Top GTA Trainers and Wellness Entrepreneurs PART#2
Run. Lift. Stretch. Repeat. Your usual fitness routine can get a little, well, routine. Fortunately, a new slew of game-changing trainers and wellness entrepreneurs, are cropping up across the GTA. Get to know the shape shifts, and mindful entrepreneurs that are leading the charge.
Amber Joliat
MISFITSTUDIO
Where: 88 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 2Z4
www.misfitstudio.com
Amber Joliat has been moving Toronto for 3 decades. In 2010 she chose to create a home for her signature movement style and MISFITSTUDIO was born.
Amber’s unique approach taps into the transformative powers of movement; inspiring the body, mind and soul to untangle from the inside.
Dance-like sequences set to powerful music drive in elements of connection asking the physical, emotional and energetic bodies to align.
As we learn to dance through the highs and lows of life, trust our intuition and believe resilience is our greatest gift, we understand that we are our own strength and grace
Movement is medicine.
ANA PLENTER
Build My Body Beautiful
Where: 266 King Street West, Toronto
www.buildmybodybeautiful.com
Ana is the owner/president of Build My Body Beautiful (Toronto’s personal training, bootcamps and weight management consulting for women). She is an established award winning personal trainer who has helped over 3000 women transform their bodies to a lean, strong yet feminine physique and archive their weight loss and fitness goals.
She has a unique background consisting of fitness, hypnotherapy & psychology, and executive management. Ana has an Honors Degree in Business from University of Western Ontario, and has completed a minor in Psychology. She is a professional Certified Personal Training Specialist, and a Certified Bootcamp Instructor. She holds a black belt in karate and has over 15 years experience in martial arts, including kickboxing. Ana also actively competes as fitness competitor and has won numerous awards in the bikini and figure categories.
Ana also has a Professional Consulting Hypnotist Certification, and uses hypnosis as a tool for motivation and success; especially with weight control and attaining the highest level of fitness and sports performance and she has many awards and accolades to add to list of accomplishments.
Carol Baxter
Glow Yoga Wellness Studios
Where: 4535 Coronation Rd, Whitby
www.glowyogastudio.ca
Carol Baxter is the founder and director of the top-rated Glow Yoga Wellness Studios. After opening the first studio over eight years ago, Carol has since expanded the business and is now the proud owner of three Ontario studios. In addition to overseeing the growth and development of Glow, Carol Baxter offers her students paths to wellness through her yoga teacher trainings, personal coaching, and regular television show. Carol’s newest venture, The Confidence Project, is a global movement that helps women rediscover and reconnect with their self-confidence. Carol has been an entrepreneur in the wellness industry for over a decade and is always exploring new and exciting ways to help her students grow.
Christine Delahunt
The Twisted Fish
Where: 23 market St. W., Port Dover
www.twistedfish.ca
Having worked with wonderful teachers as well as hundreds of clients over the last 20 years– Christie is adept at making yoga accessible for just about any population. Highly intuitive and yet grounded in her growing education of biology, physiology, psychology and her newest interest, neuroscience, she has inspired a growing community of yogis to show up and do the work. Specializing in a ‘from the ground up’ differentiated teaching style and often going ‘beyond yoga’ with a more clinical understanding and ability to assess movement patterns, specific challenges and adapting to individuals needs, Christie offers a different approach in the world of yoga and movement practices.
Christine Felstead
Yoga for Runners
Where: 6 Archgate Lane, Toronto
www.yogaforrunners.com
Christine Felstead is the founder and leading authority on Yoga for Runners and endurance athletes. She makes yoga accessible, challenging, fun and effective for both the elite and casual athlete. She focues on functional movement, joint mobility and stability, strength, flexibility and mindfulness. Her classes and workshops are artfully tailored to meet the specific needs of athletes. Her work reaches a global audience through her best-selling dvds and book, aptly entitled Yoga for Runners and a 6 episode Educational Series, helping both runners and yoga instructors deepen their understanding of instructing athletic bodies.
