Karen was born and raised in Charlottetown, PEI. Having practiced yoga on and off since high school, it wasn’t until Karen discovered hot yoga that she realized her true passion. Originally drawn to the physical aspects and cardiovascular workout, her practice soon evolved and it became more than a great way to stay in shape. She began to experience so many benefits; improved breath awareness, reduced stress, improved digestion and this incredible blissful feeling after class.

With a desire to share this experience with others, Karen completed her Modo Yoga training in 2009 in Toronto… what an amazing experience! She then traveled to Costa Rica in 2010 for Modo Level 2 as well as two Prenatal Yoga trainings in 2011 and 2017.  Now that her family has grown to include 3 beautiful children, Karen is even more grateful to the tools that her practice has given her.

Karen has a deep love for this community and is inspired every day by her students and teachers to continue to spread this Modo love all over PEI!

Curiosity is what brought Suzanne into her first yoga class… Loving the exhilarated feeling after class, the freedom, focus, and positive energy in her every day life (to mention a few) is what this practice brings to her! After a year of practicing, she knew she needed to share this experience – she wanted to deepen her practice and she wanted to teach! Packing her bags, she headed to her first yoga teacher training: Baron Baptist Power Yoga Level one. Shortly after she returned, she repacked those bags and headed to Montreal for Modo teacher training, which proved to be one of the greatest months of her life. Finding that sense of community – a group of warm, kind, happy people is what she loves most about Modo. Modo Yoga Charlottetown is a studio that Suzanne can truly call home.

Scott began his journey into yoga in early 2012. Taking his first hot yoga class at MYC, he quickly fell in love with the practice. Finding a place to just let go and breath became more and more important to him. Working towards a sense of balance, flexibility and grounding on his mat, it was amazing to see how this transformation started to flow into his daily life – and continues to do so. It didn’t take long before falling in love with the Modo community. In 2013, Scott joined the Energy Exchange team at the studio.

The search began for a deeper connection to his practice. In 2014, Scott took a month away from his career in nursing and completed his Modo Yoga Teacher Training in Los Angeles. He describes the training as being one of the best experiences of his life.

Scott hopes to help people find that connection between body, mind, and breath. Encouraging students to find a balance between effort and surrender. To subtly peel away layers to find their whole, individual and awesome selves.

As many do, Matt Stumbled upon yoga during a difficult time in his life and found much solace in the practice and the beautiful community that surrounds it. He found meditation first, then yoga, and was both hooked and humbled with the mind/body/breath connection. Matt was part of the Energy Exchange team at Modo Yoga Charlottetown for a couple years and eventually with some encouragement decided to take his teacher training in Kelowna, BC in July 2019 and has since completed the Modo flow training in 2021. Matt’s new role as a yoga teacher coincided with another big shift in his life, as he was also leaving his Civil Engineer career behind and beginning a new journey as a Nursing student. Matt’s lighthearted classes are filled with good tunes, a few laughs, down to earth vibes, and a focus on smooth mindful movement with emphasis placed on quality of breath. If you have read this far, and even if you haven’t, Matt hopes you have an awesome day!

Erika again joins the Island Tides Festival as Program Coordinator! This is her 20th year as a full time yoga instructor and studio manager, she currently is founder of 3eYoga and director of operations at Charlottetown Yoga Space. She is a lead trainer with Maritime Yoga College, having helped certify many PEI yoga teachers. This year she is thrilled to open a second movement Space, this time in Tracadie at Blackbush Beach Resort. Her mission as a yoga instructor is to inspire new “a-ha” moments for the seasoned practitioner and crush any misconceptions a new yoga student might have about yoga being “boring”!

Carrie Lundy is a school teacher and yoga instructor who teaches and practices with an open heart. As a committed student, she enjoys learning from local Indigenous knowledge keepers and values the connection between the teachings of Yoga and the sacred teachings of Epekwitk. Carrie places self-love at the heart of her practice and sees Yoga as a tool to help elevate love and peace in the world.

Before moving to PEI in 2015, Ouma was inducted as a Meditator Facilitator by Lama Catherine Rathburn in Toronto. She is a long time practitioner of Vajrayana and Vipassana meditation, after initiation in India, England and Canada. She is a Sanskrit tutor and a lifelong student of Vedic traditions and Advaita philosophy. She teaches yoga at the Charlottetown Yoga Space and UPEI.

