy. Creative pursuits that keep her juices flowing include music, cooking and anything that takes her out of the city and into new cultures. She receives expert instruction on Savasana from her gray cat, Karma and is excited about her new motorcycle riding skills.
Take your knowledge from all sources and braid it together to formulate self-truths.
back to top
teacher, studio director
Felicia comes from an athletic background with a keen interest in the physical functioning of the body. She is trained in Moksha and Restorative yoga. Her passion is her family, the outdoors and of course yoga. Once nick-named the "gentle commander", Felicia is an encouraging and compassionate teacher. She believes that the practice of yoga is within everyone. For some it is more easily accessible and others must dig deeper to find it. Felicia was relatively new to yoga when she discovered the Uptown studio. It was within the "warm" Moksha community that she realized the true healing power of yoga. Her focus was redirected from the physical realm to the amazing effects of the mind/body connection and beyond. She is most grateful for the unexpected growth and limitless strength she has experienced as a student and as a teacher. Each student comes to class for different reasons. Felicia endeavours to be sensitive to individual needs and to gently guide students to a place that feels right for them. Along that path she believes the most effective guide is the smile.
Favorite pose: Canoe Savasana in Algonquin Park
back to top
teacher
A student of yoga for about seven years, Linda has also been a student of her life, eagerly seeking out new experiences and opportunities for personal discovery. She spent about 2 years abroad working, studying, travelling and learning before coming back to Canada to pursue professional studies at the University of Toronto where she majored in Semiotics & Communication Theory. Fascinated by the cultural artifacts of myth and mythology she is currently exploring the work of Carl Jung as it relates to her practice and to the tradition of yoga. You probably won't find it too hard to engage her in a conversation on the mysterious relationship that exists between the mind and body because she is at the moment constantly exploring and playing with this idea in her practice. She is passionate about learning and even more passionate about sharing what she has learned with her peers and students and believes that the study and practice of yoga can lead individuals toward a greater sense of clarity and balance in their lives.
back to top
teacher
Katie has been practicing at the Uptown studio for 4 years; she quickly found the environment and the people as addictive as the yoga. Katie received her teaching certificate from Bikram Choudhry in the fall of 2005. This experience left Katie with the real desire to continue her yoga education by taking the Moksha teacher training. She looks forward to teaching and helping others find balance and harmony through yoga. Katie finds that through the yoga we can see the world and ourselves more clearly. She is grateful to be part of this community of such inspiring and kind people.
back to top
teacher
Ted Grand created the Moksha yoga sequence of postures. In creating the series he drew upon his thirteen years of yoga experience and more than one thousand hours of training in yoga therapy, yoga teaching, and traditional yoga. Approaching this task with patience and tireless research, he modified and perfected the sequence based on the opinions of a wide range of experts and peers in the yoga community. Ted is co-owner of Moksha Yoga Montreal and Moksha Yoga Halifax and is co-founder of Yaletown Yoga in Vancouver, Moksha Yoga Uptown and Moksha Yoga Danforth in Toronto. He has studied teacher training programs under Bikram Choudhury in Los Angeles, Acharya Yoganand Karandikar in Pune, India and with Georg Feuerstein at the Yoga Research and Education Centre in San Francisco.
He has also been fortunate to study teacher training with Janice Clarfield (pre-natal yoga), yoga philosophy with Rod Stryker, Anusara Yoga with John Friend, Iyengar Yoga with Patricia Walden, and Restorative Yoga with Judith Hanson Lasater. Ted feels an immense amount of gratitude to his teachers with every class he teaches and participates in. He works to support beginners as well as more experienced students with finding a path to peace through their yoga. His love of yoga is infectious and can be felt in each and every class he teaches. Ted is also a proud husband and father, an organic farmer, and an environmental/social activist.
back to top
teacher
Kathy Donoghue believes the wellspring of wholeness is fed by practicing yoga. To this end, she left a career in IT consulting and qualified as a Bikram yoga instructor in 2003. She also practices Ashtanga and Thai Yoga Massage and has been fishing since the age of four. She welcomes you to her classes.