Cynthia Funk
The Yoga Sanctuary
Where: 95 Danforth Ave 3rd Floor, Toronto
www.theyogasanctuary.ca
Cynthia offers a warm, open hearted, dynamic and experiential practice, sprinkled with humour ~ She combines physical and energetic alignment along with insightful meditation. Fusing her passion for athletics and yoga Cynthia has been sought after by CEO’s, young athletes, pro-athletes as well as Canadian Olympians, engaging them in yoga practice to maintain their high-level competition. She continues to engage in teacher trainings, to further her skill set each year. Her passion for yoga inspires and motivates her students to reach their goals, whether it be inner peace, body awareness or building self-confidence. Cynthia has been practicing yoga since 1985, and began teaching in 1997, opening The Yoga Sanctuary with her sister in 1999, now celebrating 20 years. In 2001 Cynthia became a teacher trainer, creating and teaching the 250 hour Yoga Teacher Training course. She has taught hundreds of people to become exemplary yoga teachers who teach around the globe. She has produced an instructional yoga CD of the Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga.
Her continued exploration of yoga led to her create and teach in the Advanced 300 hour Yoga Therapeutics Teacher Training course and she is the Co-Founder of HypnoZen Yoga. Cynthia is also a certified Reiki Master, certified Hypnotherapist and Trauma Informed Yoga Therapist.
David Good
Good Strong Movement
www.davidgoodyoga.com
David Good discovered yoga in his early twenties and soon discovered his body had a hidden potential to move better and feel better. After many years and many great teachers, he knew teaching was the next step to share his passion. After years teaching he started noticing something was missing. Strength and stability was the missing piece in a practice focused on stretching. A personal promise to add continued education each year has led David to discover strength training and he is now a personal strength trainer/coach, adding Pilates teacher to his arsenal as well in order to understand core strength and balance in the body.
David brings a joy of movement to his clients and classes, to celebrate all the different bodies and abilities that show up each day. Offering rich alignment cues and a heartfelt sense of humour, he aims to create an inclusive environment that nurtures, educates and unlocks hidden potential. David teaches publicly at Octopus Garden, Toronto Athletic Club and Adelaide Club. He is also available for private and corporate instruction.
IG: goodstrongmovement
Devinder Kaur
PranaShanti Yoga Centre
Where: 52 Armstrong Street, Ottawa
www.pranashanti.com
Attend a Kundalini class with Devinder, and you’ll experience why students have studied and practiced with her for well over fifteen years. Her strong interpersonal approach to teaching helps people reach their individual goals and empower themselves through yoga. While talented and practiced, Devinder is also a 500 Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher in the Hatha and Kundalini Yoga traditions. She is a Hatha Yoga Teacher Trainer and is a KRI Kundalini Yoga Lead Trainer. With over 25 years of experience as a self-employed business owner and business/IT consultant, she is a much requested presenter on television programs, at local and national Yoga and Women’s conferences, and travels extensively as a guest trainer for Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training programs.
Grace Van Berkum
Gracious Living Oasis
www.graciouslivingoasis.com
Grace Van Berkum, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Yoga Teacher, and Lifestyle Coach for 14 years, is the creator of GLO Selfcare Center in Northern Nicaragua. Only open for 3 years, she built her centre from the ground up, as a single woman, in the middle of nowhere, not speaking the language, or having any experience with construction. Her business has quickly gained popularity internationally as her Level 1-7 GLO Cell Health Menu caters to all people with different needs and goals. (plus it’s all delicious). Grace also teaches all around the world, mainly in countries that have not yet been exposed to holistic nutrition and wellness. She teaches people how to feel better and love themselves more through their food and lifestyle choices. Clients are drawn to her passion, creativity, authenticity, and loving approach to sustainable health. An inspiring wellpreneur, Grace has created her entire international business from scratch, with many adventures and challenges along the way, but always staying dedicated on her mission to make the world a healthier and happier place.
JP Tamblyn-Sabo
Ahimsa Yoga
Where: 440 Bloor St. West, Toronto
www.ahimsayoga.com
J-P Tamblyn-Sabo is a dedicated yoga practitioner, teacher, teacher of teachers, and the founder of the Ahimsa Yoga method – a style of yoga dedicated to honouring the ancient traditions, while continually refining the physical practice with modern understanding of biomechanics and physiology. J-P’s students appreciate his clear, methodical instructions as well as his supportive and empowering teaching style. His skillful infusion of asana with spiritual depth, and his ability to translate challenging philosophical, anatomical or esoteric concepts into accessible and familiar language are key components of his gifted instruction.