Smita was born and raised in New Delhi, India. An interior designer by profession, she has always had a keen interest in Yoga. Her quest to delve deeper into the knowledge of self (Yoga = yuj = union with self) led her to join the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy headquartered in ValMorin, Quebec, Canada. In 2020-2021, she completed her 600 hrs of teachers training (TTC) & advanced teachers training (ATTC) at the Sivananda ashrams in Kerala & Tamil Nadu in south India earning herself a Master in Yoga, MY and YPM member of the Indian Yoga Association. She has been conducting classes in Hatha Yoga specializing in the Sivananda lineage taught through the Guru disciple tradition in India.

Andrea’s goal is to provide the motivation and training necessary to facilitate a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Andrea hosts annual Yoga and fitness retreats at Farm of Life, Costa Rica.

A lot of Kelly’s teachings are based on research and training with Yoga Medicine, a platform that bridges gaps between yoga and other health systems. This idea of meshing and working together of the modalities of health to offer us our best shot of achieving and maintaining ongoing health and wellness.

Charles is the founder of YogaGrove. He started seriously engaging with Iyengar Yoga after starting classes with Pam Stewart in 2010. Through his work in the practice he began to witness the transformative and evolutionary power of this incredible art, science, and philosophy of yoga. His joy in teaching and humour make classes enjoyable and fun as well as challenging, educational, and rewarding.

Lesley was born and raised in Prince Edward Island, and her first foray into the world of wine was as a Junior Sommelier for the Ritz Carlton, Cayman Islands. Work has taken Lesley to Calgary, Vancouver, Turkey, and Halifax, and wine has taken her to France, Italy, Austria, Chile, Portugal and California. Ask her what my favorite wine is and the answer will always be “I love all my babies equally.”

A channel of lyrical Soul Songs, Sound Healer, Musician, and Songwriter. The sonic vibrations channeled forth come directly from the souls of those present at an event, offering, or ceremony. As a conduit of sonic healing energy and soul activation, she comes into harmony with the group and/or individual present, channeling forth angelic, shamanic, mystical, and transformative vibrations of music, song and sound healing for those present.

Triona Harrop is the Owner-Operator of Infrared Fitness. She has been teaching all forms of movement from dance, Pilates, yoga, spin, and track & field to rehab and mindfulness movement. Her passion for movement comes across in her style of teaching as she incorporates over 30 years of teaching experience to students of all levels. Triona will help you to tap into your true potential on the Mat and leave you feeling challenged, invigorated and inspired.

Sat Nam. My name is Teri Hall and I am a yoga teacher and lifelong student of Life. I was introduced to yoga at a very young age and have been practicing and teaching various styles of Yoga for over 50 years (Hatha, Kundalini, Chair, Restorative, and Yoga Nidra). I have always been drawn to yoga’s ability to help calm my mind, strengthen my body and most of all, to connect to my inner self. I integrate pranayama (breathing techniques), mindfulness and meditation into my classes and teach with wisdom, dedication and passion. I am always seeking opportunities to continue my education and growth as a teacher and to share these learnings with you. Off my mat, I can be found designing jewelry, painting, hiking, kayaking, and being in nature every chance I get.

Cynthia has been practicing yoga for 24 years and teaching for the last 6. She truly loves helping people find relaxation in their day, peace in their hearts and strength and confidence in their bodies. My goal to instill a sense of agency and curiosity in my students. Yoga is the lens she looks at the world through, and the way that she stays connected to herself and the present moment and Cynthia always excited to share the gift of movement.

Reequal Smith, born and raised on the beautiful Bahama Islands, is the Founder and Artistic Director of “Oshuns Dance Studios” focusing on bringing women together to feel empowered and venerated of all ethnicities. She has trained in ballet, jazz, modern contemp, african, aerial ballet and fire dancing. During her career in her hometown,she has performed in multiple shows in hotels for more than 8 years and Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival for three years with local artists. Reequal obtains a B.A in Marketing at The University of The Bahamas and is a Sopa alumni from Holland College in PEI, where she currently continues her dancing career as an independent artist,choreographer and educator in Charlottetown. Further taking part in Festivals and events such as; Diversecity Festival, Roma Festival, River Clyde Pageant and Stratford Fall Festival. She continues to express her art by fusing cultural patterns together as one creating something beautiful and wishes to bring more excitement and diversity to the PEI Community.”Continuously aiming for new heights she follows the words by Francisco Gella “Dance because you love it, Dance because you live it, and Dance because you have nothing to lose and everything to share”.

