Yoga is Basha Nemeskeri’s passion! Her goal is to create an open, safe, loving, environment which enables people to grow. She has been teaching yoga for the last 10 years, and has always been guided to serve and to share her passion with others.
She believes that Yoga is a gift that enables us to never stop learning. She has done almost half a dozen teacher trainings and each one weaves it's teachings into the workshops and classes she offers. Basha will often be heard saying that “Yoga is wonderful because it's a never ending University of YOU! It's magical to see the lessons that are unearthed year after year.” The wisdom that she has collected in these teachings is the same that we ALL have, it's what connects us - We practice yoga to remember this wisdom. Her hope is to help people remember how incredible they were designed to feel!

Basha offers classes in Nanaimo, BC where she lives with her family, as well as in Mexico twice a year.

In addition to Pranayama, her classes & workshops often include nature based, seasonally appropriate movement/ayurvedic wisdom/and anatomically guided challenging postures. You can expect to leave classes feeling peaceful, calm, and courageous.

Kimber first found yoga through injury. After she completed 6 months of hiking the Appalachian Trail in 2007, she was pleasantly surprised that she could not only heal her body through the practice, but that she could also find the same peace she could find while hiking mountains through asana.

Kimber did her teacher training in 2011 in Thailand studying Ashtanga Vinyasa with Larry Schultz.

Kimber has spent many years traveling between the US and Canada studying many styles of Vinyasa and teaching both in the US and Canada. Some of her favourite Vinyasa teachers include MC Yogi and David Robson.

It wasn’t until Kimber moved to Ashtanga Yoga Victoria that she really started feeling passionate about staying true to the Ashtanga lineage and the tradition of the practice. She loves the Mysore method and couldn’t imagine life without it. She is fully committed to being a student first.

Kimber is grateful to be a part of the teaching team at Ashtanga Yoga Victoria as well as community building and administrator.

Outside of the shala Kimber enjoys anything in the great wide open. On the weekends you can find her snowboarding, surfing, hiking and camping in the BC Mountains. Her teachings are deeply rooted in the earth and riding your ocean like wave of breath.

Alex Van Tol works with a variety of organizations to guide branding and strategic development, including vision, mission, values and deliverables, and she helps communicate those to their respective audiences through story. She holds a BSc in Psychology and a BEd, taught middle school for 8 years, and has published 14 books. Alex writes for Canadian Business and Douglas, and considers herself fortunate to learn from some of the country’s most esteemed business leaders in her day-to-day work.

Bhavantu Sound is a collective of committed yoga practitioners who use voice and sound to deepen and expand one's relationship with the Self. Ty Chandler, Tia Benn and Christopher Simons are united in their passion and commitment to integrating musical expression and sadhana (spiritual practice). Their music weaves together traditional and contemporary melodies with poignant harmonies. Harmonium, guitar and groove-oriented drums form a foundation for a collective expression of devotion that opens the heart and induces a meditative state of grace. Bhavantu Sound will be joined by fellow kirtan artists Kelly Yaskiw on vocals and harmonium and Damian Finegan on tabla.

Ty is a senior Iyengar yoga teacher and dedicated practitioner since 1989. She has been deeply inspired in her journey by Faeq Biria and by the teachings of Reggie Ray, HWL Poonjaji and Mata Amritanananda Mayi Ma.

Tia has been on the path of yoga and meditation since her mind and heart were blown open at her first Vipassana retreat in 1996. She is committed to music as yoga, a spiritual practice that began with kirtan in 2009. She has studied with Yoga of Sound teacher Russill Paul and is a devotee of Shri Anandamayi Ma.

Christopher dove into yoga asana as therapy for PTSD in 2004 and is deeply grateful to the teachers at Iyengar Yoga Centre in Victoria. In 2012 he met Swami Dayananda Saraswati and has been a devotee of Vedanta (Shankaracharya lineage) ever since under Dayananda's disciples, in particular Carol Whitfield and Swami Vagishananda Saraswati.

Bhavantu Sound is grateful for the opportunity to offer and share kirtan on the traditional territories of the W̱SÁNEĆ and Lekwungen peoples.

Michelle co-founded Ajna Yoga and has been teaching yoga classes in Victoria for 20 years and training teachers for 11 years. She is trained in Hatha, Pre/Post Natal, Ashtanga and Vijnana yoga~where she completed her 800-hour training with Gioia Irwin and Orit Sen-Gupta. She teaches group yoga classes, private yoga therapy sessions and Ajna Yoga’s Teacher Training. Michelle loves to share her passion of yoga with her easy going personality. Her classes focus on alignment, pranayama (breath), and connecting to the divine self.

Susan Kleinschmidt is the CEO of Good Insights Strategy. She helps people get clear about their direction, create high performing teams, improve engagement and build strong organizations with superior results. Most of her work is in the area of strategic planning, organizational effectiveness, corporate culture, executive coaching and team engagement.