back to top
teacher
Roz started practicing Ashtanga yoga back in 1997, in 2000 she discovered Bikram yoga during a visit to New York City. It only took one class for Roz to feel the positive impact of this unique hot yoga practice, soon after she decided to become a certified Bikram instructor and received her certification in 2001in Los Angeles followed by her Moksha certification in 2002. Roz believes that hot yoga has been the best form of physical fitness she has experienced; it works at a very deep level both physically and mentally. Her practice continues to evolve as does her self-awareness. She has been teaching for over 5 years and continues to be inspired by guiding students through the practice and watching their progress. Teaching and practicing yoga helps Roz balance her full time consulting work with health and wellness.
back to top
teacher
A physical workout and 'some sort of stress reliever' was what motivated Don to investigate yoga in the fall of 2000. He randomly picked the combination of yoga and a heated room and within a few classes, Don realized he had entered into a world much broader than he was expecting. His first ten months involved dedicated personal instruction under the guidance of Natalia Brajak. Noticing his passion for yoga ever deepening, he eventually closed his furniture shop to become an instructor, graduating from the Moksha Yoga Teacher Training Program in August 2004. Don spends most of his time taking Life lessons from his 5-year-old son, and is convinced one of the most beneficial asanas is that which is held on a vintage motorcycle traveling across the countryside.
back to top
teacher
Joanne began practising yoga 8 years ago, while completing her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Ryerson University. She has since trained in the Bikram, Moksha and Ashtanga yoga systems. She is ever grateful to the amazing teachers and students who have inspired her along the way, and she has witnessed and experienced the transformative powers of yoga - on and off the mat. When life gets complicated and our minds become cluttered, yoga fosters balance, nourishes our spirits and reminds us to be true to ourselves.
back to top
teacher
Michelle Corbeil found her passion when she was introduced to hot yoga, feeling that heat facilitates amazing transformations that occur within both body and mind. She strongly believes that the path and desired results that lead people to yoga are as varied as each of the unique practitioners. Michelle is grateful to be a part of this community and to be surrounded with such inspiring people.
back to top
teacher
A member of the Moksha Yoga Uptown community since May of 2004, Jessica Lemon has been balancing life as a student and a teacher since receiving her Moksha Yoga certification in 2004. She studies at the University of Toronto and last year completed a year abroad in France where she studied French literature and taught both Yoga and English in the North Western region of Nantes. Love of travel and self-discovery first led Jessica to hot yoga at the age of 18 when she moved to Vancouver to pursue acting. Since then, she has lived and worked in Montreal, Toronto, and London Ontario using her enthusiasm and talent for communication to inspire both French and English communities to explore methods of healing and health through yoga. It is Jessica’s goal as a teacher and student to integrate the desire for growth and evolution with love and compassion. She believes it is through this balance that we will heal the world.
An understanding heart (is) everything in a teacher, and cannot be esteemed highly enough. One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feeling. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.
Carl Jung
back to top
teacher
Searching for a more meaningful and compassionate form of fitness, Marisa found Yoga 6 years ago- and its impact has been incredible. She became a certified Moksha instructor over 2 years ago, trained in Pre-natal Yoga and also works privately with pre-teen and teenage girls. She believes that Yoga is adaptable to everyone, and encourages students to listen to their bodies, work with their breath and not worry so much about a perfect end result. Marisa hopes that through Yoga, her students will be more open to the continuing path toward inner beauty, strength and peace. The journey is boundless and the possibilities, endless.