I stepped into my first Yoga class over 20 years ago. Wow, how my practice and understanding of Yoga has changed since then! I completed my first Yoga certification in 2009 with YogaLife in India. Since then, I have accumulated over 4000 training hours. I am a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), a graduate of Yoga North International Soma Yoga Institute, an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT at the 500-hour level), and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN). Along the way, I have also completed an 800-hour Yoga history and Philosophy program, Yoga-Nidra Levels 1 and 2, as well as Yoga-Nidra for Children through Traditional Yoga Studies (Brenda and Georg Feuerstein), a year-long Mastery of Mantra training with Russill Paul and Ayurveda, Chakras and more with Indu Arora. Above all, I am a student first and humbly take space within this tradition of Yoga with reverence and sincerity. I currently work as a Yoga Therapist and Nutritionist at the Serene View Ranch, a multi-disciplinary clinic on PEI that focuses on treating mental health issues, especially trauma-related difficulties. I also lead workshops and trainings focusing on mental health, Yin, Ayurveda, and more. I have been a guest presenter for many events and festivals on the Island and beyond.

Rhonda Gallant has been teaching fitness and wellness in Souris since 2003 and has been PEI’s only licensed Groove™️ (AKA bodygroove) facilitator since 2018 leading weekly community classes in Charlottetown.

Jacqueline is a loving, high-spirited, freelance makeup artist with a strong passion for natural beauty, well-being, and our environment. Celebrating over 12 years of experience working in the industry, she is happy to be the Maritimes’ first natural makeup artist. She empowers her clients to embrace their own individuality. Encouraging a conscious, mindful approach, she hopes to inspire you to look at beauty from a different perspective. With an environmentally-conscious mindset, Jacqui believes that a movement can be made that creates not only a healthier planet, but a healthier connection to ourselves. She’s on a mission to help make this world a better place—one toxin-free, earth-friendly product at a time! Find her on Instagram at @urbandaisyboutique or online at www.urbandaisy.ca

Julie is a part time yoga teacher at Modo Yoga Charlottetown. Her focus is always on the breath, mindfulness, and moving in a way that simply feels good. She loves debunking the myth that only flexible people can do yoga by making the practice accessible for everyone. She believes witnessing students leaving the studio feeling better than they did when they walked in is the biggest reward. When Julie is not at the yoga studio, you will find her hiking, or enjoying the sweet salt air on one of PEI’s beautiful beaches.

Julie Pellissier-Lush is a Mi’kmaq storyteller, photographer, actor, drummer, best-selling author, and the first Indigenous Poet Laureate for PEI.

Through her books, songs, poetry and other creative pursuits, Julie celebrates and shares the powerful stories of the Mi’kmaq on PEI. Amongst her many accomplishments, Julie helped script the play ‘Mi’kmaq Legends’, which has been performed countless times over the past 12 years across the Island.

At her essence, Julie is a cultural teacher and knowledge keeper. She finds inspiration from her elders, as they bravely share their stories, and from today’s courageous youth who are embracing and celebrating their rich culture. Her five children serve as her greatest inspiration and enduring reason for getting up each day to teach, sing, and create in celebration of her Mi’kmaw roots.

The multi-talented, heart-centred artist’s contributions to the Mi’kmaw community and PEI have not gone unnoticed. She is the recipient of the Queens Diamond and Platinum Jubilee Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Senators 150 Medal.

Her plays continue to grow in popularity and are featured in various festivals and stand-alone productions across Atlantic Canada. Julie is currently writing a new ghost storybook with the Elders of PEI as well as two children’s books.

Over the years, Holly has been drawn to the dynamic connection between yin yoga and reiki. She hopes to offer a sense of peace, well being and support. As she notices the lack of acknowledgment in all limbs of yoga in the western world with a general focus primarily on the asanas, her intention is to teach the 8 limb philosophy in a way that is accessible for anyone. These eight steps act as basic guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life.

Iranian-born artist Monelli Rahmatian has been enriching the Island with her vibrant interpretation of Persian dance and culture. Through performances at festivals, group dance classes, and Persian cooking workshops, she aims to spread joy and empowerment to all! Monelli is a homeschooling mother of two, a certified Kundalini Yoga Teacher and Persian Dance Instructor. Monelli is deeply passionate about holistic healing and wellness and manages numerous online wellness groups. For the past 3 years, she has been infusing the Island Tide Festival with her unique Persian flair. Through the transformative power of dance, Monelli uplifts, empowers, and brings joy to all who join her.