Susan started Good Insights Strategy because she is passionate about organizational dynamics and how to make organizations more effective so that they are profitable, stable and that the people that come to work there are productive and healthy. She believes time is precious and loves finding ways to make things more effective, finding better, clearer and simpler ways to get things done.

Susan's why behind what she does...

To radiate and inspire brilliance from a place of love
…and to make organizations kinder and supportive, so people who come to work can do amazing things together, organizations will be more successful and everyone can go home at the end of the day feeling valued, making their home lives more positive.

Andrew has been an RMT since 1992 and is the owner and founder of Applied Somatics Institute. He has worked in health care for the past 32 years, and has worked as an RN and a CCURN, before becoming an RMT, a Hanna Somatic Educator, and a Yoga Teacher. He has been a Yoga Teacher since 2002, and his training includes Somatic Yoga training with Eleanor Criswell, East to West Yoga’s 350 hour teacher training, and Red Door Yoga’s 500 hour teacher training. Andrew is passionate about sharing somatic techniques with clients and practitioners and believes people from all walks of life can benefit from somatics.

“I have personally practiced somatics since 1993, and it has helped me to work through the effects of three motor vehicle accidents, multiple shoulder dislocations, three knee surgeries, and the chronic pain stemming from these incidents.

I have been an RMT for 28 years, working with clients to treat injuries, chronic pain, stress, and for wellness. I have practiced 37,000 clinical somatic seasons with people in acute and chronic pain, and have used somatics to work with scoliosis, hip replacements, vertebra replacements, whiplash, post-surgical procedures, multiple sclerosis, and the elderly. I have taught more than 3500 public somatics classes, many of them to these same acute and chronic pain groups.”

Jules has been training teachers of yoga since 2004 and co-founded Ajna Yoga with Michelle Kahan in 2008. Ajna is was one of the first yoga colleges internationally to be accredited by both the provincial government and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Jules has a special interest in teaching yoga for healthy aging, backcare yoga, emotional balance and injury rehabilitation. At Ajna Yoga studio in Oak Bay, Jules teaches group classes, private yoga therapy sessions and therapeutic yoga teacher training. Her classes are an equal mix of education, therapeutic applications and fun.

Tracy's mission is to provide a respectful, safe, and welcoming environment where students can practice the classical teachings of Yoga in the lineage of Baba Hari Dass, and explore their personal journey of self-discovery. She works to create peace in our world and community, by first creating peace within herself. Creating a sense of calm and peace, and developing an open and compassionate heart and mind, can lead to a strong feeling of acceptance for oneself and community. As a skilled Yoga Therapist, Tracy brings her own style and passion for teaching, allowing for a unique experience in every class.

Mary is the Co-Founder of Mind Into Matter Yoga | Life Coach + Business Advisor

With the spirit of an entrepreneur and the heart of a yogi, Mary lives her purpose of elevating human consciousness through teaching, coaching and facilitating mindful conversations with yogis, entrepreneurs, business leaders, engineers, bankers and some wickedly smart and funny people. Her experience in leader development is based on years of study and training in mindfulness, neural-science, and experiential learning. Mary feels alignment when she is in service of all things wild and natural, including human potential.

Travel is one of her greatest teachers. Yoga is her soul sister. Her philosophy is simple - standing on foreign lands in wildly remote places is no different than standing on the edge of your mat in Warrior Three. They both ask the same thing of you: be here now.

Whether on or off the mat, Mary invites you to share, shed and stretch. She asks you to leave the mat, and the world, better than when you arrived. Mind Into Matter Yoga trainings are for those willing to ask the powerful question, “What does the world need that is uniquely mine to offer?” With her business partner, Fiji McAlpine, she has threaded the synergies between yoga and leadership into all their trainings and workshops. Fiji and Mary know that to be a teacher that others want to follow, self-awareness and knowing your purpose is key to your success.

In Mind into Matter Yoga teacher training or workshop you get to dig deep and explore your own potential in a rigorous and loving practice. You will take with you the courage and the tools to step into your future with intention and purpose. Fiji brings master level asana training and decades of teaching around the world. Mary brings an expansive background in coaching, personal growth and business. It is the yin and the yang, the kettle and the teapot, the teacher is the student and the student is the teacher. Both matter - because it all matters when you want to live a life of purpose.

Sherrice is a wise woman that knows some things! She is a Business & Lifestyle Strategist, Writer & Artist ... mostly a fabulous wife & mother. Dedicated to connecting creators with soulful strategies for their businesses & lives. Sherrice mentors women in business & life through her signature programs Manifesto & Mapping, greatlife design mastermind & Greatlife Retreat. Part business maven part spiritual alchemist. Always looking for the contradiction, the truth and the willingness to be with all of it.

Tamara is thrilled to be back in her hometown of Victoria, to be both a student and teacher at the Victoria Yoga Conference. Tamara attended the conference last year and was touched by the authenticity, support for local teachers, and the depth of community that the conference inspired.

