Michele Barnes - Director, 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
CYT1000+/E-RYT200; YACEP
Michele is a certified yoga teacher who is also registered with Yoga Alliance. She has received over 1000 hours in additional training in Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, Kripalu YogaDance, Pre/Postnatal Yoga; Restorative Yoga and Yoga for Seniors.
Michele has been practicing yoga since 1999 and teaching yoga and meditation since 2003. She began assisting in the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) in 2004 at the previous Lotus Centre for Yoga & Health studio in London, Ontario and became the Director of Yoga at The Lotus Centre in June 2008. She continues to offer 200 Hour YTT at Benders Yoga in London, Ontario.
Michele’s passion is about living authentically and honouring the innate design and mechanics of the human body. She invites students and teachers alike to recognize what yoga postures and practices support this design, how to practice them safely and to avoid poses that may cause harm. Above all, Michele is passionate about empowering women to embrace their innate value and inner authority and helping people of all genders to create harmony and balance, both within and without.
Leslie Heisz - Anatomy and Meditation
Founder of Benders Yoga Inc.
E-RYT200
In Leslie's life BY (Before Yoga), she was a self-professed gym rat and avid runner. However, those two things didn’t seem to help with her chronic stress, anxiety and depression. When her doctor suggested yoga, it didn’t take too long for her to realize that this was going to become a major part of her life! Leslie took her initial 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2009-10 and launched Benders Yoga not quite two years later.
Leslie has taught over 1000 hours of yoga to bump my certification to 200 E-RYT and currently pursuing her 500 Hour certification.
Leslie's general philosophy has always been “yoga for all”. Coupled with her love of anatomy she is passionate about helping others understand how bodies work and how to best teach different bodies, to truly make yoga accessible for all.
More recently, Leslie has come to understand the incredible power of meditation. She was never one to be able to sit still very long (even now – if she's sitting, she's knitting). Her meditation practice was born out of necessity, helping her through periods of pain and disability and alleviating many of her health issues. My yoga journey continues. I look forward to sharing yours.
Founder of Benders Yoga Inc.
E-RYT200
In Leslie's life BY (Before Yoga), she was a self-professed gym rat and avid runner. However, those two things didn’t seem to help with her chronic stress, anxiety and depression. When her doctor suggested yoga, it didn’t take too long for her to realize that this was going to become a major part of her life! Leslie took her initial 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2009-10 and launched Benders Yoga not quite two years later.
Leslie has taught over 1000 hours of yoga to bump my certification to 200 E-RYT and currently pursuing her 500 Hour certification.
Leslie's general philosophy has always been “yoga for all”. Coupled with her love of anatomy she is passionate about helping others understand how bodies work and how to best teach different bodies, to truly make yoga accessible for all.
More recently, Leslie has come to understand the incredible power of meditation. She was never one to be able to sit still very long (even now – if she's sitting, she's knitting). Her meditation practice was born out of necessity, helping her through periods of pain and disability and alleviating many of her health issues. My yoga journey continues. I look forward to sharing yours.
Rachel McGarry - Chanting & Bhakti Yoga
Kirtan Artist and RYT-200 Yoga Instructor
Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of devotion and an important part of Rachel's life; a music meditation, creative expression, a way to connect with community and a way to connect with the Divine. Since 2016 she has been writing original chant music, singing with her band Mahadevi (which means Great Goddess). She's also chanted at the Toronto Yoga Conference, Peterborough Yoga Festival and the London Yogathon, leads monthly Kirtans in the London area and at private events.
Bhakti yoga opened her heart, turned her world upside down and righted it with integrity, love and peace. The power of mantra cannot be underestimated. Whether to attract abundance, find strength, initiate transformation or find deep healing, mantras can help you get where you are going. Rachel has been practicing yoga since 1995 and recently completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with the Deva Tree School of Yoga in Owen Sound. She is currently combining her passion for Bhakti with a deep love and celebration of the Goddess and leading goddess yoga classes that include an exploration of the Divine Feminine with mantra, live music, meditation and flowing asana practice.