Michelle Paquet-Monette RYT500, SHE RECOVERS® Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher offers yoga to diverse groups in Eastern PEI with her relaxed and accessible approach. She found Yoga as a child, practicing on the orange shag carpet of her family living room, led by Kareen Zebroff on the TV. Looking back, she believes that through Yoga she discovered very young that when moving and breathing in Yoga, she was fully in the moment, free of censure and of any fears of not being enough. Later, Michelle’s military experience and corporate challenges offered growth and learning, but it was her personal journey back to self-acceptance that led her to rediscover Yoga in her 30s and overcome many personal and physical obstacles. Eventually, she was called to deepen her exploration of the practice and studied to be a yoga teacher at Maritime Yoga College in Charlottetown, PEI. Michelle’s classes focus on creating a softer practice to allow space for others on their way in their own healing and learning journey. She is certified as a SHE RECOVERS® Yoga teacher, a global grassroots movement serving women, and non-binary individuals who identify with women’s communities, who are in or seeking recovery from mental health issues, trauma, substance use and related life challenges. A military veteran, she is certified to deliver programming with the US-based Veteran’s Yoga project, which supports recovery and resilience among veterans, military families and communities. She is currently training in mindfulness certification, and continues to practice and be involved in the PEI Yoga community. Her favourite classes to teach are community based, from Chair Yoga for Seniors, to welcoming and accessible Strength and Balance Hatha programs, to beach yoga on local beaches with locals and tourists. Satnam.

Celine is a naturopathic doctor, acupuncturist, and cofounder of EASTND and owner of the Charlottetown location. Her practice focuses mainly on hormonal health and skin health (graceful aging and acne). She graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Dalhousie University and a Doctorate of Naturopathy from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Celine was drawn to naturopathic medicine because the model of care resonated greatly with her belief in patient focused care and individualized medicine. Patient education is a large component of therapy, as she hopes to empower her patients to trust their bodies’ capacity to heal. Celine enjoys blending evidence based natural practices with ancient eastern medical traditions to promote lasting health of the mind, body and soul. She’s excited to share her knowledge & expertise with many festival-goers on Saturday during the Island Tides Community Acupuncture Clinic at Confederation Landing and again at the Green Beauty Breakfast at Salt & Sol on Sunday morning. Find out more at www.eastnd.ca

Bryde MacLean is a life-long learner and a facilitator of transformative experiences. Her passion is “making” and especially, making the most of the in-between moments that compose most of our lives. A senior teacher of Modo Yoga and professional actor on stage and in film, Bryde leads mindful movement and breath classes that help participants feel at home in their bodies and minds. Her classes are known for cultivating calm, and her grounding, thoughtful, and encouraging cues open up the senses and imagination for a rich experience of the present moment.

Born into a theatrical family on Prince Edward Island, Bryde has studied professionally in England, Toronto, and Los Angeles in the Performing Arts. Her instructor certifications in Hatha, Vinyasa, and Yin Yoga include over 3,000 hours of training in the yoga tradition. As the Manager of Teacher Training for Modo Yoga, Bryde led over 700 teachers through the journey to their certification. In September 2021, Bryde will return to school to begin the journey towards her Diploma in Osteopathy.

You can catch Bryde guiding “Simple Movements for Complex Times” with Pam August on Sunday, July 18th from 12-1pm at the Founders’ Hall Green Space.

Pam August is a passionate, at times obsessed lifelong learner who is excited to share her learning with you! She has a rich learning background, including formal education in adult learning and leadership, certifications in neuro-leadership coaching, Organizational Relationship Systems Coaching “ORSC”, Brain Gym® (simple movement to remove blocks and rewire our brains), and yoga teaching. Pam’s “always forward, never straight” learning journey includes experience as a wellness instructor and nutrition coach, faculty at SAIT, and a developer of people potential at WestJet. Since 2019, she has partnered with purpose-driven individuals, teams, and organizations who believe in the potential of people yet are challenged to connect it – in ways that are simple to activate yet powerful in their impact. Known for her insight and infectious energy, learning with Pam is an experience that inspires and activates. She is also excited to share on a broader scale with the release of her first book, Potential: How to Connect What’s Already There for Exponential Impact!

Chef Brittany Boothroud first became passionate about concious eating when she began her yoga journey in 2015. With over 10+ years of experience in the restaurant industry, she has spent time cooking and learning in various restaurants in and around Charlottetown, PEI; Banff, Alberta; Melbourne, Australia and Nelson, British Columbia. While working in a busy vegan soul food restaurant in Autralia, her passion for plant-based cooking was brought to life. She then returned to PEI with a goal to reconnect Islanders with the food on their plates . Brittany is passionate about vegan and vegetarian cooking, though her goal is to open your mind to concious eating, however that may look to you. Brittany is the owner and head chef of @Wild Kitchen: plant-based cooking classes in which she teaches private, hands on cooking classes to bring people back into their own kitchens. You can catch her on Saturday, July 17 from 4-6pm at the Mindful Living Talks & Tapas event at Merchantman’s Anchor Room discussing Mindful Eating.