Linda Malone
Linda founded Iam Yoga in 2008 based on a vision of creating a space where students could cultivate healthy minds and healthy bodies. An interest in the science of mindfulness has always informed her teaching style and she has spoken in various forums from boardrooms to classrooms on the application of mindfulness to everyday life. The classes at her studios are infused with playfulness and informed by traditional yoga philosophy but delivered by teaching staff in usable and accessible language. In 2012 after her younger brother died by suicide she founded Blu Matter Project, a Not for Profit that subsidizes the cost of yoga for people who oterhwise could not afford to practice and who live with the experience of mood disorders. Blu Matter Project is about to launch its programming across Canada in 2020 helping to make yoga accessible to as many people who need it as possible.
Iamyoga.ca
Robin Lacambra
GOODBODYFEEL
Where: 145 Main St East, Hamilton
www.goodbodyfeel.com
Robin Lacambra is the founder of GOODBODYFEEL Movement Studio and the GOODBODYFEEL Movement Method. She is an empowered embodiment educator – blending practices like Pilates, yoga and mindfulness and sharing them from anti-oppression, trauma aware and eating disorder informed frameworks. Robin is also a somatic coach, social justice advocate and eager student of diverse movement practices. In 2018 Robin launched her first teacher training, which sold out to an eager group ready to share movement from a new perspective and lean into challenging conversations. In 2019 she opened the doors to GOODBODYFEEL’s brick-and-mortar studio, giving opportunity to the graduates of the inaugural training to grow their leadership.
As a business owner, Robin believes in finding a balance between being a for-profit small business that centres community-benefit over maximum profit for few, by experimenting with sliding scale pricing, service exchange and bursaries for marginalized communities. Robin’s passion is creating and strengthening bridges between different industries and social causes. There is always an intersection worth exploring, uplifting and sharing. As a woman of colour, Robin is committed to changing the look and feel of North America’s movement industry.
Ruby Knafo
Union Yoga + Wellness
Where: 956 Bloor Street West, Toronto
www.unionyogastudio.ca
Ruby is the founder and director of Union Yoga + Wellness, a top-rated wellness studio in the heart of Toronto, Ontario. Ruby is a meditation and yoga teacher, and a registered Occupational Therapist with a special interest in mindfulness, stress management, and resilience. She is passionate about accessibility and is known for her compassionate and supportive teaching style.
Ruby holds certificates in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, and Applied Mindfulness Meditation from the University of Toronto, and has additional training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Relaxation Training, Anxiety Management, and Trauma.
She is also is a passionate student of Buddhist meditation and psychology in the Theravada tradition and attends regular silent retreats to support and deepen her practice. She has sat and studied with renowned teachers including Joseph Goldstein, Kamala Masters, Steve Armstrong, Darryl Lynn Ross, and Pascal Auclair.
Ryan Leier
One Yoga
Ryan is an Ashtanga + Iyengar-informed yoga teacher, student, and creative force. His offerings have soul – calling in the the wisdom of his lineage of teachers (Krishnamacharya, Sri BKS Inyengar, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Srvatsa Ramaswami), leading practices that cultivate sweetness + strength + healing + joy, and connecting you…to you, your purpose, your medicine, and your community.
Ryan is the founder of One Yoga (5 studios in Canada, Trinidad, Iceland)
He is also a Global Yoga Ambassador for lululemon.
“If there is such thing as a rockstar in the world of yoga, Ryan Leier might be it” Ryan has built a global community of like-minded friends, creatives + collaborators across industries including Win Butler (lead singer, Arcade Fire), Michael Franti (musician, humanitarian, filmmaker), Xavier Rudd (Australian musician), Woody Harrelson (actor), Alanis Morissette (singer) Mark McMorris (professional snowboarder) and most recently with Sophie & Justin Trudeau.
oneyoga.ca
Shanine Dennill
Shanine Dennill is an Ontario based yoga teacher known for her compassion and care for her students. She has been teaching for over 10 years and is the founder of Chrysalis Yoga that has been thriving in Burlington for the past 8 years. Her teaching style is entrenched with the philosophy of yoga, alignment focused and a deep emphasis on breathwork. chrysalisyoga.com
Shirlee Williams, Buddha Rider Yoga and Cycle Studio
Spiritual seeker, mama of twin boys, and lover of all!