back to top
teacher
Following more than two decades in varying corporate administrative positions within the winemaking industry, Danny’s growing penchant for wellness and physical conditioning eventually lead him to pursue a career in health and fitness. Shortly before attaining certifications in fitness assessment and personal training, Danny was introduced to yoga while traveling abroad on the island of Kauai. This initial introduction to Hatha yoga piqued Danny’s interest. However, it wasn’t until shortly afterwards, upon his return to Canada, while attending his first Hot Yoga class that Danny experienced a truly cathartic revelation. From the outset, it was clearly evident that the awareness and inter-connectivity that yoga cultivates was an ideal complement to the rigors of conventional fitness. In the summer of 2004, Danny registered and subsequently graduated from the inaugural Moksha Teacher Training certification program consisting of over 800 hours of study. Danny has since studied with many highly accredited teachers including David Life, Paul Grilley, Judith Lasater, Baron Baptiste and John Friend. Danny’s love and passion for yoga grows with every passing day. Danny credits his teachers, students and family for helping him to attain a greater understanding and appreciation of connection, compassion and awareness.
back to top
teacher
Darcy began practicing meditation in 2000. After attending a few Vipassana meditation retreats, the meditation community that she became a part of soon introduced her to yoga. Captivated and inspired by the idea of awareness through movement, yoga has been an integral part of her life since. Upon completing University, she went traveling for a year through South East Asia, New Zealand and Australia. She used much of this time to explore and immerse herself in the practice and study of yoga. It is at this time that she became quite dedicated to the idea of teaching. Upon her return she completed the Moksha yoga teacher training program and has since been a teacher and student of yoga. She has been blessed with the teachings of Judith Lasater, Baron Baptiste, David Life, Sharon Gannon, Rodney Yee, Rolph Gates, and Paul Grilley. She is motivated by the idea that awareness creates choice and that choice creates change.
back to top
teacher
Stephanie Hutchinson has been a hairstylist for the past thirty years, using cardio and weight training to keep fit. She then added yoga to her routine over six years ago to bring a sense of balance to her life. Enjoying yoga and all of its benefits, she sought different forms of yoga until some friends introduced her to hot yoga. She began a daily practice, and after finding better health and improved posture, she decided to train as a teacher. Stephanie trained under Bikram and his senior teachers in Los Angeles and received her certification in November of 2003. She is dedicated to yoga and intends to continue studying so that she can bring a wealth of knowledge to her class and share with fellow practitioners.
back to top
teacher
Kierstin was introduced to Bikram Yoga in 1999, and was immediately hooked. Yoga became a major part of her life, where her heart, body, and mind found a home. Having a deep interest in health, physical and mental, she feels that Yoga is for everyone, and should be available for all. In 2005 she took the Moksha Yoga training in Toronto. Kierstin is so grateful to be a part of the Moksha community, and continues to learn and grow with each class she guides, cherishing all the benefits, mental, spiritual, and physical that yoga brings.
back to top
teacher
Joanne has been an instructor at Moksha Oakville for the past two years. She also teaches part time at the Merton and Richmond Hill studios. Joanne is married with two teenage children. Her oldest is about to return to Halifax for her second year of University and her son is entering grade eleven this fall. Joanne also works part time at her husband’s ski and bike store as the ski-clothing buyer. She enjoys all types of cycling and spending her winter weekends with her family skiing in Ellicottville NY. Joanne started taking ashtanga yoga once a week in a local church basement. After hearing about a new hot yoga studio that had opened on Merton St. she decided to give this a try. After the first week of hot yoga she realized this was a style of yoga she wanted to pursue. Joanne practised Bikram yoga regularly at the Merton studio and was in the process of applying to take the Bikram training In L.A. when Merton announced they were becoming a Moksha studio and there would be a teacher training to follow. After completing the first Moksha teacher training Joanne gradually started teaching in Toronto and Oakville. Joanne plans to continue her studies of Moksha as well as other disciplines of yoga and one day have the opportunity to travel and study in India.
back to top
teacher
Tracy has been guiding students in their yoga practice since participating in the Moksha Yoga teacher training in the summer of 2005. She has also participated in restorative yoga training with Judith Lasater. Previous occupations have included working as a corporate commercial lawyer and a stay at home Mom to her now teenage son and four older step sons. She credits yoga and her many wonderful teachers with creating improved balance, health and awareness in her life and she considers it a privilege to be able to share these possibilities with her students. Through yoga Tracy continues to seek enlightenment, health, compassion and a lower handicap.