"Om Anandamayi, Chaitanyamayi, Satyamayi, Paremeshwari. Om Pachemama, Om Gaia, Om Earth Mother, the Mother of us All. Jai Jai Ma, Jai Ma, Jai Ma!
Kirtan Artist and RYT-200 Yoga Instructor
Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of devotion and an important part of Rachel's life; a music meditation, creative expression, a way to connect with community and a way to connect with the Divine. Since 2016 she has been writing original chant music, singing with her band Mahadevi (which means Great Goddess). She's also chanted at the Toronto Yoga Conference, Peterborough Yoga Festival and the London Yogathon, leads monthly Kirtans in the London area and at private events.
Bhakti yoga opened her heart, turned her world upside down and righted it with integrity, love and peace. The power of mantra cannot be underestimated. Whether to attract abundance, find strength, initiate transformation or find deep healing, mantras can help you get where you are going. Rachel has been practicing yoga since 1995 and recently completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with the Deva Tree School of Yoga in Owen Sound. She is currently combining her passion for Bhakti with a deep love and celebration of the Goddess and leading goddess yoga classes that include an exploration of the Divine Feminine with mantra, live music, meditation and flowing asana practice.
"Om Anandamayi, Chaitanyamayi, Satyamayi, Paremeshwari. Om Pachemama, Om Gaia, Om Earth Mother, the Mother of us All. Jai Jai Ma, Jai Ma, Jai Ma!
Sophie Hawkins - Ayurveda
Bachelor Fine Art, Master's of Education (Counselling),
Certified Yoga Teacher, Thai Massage & Ayurvedic MassageTherapist,
Ayurvedic Practitioner
Sophie Hawkins has offered Yoga/Meditation and Ayurvedic Workshops as well as Thai Massage in London, Ontario since 2005. She studies Ayurveda from the original texts, Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. David Frawley, Dr. Hebbar in India (where she has travelled extensively), and online with Dr. Douillard. She is certified from the Gerson Institute in New York.
Sophie was introduced to Ayurveda during her Yoga Teacher Training by a lovely teacher and very good cook, Joan Ceh. A few years later Sophie partnered with a Naturopath who specialized in Ayurveda and worked in the clinic as a Thai Massage Therapist, Ayurvedic Cooking Instructor and Meditation teacher for over ten years. Through her work, Sophie saw people get better and helped them learn how to cook and care for themselves through the brilliant system of Ayurveda.
Sophie currently runs various workshops on cooking, yoga, meditation and offers weekly private catering for busy people wanting good wholesome food based on Ayurvedic knowledge. For more information about Sophie and her programs, visit her website.
Bachelor Fine Art, Master's of Education (Counselling),
Certified Yoga Teacher, Thai Massage & Ayurvedic MassageTherapist,
Ayurvedic Practitioner
Sophie Hawkins has offered Yoga/Meditation and Ayurvedic Workshops as well as Thai Massage in London, Ontario since 2005. She studies Ayurveda from the original texts, Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. David Frawley, Dr. Hebbar in India (where she has travelled extensively), and online with Dr. Douillard. She is certified from the Gerson Institute in New York.
Sophie was introduced to Ayurveda during her Yoga Teacher Training by a lovely teacher and very good cook, Joan Ceh. A few years later Sophie partnered with a Naturopath who specialized in Ayurveda and worked in the clinic as a Thai Massage Therapist, Ayurvedic Cooking Instructor and Meditation teacher for over ten years. Through her work, Sophie saw people get better and helped them learn how to cook and care for themselves through the brilliant system of Ayurveda.
Sophie currently runs various workshops on cooking, yoga, meditation and offers weekly private catering for busy people wanting good wholesome food based on Ayurvedic knowledge. For more information about Sophie and her programs, visit her website.
