Transformational Somatic Coaching, Energy Work, Restorative + Yin Yoga

A hot shower to cleanse the day away before bedtime.

Morning meditation

I don't believe in mistakes. There's a higher purpose to every choice we make, even if we're unaware of it at the time. It's all a part of our soul's evolution.

Making a wish on a full moon at a beautiful beach in the Dominican Republic. My wish came true a month later.

As a mentor specializing in transformational somatic coaching and energy work, Liz is here to support your journey toward inner alignment so you can live in deep fulfilment and experience:

Increased levels of joy and happiness

A life and career filled with purpose

Soul aligned connections and relationships

Freedom, inner peace and abundance

Liz has helped clients experience life changing breakthroughs using a unique combination method of mind-body based techniques and energy work. She is a certified life coach, trained in mindfulness, and has completed extensive yoga teacher training within the classical lineage of Sri T Krishnamacharya and TKV Desikachar. Liz is also a Reiki Master and practices energy work rooted in Egyptian and Usui (Japanese) traditions.

Deep exploration of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.

Taking a bath, with oils (guilty pleasure).

I use essential oils for everything, but especially when I travel: to clear the air and the energy, to help ground and uplift me.

Moved to New York for a boy.

After 24 years abroad, in Toronto and New York, I moved back to Lisbon. It was something I had wanted to do for a long time, but that I kept postponing. Though the transition hasn’t always been easy, it feels good to finally feel home.

While trained and experienced in a number of styles, Grace’s teaching is rooted in a deep personal exploration of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system. Using a non-dogmatic approach, Grace views the teacher as the bridge between the student and the practice, remembering that the ultimate goals of yoga were never meant to be confined to the mat. The physical practices of yoga are a gateway, not an end themselves. An individual’s journey inward must ultimately lead back outward, to engagement with the community. This realization inspired her to deepen her commitment to development projects, both locally and abroad.

Parisa specializes in yoga, EFT, meditation, breathwork, journal guidance, intuitive cooking and water colour painting.

So hard to choose one but I would have to say the Greek Islands. The Aegean Sea was so soft and beautiful and it was almost impossible to get me to leave those beaches! But I also have a major place in my heart for the west coast (BC and California). Nothing in the world is more grounding than trees with stories like those. 

Parisa is a yoga instructor and talk therapist. Her passions all lead to moving closer to the truth of who we are and she loves sharing this with everyone that crosses her path! 

Hatha & Vinyasa 

Holistic Coach -- 1:1 & transformational groups

Conscious Partnership Coaching

Theta healing

Reiki

Cranio-sacral therapy

Having a conversation with God on a walk on the beach in Costa Rica.

Lemon water, bio coffee, baby snuggles, meditation and morning pages.

Yoga, meditation, reading and journaling/writing.

Brynn brings her own rich life experience and training with recovery and healing from trauma, addiction & chronic illness with her. Brynn has been an avid yoga student for almost 20 years. Her classes are dynamic and spacious. She is passionate about creating a safe space for her students to have a truly transformative experience on their mats. 

When she isn’t practicing or teaching yoga, she is supporting her clients in her holistic coaching practice and spending time with her family. 

Naturopathic medicine - herbalism, traditional chinese medicine + acupuncture, functional nutrition, lifestyle medicine

Meditation, facial massage, exercise

Adequate hydration!

I don't really believe in mistakes - I see it all as a learning opportunity! In which case, probably starting my own practice so quickly out of school; a lot of people said that would be hard and possibly a mistake. It ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made!

Hiking on Maui; discovering some of the most beautiful, untouched nature I have ever seen -- including waterfalls we jumped from with locals!

Dr. Melissa Cugliari, ND is a leading expert in naturopathic dermatology, digestive health, and hormones. She launched her Toronto-based naturopathic clinic space in 2017 with the purpose of guiding individuals in unlocking a deep connection with their health. At her clinic, Dr. Melissa has curated a luxurious, natural medical and skin care experience, providing a gateway to deepen patients’ connection with health and naturopathic medicine.

Yoga, Cranial Sacral Therapy, Yoga teacher training, Serial Entrepreneur & a Natural Creative obsessed with exploring Connection.

Doing the 10 Day Langtang Trek in Nepal without a guide or sherpa, with only an old map. We took a ‘shortcut’ on Day one and we ended up going uphill for 8 hours and getting lost. We survived. The next day we met a dog, named him rusty, and decided to follow him when we weren’t sure. Rusty was our angel.

Costa Rica for Sunsets & Surf that feed my soul, Spain for Culture that stimulate my mind, Africa for deep connections that help me see clearly, NYC to explore and inspire creativity, LA for all the hikes, sunshine & food that restore my physical body.

Breathwork and working with the expansive energy of the heart to heal in meditation and in my relationships.

On retreat in Mexico last year, during a future exercise led by Grace, I went through a profound transformation. For the first time ever, I truly understood how precious my moments were. I grieved time and was in awe of it at the same time. How I experience life on the inside forever changed.

Jackie is the creator of the Wanderer Community. Her leadership and expertise are well-founded in Toronto's yoga and wellness community. As the founder and creative force behind SÅANA Yoga, creator of the SÅANA Method Trainings, leader of 50+ local and international retreats, owner of a cranial-sacral practice, and other entrepreneurial efforts, Jackie is a powerhouse of knowledge and gifted educator. 

You can find Jackie on most retreats. If she is not leading, she’ll probably be there attending. A true wanderer at heart.