Yoga runs deep in Tamara's history and remains at the forefront of her life as a passionate yoga student, community yoga teacher, school teacher, and parent of two girls (now young adults!). As a young child in the 1970s, Tamara spent time in at the Yasodhara Ashram on Kootenay Lake, immersed within a yoga community lead by Swami Sivananda Radha. Tamara returned to the ashram as a young adult to study in the mid-1990s, living and practicing yoga. Tamara's main inspiration for her love of yoga is her mother, Sharon, who lives in Victoria and is still practicing yoga at age 75!

After teaching community yoga classes in Squamish, British Columbia starting in 1999, Tamara completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training there in 2004. Her style of teaching over the past 20 years has evolved from her roots at the Ashram and through more than 20 years of practicing styles such as Power, Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Ashtanga, Hot, Yin, and Restorative.

As a full-time special education school teacher in New Westminster, BC Tamara also enjoys sharing her love of yoga with children of all ages and diverse learning needs. Tamara is currently teaching yoga to 60+ children a week through a grant funded project called "Building a Mindful Community", which brings weekly yoga classes for the 2019-2020 school year to grade 3 and 4 students in the inner-city school where she is a teacher. Tamara also teaches several weekly power, flow, hatha, and yin yoga classes for YYoga, in Burnaby, as well as in various YYoga studios throughout the Greater Vancouver area. Fun fact...Tamara is currently a completing her Diploma in Special Education through the University of Victoria (online), 25 years after graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from UVic!

The spiritual aspects of yoga and symbolic meaning of the postures bring deeper meaning to Tamara's yoga practice and the style of her classes. Tamara is honored to share her passion and love of yoga with the Victoria Yoga Conference community!

Ms Alice and DJ Rowan are the co-founders of the international sensation known as Bellyfit®. They’re highly acclaimed in Victoria and beyond for their legendary, high vibe movement experiences. Lead by Ms Alice and accompanied by Rowan playing a live DJ set, you're guaranteed to leave feeling fully alive and deeply connected. Alice and Rowan also support a team of hundreds of certified Bellyfit® Instructors around the world and are very excited and honoured to be back at the VYC for the 8th year running!

Renee Lindstrom, GCFP

Renee is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais® Somatic Education Teacher and Practitioner (graduate since 2007), a Nonviolent Communication Facilitator and Empathy Coach (since 2007), an Art of Placement Consultant (since 2000). Passionate about integrating body, mind and spatial awareness she began sharing a Life Coaching and Mentoring Program in 2013 that includes walking an ancient Labyrinth Pathway. She has found that the meandering pathway complements the experiential integration and learning aspects of waking to intention and how attention goes to where one is focused. The walking reflection of a Labyrinth compliments Awareness through Movement, Awareness through Communication and Spatial Awareness patterns.
The following are service marks or certification marks of the Feldenkrais Guild of North America: Feldenkrais®, Feldenkrais® Method, Awareness Through Movement®, Guild Certified Feldenkrais TeacherTM, and Guild Certified Feldenkrais PractitionerTM.

Dr.Tanya Gee is a veteran Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with over 24 years of practice. She is dedicated to the principles of Service, Devotion, Compassion and Love. Best described as a storytelling intuitive doctor of TCM who laughs out loud every day and inspires everyone to be the most optimal version of themselves. Dr.Gee is also a worldwide lecturer/educator, philanthropist, Canadian coordinator and active Board Member for Pneuma Institute Foundation: a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of ancient wisdom of the Q'ero Holy people of Peru and the Tibetan Buddhists residing in India. ." ... May all beings be happy, May all beings be joyful, May all beings be peaceful. ~ Buddha ~ "

Peter Sterios is an international teacher, author, and architect based in San Luis Obispo, CA. He is the founder of MANDUKA® and creator of LEVITYoGA™. He taught yoga at the White House for First Lady Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity programs, and in 2018, was invited to the Pentagon to share yoga’s therapeutic effects with the US Marine Corps. His new book “Gravity & Grace” by Sounds True is available at leading booksellers. For more, visit www.LEVITYoGA.com.

Pilar Munoz is a seeker of truth. She believes that what we desire the most is to see our wholeness and to connect intimately with one another in this world – to see each other fully. She believes it begins first with yourself.

Pilar teaches from a place of curiosity and humor. You are encouraged and challenged physically, mentally and emotionally to showing up fully! Grounded in knowledge of the heart and love, Pilar’s gentle and mindful guidance through postures creates safety for each and every student to intimately connect with their breath. This is the ultimate experience of life. She encourages students not to miss out on any part of their lives: the light and the dark and all the spaces in between.

She is joined on this journey by her two beautiful children who are both her teachers and allies.

Pilar’s trainings include: Modo Level 1 (2011), Yin (2014) and Vinyasa Flow (2014).

