Teaching Philosophy
As a second generation settler on this land with relationships to other lands, I aim to honour the histories of my Punjabi agrarian ancestors by sharing this land and resources with care and responsibility. Within the context of my yoga practice, this means that I invite mindfulness and integration of the body, mind, spirit and land. I bring a somatic approach into all of my classes whether that’s through vigourous movement, exploratory gentle movements or even restorative shapes. Through movement, I encourage developing greater understanding of proprioception (your body's ability to sense movement, action, and location), interoception (your perception of sensations from inside the body), exteroception (your sensitivity to stimuli that are outside the body), and nociception (your ability to discern what is painful stimuli).
As we live in a pandemic, in late capitalism, in any given moment we are simultaneously asked to balance the global and personal- caring for ourselves, our families and communities, the collective, and our own shifting economic realities. All of this can overwhelm the nervous system and create a range of feeling states- from anxiety to anger; fear to frustration; from depression to disconnection; from technological fatigue to technological addiction. These personal and collective experiences may remain unprocessed or be held in our bodies. As a teacher, I aim to provide you with simple strategies to attune to what is arising and approach that with greater compassion and clarity. By integrating moment to moment experience and moving stagnant energy, we can make space for a more grounded existence. I share tools that help us ride out our thoughts, feelings and experiences as they arise during this time of immense change and disordering of the world we live in. Through the use of guided meditation, breathwork, movement, stillness, you will be guided through practices that support your body’s innate wisdom.
In addition to being a movement teacher, I am also a trained historian. While working with me, you can expect to be hit with nuggets of historical facts pertaining to the philosophy of the movement traditions that we are practice together.
Honouring my teachers
Dr. Eleanor Criswell Hanna and the Associates of the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training Three-year Professional Certification in Clinical Hanna Somatic Education (2022-2025)
Kathryn Bruni Young and Carly Stong 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training: Science, Strength and Inclusion (2022)
Taryn Diamond 20 hour Nidra Yoga Training (2020 )
Jules Mitchell 20 hour Breathing Mechanics, Somatic Principles, and Skillful Sequencing (2020)
Union Yoga + Wellness 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training (2017)
Kim McBean 40 hour Somatics and Restorative Training (2016/2020 )