Originally from the small community New Mills, New Brunswick, Kaitlyn moved to the Island in 2010 to study Foods and Nutrition at the University of Prince Edward Island. After completing her Bachelor of Science degree Kaitlyn decided she was not ready to leave the beautiful Island. She began employment at Simply For Life in 2015 as a Nutrition Consultant. In 2018 she purchased Simply For Life Charlottetown and along with Nutrition consulting she embraced the role of being s business owner and began to grow the Simply For Life retail market. Kaitlyn is passionate about health and giving those around her the tools to eat well and live well. Buying local and eating locally grown foods is something Kaitlyn values highly and enjoys sharing her love for it with others. She’s excited to share her expertise with festival goers during the Walk N’ Talk with Your Expert at the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market on Saturday, July 17th at 9am. Free to attend and first come, first serve!

Dr. Veronica Kaye, B.Sc; PhD has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a PhD in Marine Natural Products Chemistry. During her PhD studies, she discovered the powerful practice of yoga and a decade later, became an instructor (200 hours). She is also a children’s yoga instructor and works with daycares and groups of children in her popular classes!

Dr. Kaye is a Kidney Research Technician at the University of Prince Edward Island. You can find her teaching Ashtanga yoga to adults in Souris or to children for her Children’s Yoga series.

She lives in Fortune Bridge with her husband and two children.

Steff Sullivan (she/her), founder of Steff Sullivan Collective, blends her decade of experience as a women’s health nurse, various movement certifications and her own spiritual curiosity into a deep rooted passion for self-care and mental wellbeing. She is trained in Human Design and uses it to support humans in understanding their unique energy blueprint and how to care for themselves in a holistic and sustainable way. Steff strongly values community and enjoys creating experiences that bring humans together to share, support & connect with each other. Through her brand, she offers movement classes, self-care workshops, one-on-one services, group programs, and wellness retreats – both virtually and locally on Prince Edward Island, Canada. Learn more about Steff and her current offerings here: www.steffsullivan.co

Mary has been practicing yoga in PEI since 1997. Her mission with community teaching and running a yoga and karate studio has been healthy individuals, healthy families, and healthy communities – based on individual needs. Her 25 years of yoga instruction began in Calgary with a 2 year teacher training program and the years have included Classical Hatha yoga, Power yoga, Kripalu yoga, Kripalu yoga dance, yoga for children, prenatal and postnatal yoga, therapeutic yoga, yoga for seniors, and iRest yoga nidra.

Holly has been teaching yoga, practicing reiki and meditation for approximately 10 years. Her expertise, experience, and authenticity make for a deeply restorative, rejuvenating, and relaxing class. Students love Holly’s gentle approach, paired with her empowering, articulate, and inspiring (unique) classes. This will be Holly’s 4th meditation walk with Discover Charlottetown and 3rd year involved with Island Tides Festival.

Megan Macdonald teaches weekly yoga classes and is trained in Reiki, and facilitates the self-healing Dalian Method. She has taught widely on ritual and belief, and works with individuals and groups to promote wellbeing, health and raising consciousness. @expansionhealing www.expansionhealing.ca

Trevor Grant has been a musician all his life, holds a Bachelor of Music from Mount Allison University and has been performing and teaching for over 30 years. He offers sound meditation sessions with his project “SoundEscapes.” @soundescapes FB and IG.

Chryshawnda, widely known as “Coach Chrysh”, is a well-rounded Fitness Instructor and Certified Holistic Nutrition Coach, born and raised in the beautiful isles of the Bahamas. Chryshawnda has 4 years experience in the Health & Wellness industry. She founded an online coaching practice and community called StrongHER Academy to help women worldwide to live life well. Her introduction to the health industry began with her very own wellness journey, which began in 2020. She experienced a transformation in her diet and lifestyle that changed the trajectory of her life. She uses her experience and knowledge to thrust more women on the path of healthier living through sustainable diet & habit changes.

