Instructors

Katie Whitton

Yoga is the light that guides me through life. My initial relationship with yoga began as an opportunity to help my body recover from other activities, but it has become my mental saviour. I return to myself every time I step on my mat

My mission as a teacher is to help you connect with your inner self, moving mindfully and intentionally. I blend my training in rehabilitation and anatomy with traditional yoga sequencing for fun, unique flows. I love music and spend almost as much time picking songs for my playlists as I do picking poses!

Off my mat, you can find me treating patients as a chiropractor and gait coach. I love to run, bike, ski, swim, hike, read, and travel.

Katie joined BCCY with a desire to learn more about her own style of teaching. Her forte is yoga flow and a yoga-jam to great music. Recently, Katie did her Yin certification and decided she would teach some Yin to see what that journey would look like. It has been a wonderful experience to take a Yin class with Katie. In Yin, a yoga pose is usually held for 2-5 minutes. Katie’s calm voice encourages you to focus, breathe through and establish a balance in your own practice. Katie’s Yin practice is excellent.
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Tomoko Honda RMT

Tomoko was a national-level soft-tennis athlete in Japan for 15 years. Although this experience was very rewarding, the level of performance was physically demanding and as a result caused her many different types of injuries, often requiring treatment.

During this time it occurred to Tomoko that she would like to use her knowledge and experience to help others who are experiencing injuries and pain. This led her down the path of Registered Massage Therapy. After an extensive education, she was registered in 2007, and is currently working at a cancer rehabilitation clinic as a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT)

Tomoko also began practicing yoga 10 years ago. Practicing yoga can connect the mind and body, improve focus, and relieve both physical and mental stresses. And one of the things that attracted her to yoga is that it can be focused on prevention as a key method for maintaining individual health.

In 2013 she began the Yoga Tune Up teacher training course in order to teach others. The Yoga Tune Up program can prevent issues by focusing on the 4 Ps: Pain, Posture, Performance and Proprioception. Combining her Registered Massage Therapist knowledge with the tenets of Yoga Tune Up has resulted in a program that is effective and enjoyable.

Tomoko is passionate about teaching others. She provides a caring environment for others to learn, regardless of whether they are brand-new to experienced levels. She looks forward to seeing you in her class!

 

Lois

Lois is a 200HR RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) with a deep lived appreciation for the benefits of yoga. Yoga’s meaningful movement, breathwork and meditation kept drawing her back over decades. She has learned that it is never too late to begin or to begin again.

Begin each class where you are and with her guidance you take and develop what you need. Calm? Strength? Mobility? Resilience? Confidence? Balance? It is her hope that in each class you will discover something new about yourself.

A mother, gardener, outdoor enthusiast, traveler and retired teacher, Lois is one who is drawn to share her passion for Yoga. Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Alignment and meditation are all part of her daily practice…and she is always in a state of learning!

 

Heather

Yoga is a continually evolving journey for me and brings with it new discoveries about myself and life every day. I have practiced yoga to some extent most of my life but stress, a busy life and running injuries led me to a more dedicated practice in the last 10 years. The mindful connection of movement and breath that is foundational to yoga brings peace, awareness and clarity to my mind and rejuvenates and challenges my body. Yoga has encouraged me to embrace compassion, acceptance and gratitude and has helped to enrich my relationship with myself, my loved ones and the world in general. I am passionate about sharing all the benefits yoga brings with others.

When I am not on my mat I enjoy training with weights and am an avid cyclist. I love to spend time with family, camping, hiking and canoeing.

Tanya Kalon

After 16+ years of practice, yoga is integrated into all areas of my daily life. Feeling good in my mind & my body is what I strive for every day and is what originally brought me to yoga. My practice anchors me in a place of calm enthusiasm. It helps me feel strong and free in my body.

As an experienced yoga teacher I’ve had the joy of guiding students through practice for over 9 years. The evolution of my teaching has drawn me away from the fierce power practices to the subtle energy practices of Yin Yoga & Meditation, but Hatha and Slow Flow will always be favourites to share.

All classes include an opportunity to arrive and ground, as a tie into observing how you are as we begin and creating a supportive breath for practice. It is my intention as a teacher, to guide my students to find a practice that feels good physically, emotionally & energetically. I offer options for your class to be exactly what you need, encouraging pauses and to explore your energy, breath and your strength. This time on the mat is yours, I’m just your guide.

Let’s practice together soon!