Pilar represents VYC Studio Partner Yoga Lab Victoria

Fiji McAlpine is one of the founding yoga teachers featured on the website doyogawithme.com, an internationally-renown site offering quality yoga instruction, for free, to users around the world. Her online popularity has grown significantly over the years, giving her global reach in the online platform, and has allowed her to offer frequent guidance to thousands of students each week.
In addition to the online offerings, Fiji is a co-founder and lead trainer for the Mind into Matter Yoga School. Fiji teaches alongside Mary Prefontaine, a pillar in the world of leadership, coaching, and emotional intelligence. The two women have crafted a unique 200hr program certified by Yoga Alliance, from which graduates emerge grounded in their purpose and confident in their ability to lead on and off the mat.

Violet's journey of personal awareness started 30 years ago including meditation and yoga. She was introduced to Somatics in 1994 in her first year of training to become a Registered Massage Therapist. Through her experience she realized how effective Somatics was for relaxing the nervous system, releasing tension, decreasing muscle tension and pain and eliminating headache frequency. Her formal exploration and education in Clinical Somatics and Somatic Movement began in 2004 with Applied Somatics and concluded in 2010. Since 2009 she has been teaching weekly classes in Somatics and Somatic Yoga at Duncan Wellness Centre. In 2013 she began working as a teacher’s assistant at Clinical Applied Somatics trainings and co-created the Somatic Yoga training offered by Applied Somatics Institute. At Red Door Yoga in Nanaimo she attended the Yoga Fitness Leader, RDYT200 hr and RDYT 500hr, completing the training in 2013. She is passionate about helping students and practitioners learn Somatic education, theory and techniques so they can support their clients in their healing journey. Our 'Soma' is our body experienced from within - 'when I withdraw the senses and experience from within, I experience a profoundly deep relaxation and sense of peace.'

Rowan has been djing for nearly 20 years, and is an avid promoter and advocate for conscious dance music in Victoria BC. He has played at clubs, events and festivals up and down the west coast and most notably performed at Oregon Eclipse 2017 with his wife and business partner Alice Bracegirdle. Together, these two artists and partners run Bellyfit, where he is musical director, putting together all the mixes used by the hundreds of Bellyfit instructors worldwide.

Regina is offering Yoga Therapy group classes and workshops in the Greater Victoria area and offers private yoga therapy sessions as Centre Balance. She supports people living with neurological and neuromuscular conditions (MS, PD, ALS, PLS) and persistent pain. Her gentle, genuine and deeply caring approach supports people’s self-awareness and self-care. She believes in empowering participants through gentle strength combined with nourishment that allow for transformation of mind and body.
Regina has taken specialty training in Yoga Therapy for Pelvic Health which can help with conditions of the pelvic region like pelvic floor dysfunction, pelvic and lower back pain, organ prolapse, incontinence, constipation, prostatitis and more. She collaborates with Pelvic Health Physiotherapists and has now joint the Ajna faculty in teaching the pelvic floor portion of the Back-Care training module.
Regina is teaching group classes in the greater Victoria Area at Ajna Yoga in Oak Bay, Saanich Commonwealth Place, Vic West Community Centre and Esquimalt Rec Centre. She is a graduate of the Ajna Yoga Therapy Diploma program and has also studied with teachers from the Sivananda tradition, the Bihar School of Yoga, and Integrative Yoga Therapy. Previously, she was teaching Ayurveda in a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Program in the NWT.

C-IAYT (Yoga Therapist), CYA-RYT GOLD, Ayurvedic Wellness Councillor, MA

Linda Hunter has spent more than 35 joy filled years as an independent writer, published author, and professional event planner. Dedicated to service and open to possibility, she aspires to walk a path of grace.

Linda’s newest blog, “LOVINGLARGElivingsmall.com” introduces readers to her latest adventure, communal living; designing a shared life with her husband and grown children in Shirley, BC.

Linda’s passion for life also includes a passion for death; volunteering in Palliative Care at Saanich Peninsula Hospital, as an active member of the Victoria Holistic Death Care Community, and as co-visionary of the annual Deathly Matters Conference, a one-day community conference that invites engaging perspectives on death and dying not readily found in mainstream diaglogue.

You can find out more about her work around end of life and honouring our life’s journey on her website - www.dyingwithgrace.ca

“we’re all just walking each other home” – Ram Dass

Rachel Scott is a teacher trainer, instructional expert, author, and yoga biz insider who loves helping studios and teachers thrive in their businesses. A yoga teacher and mentor for more than fifteen years, she combines her extensive practical experience with academic expertise to help teachers and trainers take their success to the next level. She has written for Yoga International, Huffington Post and been a guest expert at conferences and on podcasts around the world. Career highlights: 4,000+ hours leading yoga teacher trainings; 5,000+ hours teaching classes; 15 years in corporate yoga studio management (Yoga Works, YYoga); 8 years directing the Teachers College for a national yoga company; over 3,500 hours of curriculum design; MSci in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies, E-RYT 500. Author: Wit and Wisdom from the Yoga Mat; Head Over Heels: A Yogi's Guide To Dating. Find her online classes and trainings at DoYogaWithMe. She also has a devilish sense of humour and is a wicked coffee drinker.

