Mandy Sheen’s love for yoga started ten years ago when she first began to practice asana. Mandy’s first experience of yoga was in the womb of her beautiful mama, the two shared a practice of yoga together throughout Mandy’s childhood. The positive life changing results that her personal yoga practice brought her inspired her to share the gift of yoga. Mandy finished her teacher training in October 2005 for hatha and prenatal yoga. After endless amazing trainings around the city and beyond, she now teaches a wide variety of classes including hatha, power, flow, prenatal, post natal, kids and restorative yoga on a full time basis. Educating the birthing community being one of her goals, she also gives prenatal birthing workshops regularly. Mandy’s classes are taught with a very grounded, yet playful flow. Encouraging students to feel their bodies from within and move from a place of fluidity and gentleness using yoga foundations. She reminds her students to keep a deep and constant connection to their prana(life force) and how this can transform their lives when they bring conscious awareness in the present moment. Encouraging students not only to feel physically but emotionally, to travel deep within themselves to the beautiful light being they are, feeling and healing with every breath, every movement and every moment.

Mandy grew up in a house of love, truth and freedom and brings this to each of her classes, teaching through love and acceptance, encouraging her students to return to the natural state of love and truth.

Dawn began her yoga practice in 1999. Her first introduction to yoga was Ashtanga Yoga taught by Mike Dennison and Fiona Stang of City Yoga. These Ashtanga Yoga classes were taught according to the teachings of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. Dawn immediately fell in love with the style, structure and philosophy of the traditional Ashtanga system. After many years of practicing Ashtanga with a variety of teachers, Dawn was inspired to teach the traditional system of Ashtanga to others. Therefore, Dawn returned to her original teacher, Fiona Stang (one of only eight people in Canada authorized by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois) and husband Julian Deck to study.

Dawn has a strong personal practice and is very passionate about the Ashtanga Yoga system. Dawn teaches her classes as they are being taught in India today. Opening and closing mantras are chanted at every Ashtanga class as well as some Sanskrit counting. She also teaches Hatha and Vinyasa yoga classes and encourages her students to experience the spiritual nature of yoga. Dawn has a great interest in spirituality, both Western and Eastern, and being a very spiritual person, she finds that yoga is extremely effective in achieving the body, mind, soul and spirit connection. She truly believes that Yoga is more than just the poses, it is a sacred practice for the whole being. When not practicing yoga, Dawn divides her time between bellydancing, spiritual/psychological/philosophical musings, discussions and practices, reading and of course friends and family.

Dawn is also a Bach Flower Practitioner and Healing Guide, and is experienced in running and facilitating meditation circles and spiritual circles (specializing in women’s spirituality). Check out her business Divine Intervention at www.divineintervention.ca.

Sara is classically trained in Hatha Yoga.  After casually practicing for ten years, she completed her 200 hour level training program in 2008 with friend, mentor and instructor Julia Shields.  During the past two years of teaching in both Burnaby and Maple Ridge, she has grown in both appreciation and knowledge, from the time spent with other Vancouver instructors and classmates, borrowing inspiration from her Hatha, Anusara, and Vijnana Yoga instructors.  Sara teaches with an energetic and playful approach, balancing foundations of yoga with her inner awareness and breath, and ever changing knowledge of self.
She holds a B.A. in Fine Art, with a major in photography.  She worked for 10 years in the Vancouver Film community, painting costumes and sets, before starting her family in 2006.  She holds an up to date First Aid certificate and is a member of Yoga B.C.  Sara attends yoga workshops regularly to inspire and enhance her practice.  Sara’s husband and two young children continue to inspire her to learn patience, truthfulness, and compassion.  She loves to garden and to cook with fresh local and organic ingredients.

Karen is a Yoga Teacher and Personal Trainer who has a passion for helping others achieve their goals. She brings her enthusiasm for life to every class. Her interest is in developing classes and programs that challenge students of all levels and provide a positive outlet for relief of stress. By focusing on the needs of the individual, Karen is able to motivate people to achieve higher levels of fitness and personal development.

She brings together her knowledge of yoga with extensive experience in sports such as long distance running, Karate, and resistance training to form unique classes that combine the grace of yoga with strength, stamina, and flexibility.

Karen is a Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher, Personal Trainer and the Owner of Freestyle Athletics; a company dedicated to helping others achieve their personal goals. Karen specializes in Power Yoga, TRX Suspension Training and Sport Conditioning in class settings, small group training or one on one.

Amy Reedman is a Registered Aromatherapist and Essential Oil Therapist, Certified Yoga and Meditation Teacher,Reiki and Healing Touch Practitioner who’s been practicing since 1999.

Deeply connected to Classical Hatha Yoga, Amy shares her passion for blending the philosophy, culture and truth of the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of holistic living. She currently practices and teaches from home and on location where she incorporates yoga, meditation, energy healing, intuitive coaching and aromatherapy into unique one-on-one sessions, group classes and workshops and individually blended products.

Visit her website for more details: www.theblendingbar.ca

Combining my love for travel and yoga, I journeyed East to India to study and train as a Yoga instructor at Rishikesh Yog Peeth. Thirsting for more, I continued onwards to Guatemalaand Mexico, partaking in a 40 day silent meditation, working on my personalpractice and learning more about the wonders of yoga. From my travels around the world, the yoga that I teach has been inspired by many styles and influences from different teachers. I try to bring in different elements from nature and influences from the ancient systems of chakras and the energies of the yin and yang.

Although I am referred to as a yoga teacher, I think of myself as a guide. I guide the student in their practice to where they need to go, but ultimately their ownefforts and commitment is what gives them the empowerment to transform themselves physically, mentally and spiritually. I encourage students in my class to express their body, to explore their mind, to connect with their breath, to look inside, and to love outside. I wish to share with others my passion and help them discover the benefits of yoga that serve them best in life!

To learn more, visit: www.yogawithleo.com

Nicole began practicing Yoga to complement her professional dancing, but she quickly fell in love with the philosophy of Yoga and and the self-study that it inspired within her.  Yoga brought her strength, stability and tranquility, and changed her life.  It was therefore, a very easy and natural decision for Nicole to become a Yoga instructor. Nicole ventured out to Ottawa in the summer of 2010 to take Hatha Yoga teacher training at Rama Lotus Yoga Centre, combining her training with a family visit.  It was an amazing experience for her and she is very excited to be able to share her knowledge and energy with others through teaching Yoga.  Nicole teaches Hatha, Hatha Flow and Power.  Her teaching style is very dynamic, but supportive.  ”Nothing ventured, nothing gained!” is one of her favourite mottos. More recently, Nicole has added Pilates to the mix.  She obtained her Mat Pilates certification in February of 2011 at The Physical Mind Institute in Vancouver.  She thoroughly enjoys practicing and teaching Pilates and is an enthusiastic advocate for the incredible physcial benefits it brings the body. Aside from Yoga and Pilates, for the past 10 years Nicole has been working as a professional Belly Dancer, teaching and performing Belly Dance across Greater Vancouver and Ottawa, Ontario (her former residence).  She is also the dedicated mother of two young men; Kino (15 yrs) and Kale (13 yrs). Being their mother is, to her, the greatest privilege on earth. Nicole is also an avid traveler and has traveled extensively across the globe.  She speaks three languages fluently and a smattering of several others.