Mr. Tan, my first yoga teacher, started the class with a half hour meditation and followed by an hour of posture practice. Walking back home, I noticed a lightness and contentment that I had not experienced before. My heart was captured by yoga and since then I have not stopped the practice. When my lower back was hurt from falling off a horse, it was yoga that helped me with the pain. I became a yoga instructor in 2000, hoping the magic of yoga would be transferred to others.
In 2011, the pain in my knees almost forced me to stop yoga. I could hardly walk up and down stairs. I went to see a chiropractor. He did an adjustment and asked me to do Wall-sit at home to strengthen my legs. My knees were healing quite well, and it made me wonder, because I had done Chair pose a lot, which is similar to Wall-sit, what was the difference?
I began shifting attention from Hatha to Therapeutic yoga and attended Susi Hately’s 9-day Therapeutic Yoga Intensive training in Toronto. Applying her teaching, the function of my hips improved which led to easing the discomfort in my lower back and knees. Yoga had shown its power again and I was thinking of becoming a yoga therapist, but man plans and God laughs.
In 2012, Shocked by my niece’s death in her beautiful 30’s due to cancer, I became involved in activities of a group of Bhakti yoga practitioners in China. I have to admit that anything related to yoga would attract me to try. Looking for answers on living and dying, instead of pursuing Therapeutic yoga, I turned to Bhakti yoga and fell deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole. I thought I was touching the spiritual aspect of yoga and I was told I was on the path of the highest form of yoga. Floating in the air, my life started turning upside down.
Fortunately, my family is always standing by me. Without support from my compassionate husband Stewart and kind son, I would never have been able to go through those dark times. After six years of struggle, I was determined to resume a normal down-to-earth life, for those who still care about me.
Rumi said, “The wound is the place where the light enters”. Now Mindfulness is my daily practice. I still practice yoga, and still love to teach yoga. Walking on the journey of searching, I know now the way to well-being can be diverse.
Education /certificates:
– Anatomy, Kinesiology & Biomechanics training with Functional Synergy Susi Hately
– Workshops with Denis Pednault on Functional Bio-mechanics
– 200 Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Certification from Pranashanti Yoga Centre, Ottawa, led by Guy Tardif, who is Kripalu trained
– Older Adult certification from YMCA-YWCA Fitness Education Centre, Ottawa, led by Sarah. Leslie
- Insight Yoga Workshop with Sarah Powers at Santosha Yoga Centre, Ottawa
– Kundalini Yoga Radiant Child Yoga Program Certificate from Rama Lotus Yoga Centre, Ottawa, led by Tania Frechette
– Training Certificate with Katrin Nostadt and Ravi Ganesh, Patanjali Yoga Academy, Guangzhou, China which is associated with Swami Sivananda’s teachings in India
– Started Yoga teaching, 2000
– Started Yoga practice guided by Yoga master Tan Run-Hua, 1996
– Acupuncture certification, Training Centre of Guangzhou Medical College, China
- A Bsc degree in Geography.
Qi Wellness Yoga 