David is the founder of DoYogaWithMe.com, an online yoga resource and community of over 200,000 members, as well as the the 'Can You Practice Without Plastic?' campaign, which aims to reduce the amount of plastic created by the yoga industry.

He has a graduate degree in Environmental Biology from McGill University and has been a yoga teacher for 15 years. He has always had a passionate interest in environmental and social issues, recently turning his attention to the massive production of plastic by the yoga industry, and the impact that it has on our fragile planet. Check out more information at the links included here.

Coming from an athletic background, yoga has helped him recover from a number of nagging injuries, strengthen his body, create more range of motion and improve overall health and well being. His focus on meditation, pranayama and anatomy has allowed him to lead unique class flows that emphasize personal growth and safety. David has taught yoga at various places around North America, including The Omega Institute and Hollyhock.

Jay Suttonbrown, E-RYT 500, RPYT, YACEP, has been practicing and studying Yoga for over 20 years. Jay has been a Yoga Teacher, Studio Owner and Teacher Trainer in beautiful British Columbia for over a decade. From Vancouver to Victoria, Haida Gwaii to Nanaimo, Jay's mission is to empower individuals to connect with their inner wisdom, share their joy, and awaken their power and light. She teaches Hatha, Yin and Restorative practices, but her heart vibrates the technology of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. The Founder of Manipura Yoga College, Jay loves training Yoga Teachers to share their vision with the world.

"Yoga connects us to our truth, power, and joy. Our practice is an opportunity to get real with ourselves, and remember what it feels like when we rise above limiting habits into our true vibrant state. Yoga offers a set of powerful technologies to support the journey home to ourselves. You have everything you need within. Big love and Sat Nam!"

Glynnis is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner, teacher, artist, author and visionary entrepreneur specializing in the healing arts of Ayurveda, aromatherapy, and aromanutrition. With an early career in the advertising and design world in South Africa and New York, Glynnis was later drawn to the wellness paths of Ayurveda and aromatherapy and strongly advocates for these modalities as a way to awaken to a life of sustainable wellbeing and beauty.

Glynnis is affectionately known as The Spice Mistress and her love for natural beauty and the aromatic healing foods, spices, and plant essences inspired her to develop The Spice Life, offering online learning experiences in the healing arts of aromatic Ayurveda and aromanutrition. She has recently founded her new Wellbranding venture to guide conscious entrepreneurs, healers and teachers to express their soul purpose through their aligned brand essence.

Glynnis is on faculty at the Vancouver School of Healing Arts (VSOHA), teaching aromatherapy, Indian head massage and Ayurvedic self-care as well as an online Aromatherapy course. She is co-author of the book Your Irresistible Life: 4 Seasons of Self-Care through Ayurveda and Yoga Practices that Work.

Agi Mallory (RYT 500, YACEP, C-IAYT) is a Victoria-based Yoga Teacher, certified Yoga Therapist and Trainer. She brings a compassionate and gentle approach to teaching, meeting students where they are at, and nurturing gentle transformation through supported practice. She approaches teaching with a sense of openness and curiosity, and as an opportunity to learn both with and from her students. Agi specializes in offering therapeutic yoga to the 50+ population, including weekly classes, workshops, private yoga therapy and retreats. She serves on the Faculty of Ajna Yoga College where she teaches the Business of Yoga Therapy, Yoga for Healthy Aging, Yoga for Bone Health, and Joint Therapeutics.

"My mission is to support and empower individuals to experience the physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual benefits of yoga so that they can enjoy life to its fullest potential."

Nikki Lock is the owner and creator of Wild Roots Dance & Yoga based out of Victoria, BC. She found her passion for dance, movement and performance over 25 years ago. She has studied various disciplines of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Tap, Hip Hop, Musical Theatre, Strength and Conditioning, Burlesque and Belly Dance. Training at many facilities throughout the world including The Canadian College of Performing Arts, The Royal Winnipeg School of Ballet and Casa Sangam in Italy, she has developed a extensive repertoire of techniques and styles. Nikki graduated from the Vancouver Island University with a Technical Theatre Diploma, the Canadian College of Performing Arts with a Performance Certificate and Camosun College with an Exercise & Wellness Diploma. Nikki found her passion for teaching at an early age and has been sharing her joy of movement in any form with students for the past eighteen years years. Nikki has studied with RAD(Royal Academy of Dance) and CDTA(Canadian Dance Teachers Association). She is a member of the Canadian Dance Teacher’s Association in Ballet and Jazz and an associate member in Modern. She is also a certified Bellyfit® Instructor, Facilitator of THEGROOVE™ and THEGROOVE™ for Kids.

