Prenatal Yoga
W/E Dec 1 + D/T Jan 10

I did my 200 hr teacher training with Don & Amba Stapleton, Yoga for Childbirth with Dorothy Guerra, as well as some amazing workshops and courses with Amy Ippoliti, Natasha Rizopoulos, Maria Garre, Seane Corn, Michelle Cormack, Paul Grilley and Michael Stone. I practice to create space both inside of my physical body as well as my mind. I practice to bring more awareness, connection and clarity into every thing that comes to me. I practice because no matter what state I'm in when I arrive on my mat, I always leave feeling so good, so alive.

Ahhh, this fine craft...my love affair with breath and movement began as a toddler, and it took form as an uncontrollable desire to swing, sway, dip, dive and lengthen. From the age of three on i was graced with a natural innate sort of discipline to study the body and its capabilities through classical ballet mostly, and many other styles of dance... but, ballet was my love. I danced, I studied, I traveled and I taught...this at 15 yrs old revealed the natural teacher in me, and so I became a dance teacher! Movement connected me to my soul, this was very clear, so again very naturally at 18yrs i began sitting with myself, meditating i'd guess you'd call it...i felt i needed it, and it interested me...and it worked! In very tiny doses it too showed me another way of feeling whole and alive, like dancing had done. On my own, in the country i began to incorporate some yoga postures into my days and i found myself at dance auditions going off into a corner to do Tree and Triangle and breathe deep to calm and prepare myself. I fell in love with this tool and felt it to be such a gift. By accident i stumbled on a teacher in Kingston who offered training and without question i emptied my bank account and learned! Since that day almost 10 years ago i have been leading classes that are based in and for "YOU" the student, in hopes that you too catch a fleeting or long lasting moment of joy, connection, spirit, or simply a love for extension, movement or stillness. Deep roots, foundation and a lot of love, Namaste

I love challenging my body and finding peace along the way: what a beautiful juxtaposition between intensity and calm this can be! Checking in with my mind and body is important to me so that I can fully enjoy other pursuits in my life including long distance running, ultimate frisbee, and general fun-having! As far as teaching yoga, to open the door of yoga for others is a blessing: I love facilitating the learning about oneself that yoga brings about.

Yoga helps me to feel at home within myself. It allows me to feel open and calm and free from mental and physical constraints.

Mandy is a graduate of KLC college and works as a physiotherapy assistant. Mandy received her yoga certification in Hatha and Vinyasa in 2008 in Toronto under the guidance of teachers Kathryn Beet and Patricia White. She has taken advanced teacher trainings in therapeutic yoga with Kathryn Beet and Flow yoga with Bibi Hahn.

Mandy loves to collect cookbooks.