The instructor is a newcomer from Ukraine, Polina Salabay! Experienced dance teacher with more than 6 years of being in this field. Polina has experience in working with children and adults of different levels, so can easily find an approach to work with everybody. Very positive and energetic person who loves to exchange energy with people! Find her on Instagram: @dance_pollis

Following a severe car accident 33 years ago, Anita tried yoga to manage her chronic pain. She found not only physical relief, but an inner peace, sense of purpose, meaning and spiritual connection. Once she began, “I felt like yoga would always be in my life.” Anita says. 

In 2021, Anita became a yoga teacher, with the intention to share the blessing yoga has been in her own life with others. Fascinated by healing, she has studied Reiki, Therapeutic Touch and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and also completed Energy Medicine Yoga teacher training.

Anita’s classes are rich with compassion, kindness and infectious joy. She especially wants to teach those who yearn to try yoga but feel it’s out of reach, perhaps because they are self-conscious of their body, feel they lack flexibility and balance, or they’re shy about taking a class. “I always saw myself that way too,” Anita says with a smile. “But I pushed past the fear, and yoga changed my life.”

Gabrielle’s primary focus as a teacher and personal trainer is to keep everyone moving well throughout their lifespan. She has taught in Montreal and Toronto over the last thirty years and her great joy is working with people to restore lost mobility and helping people maintain and optimize their strength and range of motion. She uses a dynamic multidisciplinary approach in all her classes to motivate participants of all ages, fitness levels, body shapes and sizes. Gabrielle completed 750 hours of yoga training with Naada Yoga Montreal and Yogafit Canada and many hours with her mom in the 70’s in front of the TV! She also holds a doctorate from the Department of Kinesiology, University of Montreal, in the Science of Physical Activity. She completed certifications as an Exercise Physiologist from the Health and Fitness Federation of Canada and as a Fitness Instructor from the YMCA. Helping people move is her passion!

– Ph.D. Science of Physical Activity, University of Montreal, Department of Kinesiology
– Certified Exercise Physiologist – HFFC
– Certified YMCA F.I.T-Group Conditioning
– Certified Yoga Instructor – 750 YTT

Xclusiv Crew is a diverse Urban Dance Company that was founded in 2010 by Bahamian HipHop Choreographer, Joe Dames. The crew originally started with six male dancers from Eight Mile Rock, Bahamas. In 2012, Joe met his wife, Dawn Dames, who then brought her vision and style to the crew. They have both trained and performed in Trinidad, Cincinatti, NYC, and have shared the stage with artists such as Destra Garcia & Cardi B. The two artists moved to Prince Edward Island together in 2018, and continued developing their technique, creating a safe space for dancers of all skin tones, shapes and sizes, and building a platform for the community. The crew performs HipHop, Breakdancing, Contemporary, Lyrical, Afro Jazz, Afro Beat, Tap, Step, Jazz Funk, and much more. Joe is currently a part time choreographer at The Confederation Centre of the Arts, and Dawn is The Associate Artistic Director for the Charlottetown Festival. Their goals are to continue to break stereotypes and pave the way for young artists like themselves. 

With over ten years in the industry, Jessica is a certified Personal Training Specialist, Schwinn Indoor Cycling Instructor and future certified yoga teacher. An Infrared instructor and member since 2017, she has thousands of classes under her belt as both a teacher and student. Jessica believes that physical fitness is the key to longevity as it equips us with the confidence, determination and power needed to conquer any challenge. Jessica inspires students with her infectious energy in classes including Eli Sport Athletica, Hot Athletica and the newly-launched Athletica Spin!

Kate was born and raised in Southern Ontario. During her youth, she figure skated competitively for many years. After moving to Northern Ontario, she came back to figure skating as a Coach for three years. During this time, yoga was becoming increasingly important to maintain both her physical health and well being. Her style varies from Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Flow and Yin Yoga. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing one of Kate’s classes, you will be left wanting to come back time and time again.

Kristi is a certified personal trainer and indoor spin coach, blending her expertise with a love for fun workouts. With a background in different dance styles and varsity rugby, Kristi embodies teamwork and resilience. Kristi has a passion for helping others get fit with fun and effective methods.

Lauren is a naturopathic medical graduate working at Inbloom Health. She is awaiting licensing exams and is currently seeing patients under the supervision of Dr. Leduc at EASTND PEI. Lauren is a reproductive health advocate and strives to educate patients about their physical & mental health. Her clinical focuses include fertility, preconception, pregnancy, postpartum care, menstrual cycle concerns, and athletic recovery & performance.

