“TO THE MIND THAT IS STILL, THE WHOLE UNIVERSE SURRENDERS” ~ Lao-Tzu
Yoga has been Lisa’s passion since 1998. She decided to turn her passion into her profession in 2006. She enrolled in the Sheridan College Yoga Program, and began two years of intensive studies. Her course of study included 4 levels of theory, including the philosophy behind this wonderful 5,000 year old practice, and an in depth study of anatomy. The 4 levels of asanas (from beginner to advance) involved not only learning the execution of the pose, but also the benefits, cautions, modifications and adjustments for each posture.
Lisa is multi-disciplined in various styles of yoga, including:
- Ashtanga
- Vinyasa Flow
- Power Flow
- Classical Hatha
- Restorative Yoga
- Yoga Nidra
She also created a program for the Town of Oakville called ‘Mother/Daughter Yoga’, in which moms and daughters learn Partner Yoga.
Lisa continues to pursue various courses of study, including an intensive 40 hour study in the foundations and teaching techniques of the Primary Series of Ashtanga yoga with David Swenson. Every year she attends Yoga Conferences, expanding her knowledge of the practice of yoga. The courses, to name just a few, have included ‘Essential Adjustments of Yoga Poses’, ‘Secrets of Yoga Flow’, ‘Detox Flow’, and ‘Sequencing from the Core’.
In 2010, Lisa attended a yoga retreat in Morocco, Africa and had the pleasure of working with two wonderful Restorative Yoga teachers. In February 2011, she travelled to Costa Rica for Advanced Yoga Studies in the philosophy, psychology, and methodology of the classical eight-limbed path of Ashtanga yoga with Beryl Bender Birch. In September, 2011, Lisa attended the Yoga Journal Conference in Colorado to study with Ashtanga master Richard Freeman. She also completed a two day all-intensive workshopwith Rod Stryker, entitled ‘Yoga Nidra: The Science of Destiny, and the Yoga of Fulfillment.’ The second workshop, in 2012, dealt with Active Meditation, called ‘kriya’in the yogic tradition, teaches you to focus your mind by asking you to deliberately ‘move’ it, thus enabling it to slow down and eventually become still.
In March 2014, Lisa attended the Yoga Conference in Toronto and completed an intensive workshop entitled "Core Integrity" wherein she learned the vital role the core plays in a yoga practice. Lisa incorporates her acquired knowledge in the "Yoga Core" class she teaches for the Town of Oakville.
In April of 2015 she attended the Yoga Conference in Toronto to study "Chair Yoga for Seniors". The workshop also included teaching yoga to people with limited mobility, arthritis, and Alzheimer's Disease.
It is Lisa's hope, that through her continued studies and teacher training, she will be able to share her passion for yoga with others, and keep her classes engaging for everyone!