Nikki is thrilled to be the Victoria ambassador for Rainbow Yoga. She has completed the Rainbow Yoga-Kids and Families Instructor Training course and the 360 hour Rainbow Yoga Teacher Training in Italy. There she studied with Birthlight, certifying in Fertility Yoga, Pregnancy Yoga, Baby Yoga and Wise Women Yoga. She also completed training in Yoga in the classroom, Kids Yoga, Family Yoga, Teen Yoga, Partner Yoga, Tantra, Senior Yoga and Yoga Therapy.

She has a passionate and contagious love for movement and loves sharing it with others through her performances and classes! When Nikki is not in the studio, she loves to sail around the beautiful islands surrounding Vancouver Island, climb cliffs, host gatherings in her home, explore the world, camp in her delica and dance barefoot any chance she gets...............

Meet Carolyne Taylor: connector and communitarian.

Known for creating experiences where people can make a new friend, connect or learn something new, she believes in a world where each person is shining their own special light, and helping others to do the same.

When she’s not building community, she can be found playing on the swings with her grandchildren, serving up a bowl of soup, or coming up with new ideas about making this a better world!

As an Nehiyaw Iskwew from Muscowpetung First Nations, Shayla Stonechild, has always been a catalyst towards Indigenous youth unlocking their full potential. By reclaiming their voices, bodies and spirit that have been silenced and stolen throughout history. There is a shift happening in humanity right now and she believes the arts, meditation, movement and medicine is a part of that shift. She is a TV Host, Yoga Instructor, Activist and Wellness Advocate making waves across Turtle Island.

From growing up around her motherèss performing arts company, and continuing on to graduate from ‘Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts.’ and Vancouver School of Healing Arts (RYT 200HR). She has always been active within her community. She is currently hosting Season 3 of APTN’s documentary series, “Red Earth Uncovered”. When Shayla isn’t filming she can be found facilitating workshops within First Nations communities that focus on life promotion through healing through the arts, meditation, movement (yoga) and medicine (coming back to an Indigenous worldview). She has a history of collaborations but most recently with “Right To Play”, “Lululemon” and “Gathering Our Voices”. She is the founder of the “Matriarch Movement” a meditation and movement practice dedicated to honouring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

“Our mission should be to build bridges, not walls; to offer our hands in guidance; rather than turn our backs with indifference. In the true sense of community and connection, what we do for each other helps to uplift the spirits of all people.” - Stonechild

Melanie Phillips (BFA, E-RYT, CAS) Is a Bestselling author, Yoga Teacher Trainer, Energy Healer, and certified Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist. Having immersed herself in ashram living and study at the Bihar University in India, and having taught yoga since 2000, her embodiment of Ayurveda, yoga, and a multitude of energy modalities has earned her excellence in leadership, teaching, and mentorship for those seeking a way home to their intuitive and brilliant nature.

She's the author of bestselling book, "Living After Loss: A Soulful Guide to Freedom" and co-author of, "Your Irresistible Life: 4 Seasons of Self-care through Ayurveda & Yoga Practices that Work."

Melanie created the Madhuri Method, an Ayurvedic Yoga advanced training for yoga teachers after witnessing the need for yoga to be offered in a way that allows for healing at any age, stage, or level of health. She also offers Inner Mastery Mentorship programs based in Ayurveda, yoga and neuropsychology to facilitate and support healing at the root cause of imbalance—to provide a fresh perspective; integrate the lifestyle changes necessary to achieve great health and provide support and guidance in mindfulness based energy psychology.

Guy Friswell is a local instructor and graduate of the IAYT 500-hour teacher therapist training program, currently working to complete the full 800-hour yoga therapist designation. He has practised yoga regularly since 2003 and has been teaching since 2009, including active weekly classes at several popular Victoria studios. Guy views his yoga teaching as a joyful extension and expression of his personal yoga practice. He is passionate about all things yoga, and always eager to share this passion, both one-on-one and in the classroom.

Renee is the Research Manager for the Reaching Out with Yoga project (ROWY). Renee is passionate about creating positive social change through community-based research. Her background is in public health and she has worked on a number of projects in the areas of Prison Health and Rural Maternal Health, and now in the anti-violence sector. As a yoga teacher and researcher, Renee loves working on the ROWY project, as it merges two of her passions: yoga and research. She has loved learning ways to make her yoga teaching and her research more trauma-informed through working on the ROWY project.

Siri Amir Kaur, Alanda Carver, is a yogi, meditator, and homeopathic healthcare provider. She is dedicated to her passion of teaching kundalini yoga and meditation, while practicing yoga in all aspects of life. She believes meditation is a key principle of self-empowerment and she is currently working on a 1000 consecutive day meditation practice. Whether guiding new-comers or seasoned practitioners, self-empowerment is the goal of all of her work.