Leone and Michelle met online during the Covid times. They found themselves each in a certification workshop for She Recovers out of BC. An instant friendship was formed because of a shared love for light, the poetry of life, and yoga. There’s been no looking back as together they bring light to the darkness and honour darkness because of the light. Satnam.

Yoga has been a grounding part of Leone’s life for over 20 years, and her practice has helped her grow stronger, more flexible, more fearless, and more balanced both on and off the mat. Yoga inspires Leone to live each moment more mindfully and to let the inner light shine. Leone completed her 200 hour RYT under the excellent guidance of Sam and Erika at Maritime Yoga College. There is so much growth to be found in the journey of yoga. She has had the opportunity, through further education courses, to deepen her awareness of Yin and Restorative Yoga, Yoga with a Chair, Subtle Yoga, Yoga for Healing and Recovery, Somatics Blend Yoga, Mindfulness, Meditation, Reiki Therapy and so on. She will always be a student of yoga and is deeply grateful for the wisdom her teachers have shared with her on the journey. Believing yoga to be for every body, Leone guides classes and workshops at various spaces and places through out the Island, internationally online, and favours, most of all guiding classes in the great outdoors spaces and places surrounding us. Regardless the venue, Leone seeks to help others nurture the body, mind and soul connection as they explore their own yoga practice. Her hope is that you will step off the mat feeling refreshed and renewed, nourished and balanced too. 

Lily Forsythe is a registered, board-certified acupuncturist in Prince Edward Island, the owner of Healing Point Holistic Health, and a part-time team member at EASTND. She is an active member of Acupuncturists without Borders and trauma-informed practice certified. She provides group acupuncture to several community groups, including the Lennon Recovery House in rural PEI. Her private practice centres around nervous system regulation, hormone balancing, and acute/chronic pain relief. Lily focuses on providing integrative healing solutions to the members of her community through comprehensive treatment plans and multiple modalities, including cupping, gua sha, e-stim, moxibustion, and TuiNa, as well as acupuncture.

On her days off, she can be found reading through her traditional East Asian medicine library, gardening, or cuddling her fur babies.

Liz Fay grew up on Prince Edward Island, moved to Alberta at 21, and 27 years later, has returned to her roots. She is enjoying being close to family, the community of PEI and, of course, the ocean. For the last 5 years she has been growing and living a healing journey, learning Advance Pranic Healing, has become a Reiki Master and a Sacred Sound Healer. Liz loves sharing her talents with others, bringing calm, relaxation, and wellbeing to those around her. She has felt so loved and welcomed back to PEI as the community has been so open and excited for her Sound Baths that she has been performing them from one tip of the Island to the other!

Ruth Richman has been practicing yoga since her early teens and teaching yoga on PEI for 44 years. She taught Yoga Teacher Training programs for 12 years in New Brunswick and on the Island.

Ruth is certified to teach four styles of Yoga by internationally recognized instructors (Astanga 1000+ hours; Yin 500 + hours; Kundalini 400+ hours; and Hatha 250+). In addition, she has over 2000 hours of training in Yoga Therapy, Restorative Yoga, Meditation, and Pranayama with assorted teachers in Canada, USA and India. Some of her teachers include Beryl Bender Birch (New York), Shakta Kaur (Chicago, Illinois), Biff Mithoefer (Vermont), Gurudas Kaur (Virginia), David Swenson, Doug Keller, Glenn Black, David Williams, Tim Miller, and Sama Fabian.

Ruth has a strong interest in food and how it relates to the body. She has worked in the natural food industry for many years as a store buyer and alternate food consultant. Throughout her journey, she was a Forest Technician and has worked for government, private clients, and Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project in that capacity.

Although somewhat retired, Ruth loves to teach and offers classes in two styles twice a week in Charlottetown and on Zoom. She also offers a free, weekly, meditation time on Zoom.

Regan started her yoga journey back in 2012 at Power Yoga Canada and instantly fell in love with the practice (and the Hot Room!). Soon after, she discovered Modo Yoga St. Catharines in her hometown in Ontario. The community & practice is what kept her coming back to her mat. In October 2019, she spent a month in Montreal at Modo Yoga’s Level 1 Intensive Training. Feeling inspired and refreshed, she jumped right into teaching at Modo Yoga St. Catharines right up until their permanent closure in 2021. In May of 2022, Regan was really missing the Modo community so she moved to the East Coast and took the studio manager position at Modo Yoga Charlottetown. She is so happy to be immersed back into the community and back guiding you home to your body on your mat. Regan is trained in Modo, Modo Flow & Power Flow and her favourite class to teach is Power Flow – she loves to see students blossom and hit new waves of potential on their mats. Her favourite class to take is Modo + Yin (bonus if it’s Live Music!) – it’s a perfectly balanced class!

