Lydia



I have always struggled with being comfortable in the present. For years I have attached my self-worth to being productive, developing into a very unhealthy workaholic. I struggled with asserting my boundaries and lost my voice trying to do it all. I found yoga by accident, I followed a friend to a yoga class not believing too deeply in its ability to provide any structure to myself. I was quickly humbled. In yoga class, I found freedom in being present. I discovered the solace in those moments on my mat where simply being there was enough. Through my yoga training, I discovered a community that uplifts each other as we are in our present state. 

As I invested in my yoga journey and education as a hatha, yin, and children yoga instructor I regained my voice. It was because of the breathwork that I learned through my training that I was blessed enough to walk away from rolling my car on an icy highway. That further led me into trauma yoga as I struggled with the effects of a concussion and nerve damage. 

I am thrilled to bring Vinyasa yoga to New Mindset Therapy and Yoga. Vinyasa simply means alignment of breath through movement. It is a style for those who love to move and who feel restless being still. My flows change daily because we are different daily. I find inspiration through the sessions and energy levels of the group I’m working with. We will focus on our breath to reconnect with our bodies. My motto is: sometimes you have to take a breath to find your voice. I am currently working towards a Master's in Literacy to help children who are struggling with learning disabilities. 

Jill

I began my personal yoga journey in 2008 and over the next 7 years cultivated a deeply 

rewarding and meaningful home practice, guided by some of my beloved Youtube teachers. It was these moments, on my kitchen floor with my children crawling under me in bridge or through  my legs in a warrior stance that yoga became a part of who I am, etched within my body and soul.  In 2015, the opportunity arose for me to embark on my own yoga teacher training with Kathryn Bruni Young, and so 7 years into my practice I attended my first ever yoga class during our training.  I was called to the training as part of my own personal journey of spiritual, mental and physical growth.  However, at times the path we are meant to take unfolds before us and so, when I was asked by Kathryn to teach at her studio, I did not hesitate. I was also blessed with the opportunity to be part of the guest teaching faculty at one of Kathryn’s later teacher trainings and also at one of her Summer Intensives. 

Although I stepped away from formal teaching over the past few years, I have had several wonderful opportunities to continue to create that sacred space of healing, connection, restoration and joy through a number of benevolent opportunities including bi-weekly yoga for Big Brothers and Big Sisters, and special workshops in the school setting and with Girls Guides. 

For me, yoga lives and breathes within my being, each posture emanating from my own intuitive knowing, a beautiful dance woven through breath and movement on my mat, honouring the needs and limitations of my own wonderfully aging body moment by moment.  Given the duration and consistency of my practice, I have come to fully embrace the importance of honouring our ever shifting emotional, physical and mental health each time we step on the mat. This dynamism underscores the importance of choice, empowerment, and voice when attending a class.  It is here that my professional journey as a clinical therapist and social worker has expanded my own personal practice, and who I am as a yoga teacher. My recent specialization in Yoga for Trauma has transformed the entirety of my own approach as we come to fully understanding the nature of trauma and its embededness within the human nervous system and body.  It is not this trauma informed perspective that guides who I 

am as practitioner and teacher. 

It has been an interesting dance, in my journey as both yogi and clinician, walking two seemingly separate and distinct paths, one espousing the strengths of western mental health modalities, the other rooted in eastern holistic traditions.  Most cognitive therapies used in our clinical practice encapsulate the essence of the dharma wheel, of repetitive thought, of the power of the inner being and mind.  Yoga extends this through the wisdom of Buddhist and ayurvedic thought and philosophy, yet invites us to bring back in the body, a fundamental component of true mental health and healing. The importance of the body in healing has come to the forefront of mental health in recent years. It would seem that yoga always had it entirely right, and so these two worlds are finally coming together, as two key aspects of healing, one always slightly incomplete without the other.  And so what a gift, for me, to be able to finally reconcile these two parts of myself, and bring them together at New Mindset Yoga. 

Erin

Erin is a yoga teacher who views yoga as a profound gift, providing a sacred space for individuals to cultivate an intimate relationship with themselves. Through mindful somatic movement, meditation, breathwork, and yogic philosophies, Erin's classes are designed to 

guide you inward, fostering a more supportive and aligned relationship with yourself.

Erin began her personal yoga practice in 2013, discovering how yogic teachings deepened her self-connection and revealed the magic of gratitude and reciprocity. Motivated to delve 

deeper and enhance her inward journey, she embarked on her teacher training in 2018. For Erin, preparing and teaching classes is a creative process where she skillfully weaves together various philosophies, inspirations from nature's rhythms, and wellness modalities. 

Her approach is inclusive and welcoming to all, creating a space where everyone feels at home. 

Believing that the student is the true teacher, Erin enjoys facilitating a space for deep inquiries and personal discoveries. In a world that often feels noisy and overwhelming, yoga offers a quiet respite, allowing you to reconnect with yourself and move closer to the person you 

aspire to be. 

Erin is a Canadian Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Instructor (CYA-RYT300) with certifications in Somatic Healing, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Trauma-Sensitive Children’s Yoga, and Meditation. She holds a special interest in Ayurveda and Trauma-Informed Yoga 

Practices. 

Through her teaching, Erin aims to support your journey toward being more resourced and resilient, helping you navigate life's challenges with grace and strength.