I began my yoga journey more than 20 years ago and the study and practice of yoga has enriched and supported everything I do and the person that I have become: I’m a spiritual seeker, a mother of twin boys, and a teacher and yogi deeply committed to living and helping others live a full and fabulous life.
I have been fortunate to study with a number of renowned yoga and meditation teachers. My teaching and practice have been influenced most profoundly by Esther Meyers and the Anusara School of Hatha Yoga. In addition to my certifications with these two schools, I am a 200-hour and 500-hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance.
In 2007, I founded Buddha Rider Yoga and Cycle Studio in Collingwood, Ontario and, since then, have been offering classes and developing original programming that have resulted in a close-knit and growing community of yogis and cyclists. In 2012, I launched ShriiFest, a yoga and music festival that brings together yoga and healthy living enthusiasts for a weekend of practice, study and socializing in the Village at Blue Mountain, Ontario. I am also proud to lead a 200-hour Hatha Yoga Teacher training program, “Living Your Yoga,” which nurtures students and aspiring teachers as they delve deeper into the rich offerings of yoga and its relevance to their personal lives and community. I hope to inspire others to reach their potential by rediscovering the very essence of who they are, and I aspire to doing so with honesty, playfulness and heartfelt warmth – not just in the yoga class but in everything I do!
Svitlana
Svitlana’s yoga journey, which began in 1999, has led her to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga. She is dedicated to bringing her training at the Shri K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore, India, to her Mysore Programme at Breathe Yoga, the studio she founded in 2001.
Those attending Svitlana’s Mysore classes will be individually advanced through the Ashtanga yoga series of postures. Through one on one guidance and attention, students work according to their own individual abilities.
While learning the deeply rich tradition of Ashtanga yoga, students can expect to develop greater strength, flexibility and discipline in their physical practice while achieving calmness of mind – both on the mat and off – through the meditative element the series brings. Svitlana welcomes students of all levels of yoga practice to her classes.
When not teaching or managing the studio, Svitlana loves to travel with her husband, further her yoga studies, play with interior design and volunteer her time. She is an Ambassador for Operation Shanti, a home for destitute children and seniors in Mysore, India and serves on the Board of Directors at the UCC, a long term care home for Toronto’s Seniors.
Trixie (Beatrix) Montanile
The Flying Yogi
Where: 245 Carlaw Ave #007, Toronto
theflyingyogi.ca
Beatrix (aka Trixie by her students) has been a yoga practitioner for over 30 years and an instructor for more than16 years. During this time she has been committed to making a big difference in people’s wellness and spinal health through yoga. Beatrix received her extensive yoga training from extraordinary masters in India and holds certification in Ashtanga Yoga, Yoga Therapy, Thai Yoga Massage and Ayurvedic Massage.
She developed her own brand of suspension equipment; the YogiGym®. She has since developed literally hundreds of ways of using the YogiGym® Suspension Sling to advance not only the more challenging yoga poses such as backbends and arm balances, but also applying it to many other movement and fitness modalities as well such as body-weight training, restorative spinal therapy, prenatal yoga and even physiotherapy. In 2010 she created the first aerial Suspension Yoga™ group classes offered in Canada and in 2011 – The Flying Yogi, now an internationally recognized school for Suspension Yoga™ teacher trainings was born!
Veronica Ianceoglu
Phoenix Crystal Healing
Where: 323 Kerr St Unit 200, Oakville
www.phoenixcrystalhealing.com
is a natural intuitive, medium trained, and a Yoga and Meditation teacher. She trained and graduated in India and her journey of helping people goes back more than 10 years ago when she embraced her gifts and decided that helping others to see and heal is her purpose in life. She brings awareness to energy in her teachings and workshops and offers direction on how to integrate that truth into daily life.
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