Sarah completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Sacred Movement School in 2022, a 50-hour Vinyasa Krama training, and a 25-hour Yoga for Athletes teacher training in 2023. She is a runner, triathlete, and lover of movement and mindfulness. When she’s not teaching yoga, you’ll find her moving her body in a variety of ways, taking deep breaths in nature, and trying to notice the fullness of each moment!

A Pilates, Strength, Yoga, Meditation & Breathwork, and Ayurvedic Practitioner in training, Victoria is constantly inspired by movement. As the Lead Pilates Instructor at R Studios, Pilates has changed Victoria’s approach to teaching, fusing the principals of Pilates into all of her teaching styles.

Ellie (she/her) is a proud Yoga for All certified instructor with a passion for creating safe, welcoming yoga classes for all bodies and experience levels. Coming from a background in dance, Ellie was first drawn to yoga as a way to integrate movement and creativity back into her life with a mix of strength, stability, and mobility for injury prevention.

Ellie is a firm believer that there is no full expression of any yoga pose – there is only your expression of the pose. Her mission as a teacher is to encourage students to explore their expression of each pose so that it feels good and welcome in each individual body.

Outside of yoga, you might find Ellie falling off her paddleboard, tap dancing, and spending time at local coffee shops, breweries and vineyards.

After 20 collective years of competitive gymnastics, volleyball, and track and field, Emma Menchefski found pilates after getting rear-ended by an 18-wheeler and suffering with chronic back pain. Her physiotherapist recommended strengthening her core through pilates, and the rest is history!

With regular practice, her back pain went away, along with her long-term knee and hip injuries from gymnastics. After a year of living pain-free, Emma completed her pilates instructor training with Halifax boutique fitness studio, R Studios.

Her passion now lies in helping others find joy in movement. Pilates not only supports injury prevention, but helps build a strong foundation for all other types of movement. Movement doesn’t have to be a chore – let’s make it fun together!

Faith (she/they) is a trauma-informed and accessibility-focused Yoga teacher from Ontario, but living in Halifax. Faith invites movement to be inquisitive and playful and find space in the transition moments. Intensity often demands presence, but so too does an invitational practice.

Gabrielle’s primary focus as a teacher and personal trainer is to keep everyone moving well throughout their lifespan. She has taught in Montreal and Toronto over the last thirty years and her great joy is working with people to restore lost mobility and helping people maintain and optimize their strength and range of motion. She uses a dynamic multidisciplinary approach in all her classes to motivate participants of all ages, fitness levels, body shapes, and sizes. Gabrielle completed 750 hours of yoga training with Naada Yoga Montreal and Yogafit Canada, and many hours with her mom in the 70’s in front of the TV! She also holds a doctorate from the Department of Kinesiology, University of Montreal, in the Science of Physical Activity. She completed certifications as an Exercise Physiologist from the Health and Fitness Federation of Canada and as a Fitness Instructor from the YMCA. Helping people move is her passion!

– PhD. Science of Physical Activity, University of Montreal, Department of Kinesiology
– Certified Exercise Physiologist – HFFC
– Certified YMCA F.I.T-Group Conditioning
– Certified Yoga Instructor – 750 YTT

Greg has a 500 hour kundalini, a 200 hour hatha, advanced teacher trainer in Thai yoga massage, along with a lifetime of study into oriental arts that vary widely. As a lifetime student and aspiring scholar, his studies has taken him around the world expanding his knowledge base. From the Amazon for herbalism to Nepal for sound healing courses to yearly trips to Thailand for traditional Thai Ayurvedic medicine, all in order to gain new insights on the base of education in traditional Chinese medicine and Taoism from a study of tai chi, qigong, and acupuncture. Greg has recently competed his Ayurvedic practitioners course to add to his hatha yoga teaching and yoga nidras, which have been the culmination of a 23 year yoga and meditation practice.

Katherine started her healing journey by caring for others as a Registered Nurse. With caring as her vocation, she turned inward to her own journey of healing. She dove head-first into balancing holistic methods alongside western medical approaches. Katherine is a 200 Hr Registered Yoga Teacher with certifications in yin yoga, mindfulness and meditation, a reiki master, and works as a comprehensive mental health nurse. She is currently taking her Masters of Nursing and has just published a guided journal, all of which inspired the profound healing approaches in her workshop “Journey: Becoming and Unbecoming.”