“Yoga is the practice of becoming radically present in your life.” Judith Lasater
back to top
teacher
Laura began practicing yoga in 1998 – from its simple beginnings as a way to manage chronic pain and a fiery temper, this once sporadic practice has grown and steadied over the years to become a path for living life with a sense of peacefulness, mindfulness and devotion. A deep-rooted sense of seeking has led Laura to live and travel in many diverse environments, from marginal communities on the islands of Canada’s west coast, to working with adolescent girls in Costa Rica. She has taught yoga in Asia, Canada and the Caribbean, and continues to deepen her study through the practices of asana and Buddhist meditation. Her dreams are to write mile-high piles of poetry on an antique typewriter, to drive a motorcycle across a dusty country, to bring yoga to communities of people who are too-often forgotten, and to roam the world until she’s an old, old woman…looking for beauty in the ordinary.
back to top
teacher
Aura was first introduced to Ashtanga yoga in 1996. It was part of her movement class in the theatre and dance program where she received her Bachelor in Fine Arts. Her love for hot yoga started with Bikram, introduced to her in 2002, which then led her to Moksha and she’s been hooked ever since. Aura carries lightheartedness in her teachings but at the same time challenges each individual to go to their edge. Her training in dance and physical theatre supports her teachings by honing in to proper alignment and use of breath. She has an eye and the touch to support a posture whether it’s for an advance student or your very first class!
back to top
teacher
Heather Elson has been working with children for more than twenty years.
Most recently, she is working on pitching a yoga curriculum to the Toronto District School Board. Heather's kid's classes focus on teaching about yoga with songs, stories, art and creative movement games. She shares Ghandi's belief that if we want peace in the world, we must start with the children, and that is what motivates her.
teacher
Graduating from McMaster University in 2001 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering & Management Adam started his 1st career working as a Project Engineer in the Environmental/Water Industry. He has always had a love of sport and competition, racing on the Canadian National Sailing Team both as a youth and while going through university and later turning to triathlon under the advice of a family friend in 2002. After falling for the sport and the accompanying life style from his first moments in the sport, he set his sights on an IronMan, completing his first IronMan in 2003 @ IM Canada. Since then he has completed 4 IronMans including qualifying for and completing IM Hawaii in 2005.
It was in the middle of his first triathlon season that he first tried yoga. The company he worked for promoted employee health and wellness, and it was here where he first tried Yoga taking an Ashtanga class with Nanci Thacker, of Burlington. The challenge and the physical benefits of the Asana were felt and recognized right away. In the fall of 2004 he took his first Moksha Class (with Colin Matthews in Oakville) … the challenge of the heat and postures, the positive atmosphere and values of the studio, as well as the awesome variety and nature of the people are what continued to draw him back time and time again. Yoga on the whole provided him with a great cross-training tool and complementary activity to triathlon.
Combining Yoga and Sport have helped Adam realize the importance and benefits of wellness. With his mind wandering further and further from his career and more and more towards health and wellness, Adam left his position as an Engineer in 2006 to start his journey towards being a health and wellness promoter and practitioner. In September of 2006 he started a 4 year course at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto. He started leading yoga classes that August after completing the Moksha Yoga Teacher Training in July of 2006 in Toronto.
Adam hopes to use the combination of yoga and chiropractic to promote a self directed way of maintaining and achieving health and wellness.
teacher
After years of struggling with chronic knee, neck and lower back pain caused by playing years of rugby, Hera was destined to have Yoga introduced into her life. In 2001, while working in Chandigarh, India, searching for relief, Hera found yoga. While in India, Hera was fortunate enough to practice under the tutelage of Dr. Binodini Debi of the International Foundation of Natural Health and Yoga. Upon her return to Canada, Hera continued to deepen her practice, which eventually led her to complete the Moksha teacher training in July, 2006. Yoga has not only brought Hera physical relief, but has empowered her with ability to embrace all that life brings with open arms and a deep breath! Currently, Hera finds most enjoyment out of sharing the beauty of Yoga with the teenagers at a local high school where she is a teacher and guidance counsellor.
|