Siri Amir’s classes and workshops are dynamic, fun, and inspirational. She is a charismatic and gentle spirited teacher. With her upbeat personality and sense of humor, she is able to impart the technical aspects of the practice necessary to have both longstanding and far-reaching results for her students. Siri Amir encourages her students to apply the notion of challenging themselves with compassion to achieve their best on the mat in class  so they can use the wisdom gained to  be their best in their every day lives. She looks forward to being with you in class and sharing the powerful benefits of kundalini yoga with you.

Katie is a true teacher of movement. Her athletic background allows her the ability to articulate subtle actions and feelings in an understandable way. As an ex-gymnast, Katie provides dynamic insight to the practice of yoga and acro with clear and concise instruction, which allows her students to improve quickly and efficiently. Over the past few years, Katie has been mentoring and developing other teachers and is the creator of a teacher mentorship program that dozens of teachers have participated in. Within her classes, Katie focuses on structured alignment, controlled movement, and strength building, all while keeping things fun and lighthearted. Katie has been a featured teacher at events like the Victoria Yoga Conference, Camp Yoga BC, Wanderlust Whistler, Vancouver Acro Festival, and more.

Being diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum at a very young age wasn’t easy for Noelle Smith.

As a child and teen Noelle was raised in a world where people had not a lot of knowledge of the diagnosis, thus living in fear towards her and chosen through society as “never graduating past highschool”

This chosen by life evaluation resulted in her dealing with multiple mental illnesses and a lack of social life. However, it is through her dedication to herself by not giving up and not listening from the society that eventually had herself meet the World of Yoga.

Starting the exercise-driven class had not been easy and Noelle hated it. She couldn’t stand the poses and had constant anxiety attacks through the physical closeness between teacher and student. She, however never gave up and within time Noelle finally understood the whole aspect of Yoga. She learnt through the poses, started understanding her body, and eventually overcoming the anxiety or in other words “release trauma”

It is through that experience that Noelle Smith knew she needed to connect to similar living human beings, impact her wisdom to others, as well as advocate for People with Disabilities, and thus becoming a Yoga and Meditation Instructor herself.

Currently, Noelle Smith teaches Yoga and Meditation classes in Campbell River B.C. and continues an online page via Instagram and Facebook.

Her yoga classes are a lot like her hair: ever-changing, colourful and full of joy. Meet Carly Greene Hill. She’s a yoga teacher, emcee and spoken word artist here in Victoria, BC. Often found with an americano in one hand and a pen in the other, Carly creates avenues of self-expression under her pen name: tiny.writer. Her yoga sequences offer something for everyone—be it heart, funk, flow or rebellion.

In 2014, Carly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Victoria with a double major in Psychology and Gender Studies, focusing largely on social justice through an intersectional framework. Throughout her degree, she studied the intersection between academia, activism and art. This study became an opportunity to crystallise her youthful passion in writing. After a decade of studying and manipulating the written word, Carly began to formally offer her creative copy under an actual pen-name. Thus in November 2015, tiny.writer was born.

Writing furiously while still completing her RYT-300 at Ajna Yoga College, Carly went on to work with a variety of local entrepreneurs and organizations on social impact and health & wellness initiatives (such as the Victoria Yoga Conference and TEDxVictoria!). To this day, tiny.writer continues to infuse poetry, yoga and dance together. She specializes in teaching creative yin, free-flowing slow flow and sassy vinyasa practices. She performs as a spoken word artist and burlesque dancer, celebrating self-expression and vulnerability. Under her stage-name, Charlie Creamfill takes the stage every month armed with wit, charm and compassion, as the emcee for the Vancouver-island production company Wet Coast Burlesque.

When this creative maven isn’t giggling and getting stretchy, you might find her around the city. She loves to dance, swim in the ocean and serve the odd cocktail (or two). More often than not, she has her nose in a book, glass of wine in hand and arms around her favourite infamous companion, Ari The Cat.

When it comes to movement, I practice nourishing principles, which integrate the entire body, including the nervous system. The best exercise is both a relief from - as well as resilience training for - the pressures of daily life. I believe self-efficacy and skill development are the most important factors for successful, sustainable physical activity and recovery. I show clients how improved biomechanics enhance healing and performance. Move more by moving better.

Gabriel is a practicing member of the British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists (BCAK) and a Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CSEP) with over ten years of experience in health and wellness. He pulls from a diverse background of modalities including: functional training, martial arts, dance, running, myofascial release, yoga therapy, qigong and meditation. Gabriel currently sees rehab and coaching clients at Innovative Fitness and teaches group Tai Chi classes at FierceHeart Yoga Therapeutics. In his sessions you can expect: integrative exercises, joint durability/prehab, breath work, movement education and an evidence-based approach.

Gabriel’s mission is to bring people together on the path towards self-cultivation through fulfilling disciplines and healthful practices.

Farah Nazarali is a yoga teacher and Trainer, podcast producer and Retreat Leader. She is the founder of Drishti Point Yoga Podcasts and has spent hundreds of hours interviewing and studying with Master Teachers. In 2017, she co-created Wakeful Heart Yoga Teacher Training and currently is on the Faculty of several Teacher Trainings including: Wakeful Heart, Yoga Outreach, and Langara.

Farah specializes in teaching Retreats; locally and internationally. She is a presenter at Hollyhock and partners with True Nature Travels to offer Yoga Retreats in Costa Rica. She teaches yoga Retreats as well as Retreats that integrate yogic wisdom and practices with conflict resolution and Non-violent communication.

When she's not teaching, Farah is the host of In Conversation: the Podcast of Banyen Books and Sound. In her spare time, she can be found ocean bathing or forest-gazing in her home in Nanaimo BC. www.drishtipoint.ca

Nyk Danu (C-IATY, CYA-ERYT 550) is a Therapeutic Yoga Teacher and Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer.

In addition to numerous Therapeutic, Restorative and Yin Yoga intensives, she holds the following teacher training certificates:

- 300 hour Yoga teacher training - The Yoga College Of Canada
- 500 hour + advanced Yin Yoga Teaching certificate - Paul Grilley
- 1000 hour Yoga Therapy Certification - Ajna Yoga College

Nyk has also completed 2,300 hours of Chinese Medicine studies and 360 hours of additional Bio-medical studies at Pacific Rim College.

Nyk has been practicing Yoga since 1998. In 2003 she took her first Yoga teacher training and has been teaching Yoga since 2004.

In 2007 Nyk fell madly in love with Yin Yoga and has been studying with her teacher Paul Grilley ever since.

Her personal practice and her Yoga classes are rooted in Buddhism, Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Nyk Believes:
Yoga has the power to transform lives and change the world.
That if you can breathe you can do Yoga.
Yoga makes life better.

Nyk is on a mission to make Yoga accessible to people who don't think they are 'Yoga people' The 'Yoga MisFits' Nyk is an expert in teaching those who aren’t human pretzels.
Her writing has been featured by The Yoga and Body Image Coalition, Elephant Journal and The Tattooed Buddha.

Nyk is regularly interviewed on podcasts on the subjects of accessibility in Yoga, Yin Yoga, and The Business of Yoga.

Ann Marie McKenzie understands that life has texture and that people crave, real authentic support during those pivotal moments we all confront. She counsels deeply with emotional literacy, guiding you to create a handcrafted life and that intentionally feels good.

She works with people who are ready to get open about living soulfully and is the go-to experiential Master Desire Map Facilitator, your transformational guide to living and doing business in ways that promote holistic well-being. She believes authentic leadership for one's self is the key to leading people towards a common goal.

Ann Marie offers curated intimate programs for women, men, entrepreneurs, teams, businesses, community, and youth while providing feelings-based experiences that encourage people to get real, get creative, get messy - and get clear.

She has been an essential oil user since 2000 and began integrating doTERRA essential oils into her life and workshops in 2016. Ann Marie believes in the power of using EO's to support our emotional energy bodies creating a positive ripple effect for our physical and mental needs.

Ann Marie will be launching her premium coaching program in 2020 to empower heart-centered entrepreneurs discover their core desired feelings and build a handcrafted business they love without the stress, overwhelm and burn out, even if they don't want to talk about their feelings! The Desire Map for Business - where heart meets hustle.

From Hong Kong to Vancouver, Julia has taught for almost fifteen years. Her school of yoga, established in 2010, has graduated hundreds of respected teachers globally. Her love of pedagogy began as she observed her parents, both school teachers. As well, her dichotomy for the arts and athletics began young while she lived and studied Kinesiology and Art History at McGill in Montreal - the arts/music are as important as athletics and health. Between teaching in Europe and Pure Yoga Asia, to skiing the BC mountains - this is the flavour you will experience in her teaching: Some days it's purely anatomy she will teach, while others it's about exploring your inner landscape with breath and creative movement. Teaching has been her outlet for expanding the inner alchemy of others, as she believes yoga is both spirit and science - a gift for our challenging times. Expect to be challenged, to inquire into comfort vs discomfort; to explore the nexus of breathwork (pranayama) within asana and meditation.

Nicole radiates positivity, ambition, and generosity. Being a true connector and creator at heart, she makes sense of her world by pulling details apart, seeking a better composition and then recreates that life.
Nicole is a certified yoga instructor, she has her 200hr training in traditional Hatha instruction, as well as Yin Yoga. Nicole is a full time high school teacher, she brings yoga to the classroom, both on and off the mat. Nicole is the founder of the non profit organization The Om Work Project, which is a scholarship program for young womxn to travel and study 200hr of yoga teacher training. Nicole has written a book on the benefits of yoga and youth, and is driven daily to share the power of yoga and mindfulness with all of those around her.