Breathwork, food and eating as a spiritual practice

I’ve had the great fortune of traveling to some pretty wild places. One memory that stands out was a motorbike trip in northern Vietnam which took 5 days to complete. On day 3 we woke up in a town where a local market was taking place. People had been up since 4am to walk to the market and sell their goods. We tasted rice wine with some locals and ate the sweetest tofu I’ve ever tasted.

For me breathwork is essential to my self-care. It’s been a completely transformative tool.

In the past year, I’ve been reading mostly for my graduate program, however, I read The Overstory by Richard Powers, a few months ago and it changed my life. Many people are experiencing collective grief over climate change, and this book put the grief and emotion I can feel for the changing environment into narrative form.

Aly has been cooking (and eating) for practically her entire life. Her love for food came out of a childhood spent in the kitchen with her grandmother and turned into a vocation when she learned more and more about the challenges of eating in a broken food system. Aly Beveridge is a chef and yoga teacher based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Aly has over 600 hrs of training in Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Hatha and Katonah yoga. She has always felt a special connection to food and eating, and recently has explored food as a sacred practice. Aly believes that the implicit of eating is just as important as the explicit. She has cooked for yoga retreats and trainings all over the world and has spent time living, learning, and eating, in Portugal, Thailand, India, and Denmark. When she has free time you can find Aly solving a crossword puzzle, drinking wine with friends, or attempting to surf.

Pilates and Movement Rehab Therapy, Medical Acupuncture, Manual Therapy

It’s truly hard for me to remember a time where fitness and wellness WASN’T the focus of my life. I think it was aesthetically driven for a long time, but I felt a powerful connection to yoga from my first class back around 2005. It was the first form of exercise that seemed to connect me to my body, heal and calm me. It wasn’t about how I looked, pushing myself until I broke or until utter exhaustion. It’s showed me that movement and exercise could be medicine for my mental health as well as physical body. I have - and always will - enjoy various forms and intensities of exercises, and am passionate about it all. Pilates as an integral part of my physiotherapy practice and my own fitness regime. That being said… it is yoga that has a very special place in my heart and in my own mental health journey. 

My father passed away suddenly in 2014 and it rocked my entire world. After taking care of some difficult times in my family, I began to work harder and with more passion, drive and resilience that I ever thought possible. I don’t know that much of my success and business related risks would have been taken if i hadn’t gone through this.

Because…. Jackie obviously!!! I absolutely love teaching others about my passion of anatomy and movement therapy. I find the yoga community to be such a beautiful, open and supportive space to teach in, and I truly receive and learn so much when I collaborate with Jackie and Wander home.

Kathryn Zbarsky is a registered physiotherapist and co owner of Kinective Health & Performance, a multi-disciplinary Rehab and Health Clinic in Foresthill, Toronto. Kathryn has over 12 years of experience in sport and general musculoskeletal injuries and conditions, as well as oncology and pediatric populations. She is a health and wellness advocate and is certified in ELDOA, the Lagree fitness and STOTT pilates methods. After years of working in various Physiotherapy clinics in Toronto, Kathryn opened up her own practice -  Kinective Physiotherapy, in Studio Lagree’s Foresthill location in January 2017 - December 2020. After years of working inside Studio Lagree, Kathryn and Dr. Natalie Gelman decided to join forces and open up their dream clinic in Foresthill - offering high end, comprehensive manual and exercise therapy, in a beautiful boutique space. Kinective was born out of Kathryn’s desire to integrate her Neurofunctional based approach to manual therapy and Acupuncture, with her knowledge and love of therapeutic exercise - specifically ELDOA, STOTT Rehab Pilates and Lagree Fitness. Using a treatment approach that is unique to each patient and situation, Kathryn will help you improve your ability to move, live well, and perform the activities that are most important to you. 

Kathryn has extensive knowledge on many forms of sport and exercise  and has worked with NHL level athletes, triathletes, recreational athletes of all varieties as well as those looking to improve their general health, fitness and rehab their injuries, imbalances and pain syndromes in order to life their best and most active lives! 

In addition to her time in clinic, Kathryn is an instructor in the McMaster Neurofunctional Acupuncture Program, teaches Anatomy and Movement Therapy/ Rehab within the Yoga community, and is constantly improving her skill set with various exercise and manual therapy courses. Of course, her own health and fitness is of utmost importance and she is dedicated to her regular strength and conditioning workouts as well as  in pilates, ELDOA, yoga and running when the sun is shining!

Meditation/Contemplation, restorative and yin yoga, postpartum care, nourishing others with food and encouraging valuing rest space and time.

Meeting Ed (my current partner) in Peru after only knowing each other a month and among many spontaneous events, having a near death experience during an area wide strike in the Cuzco region.

My morning skin care routine.

Having a fire with friends or swimming or both.

Katrina is a creative explorer, caregiver and student of life, who has been studying contemplative and body based practices for over a decade. A frequent wonderer and wanderer, she loves to work as much as she loves to play and holds life as a series of soft spiral lines that keep her in pursuit of defying time and space. Much of Katrina’s existence centres around food — for nourishment, pleasure and creativity. She finds purpose in empowering others in the creation of their desired reality and finds great joy in exploring, collaborating and holding space for others. 

With 20 years of experience in working with small business (10 in wellness), Katrina is currently co-owner and director of ops at Fine Tune Pilates in Toronto, where her holistic philosophies influence much of how people and spaces are managed and held. 

Making gluten and dairy free fun not boring! And making favourites indulgences a little bit healthier.

Saying a big YES to Guatemala with only 2 weeks notice

A hot bath and tunes. Always tunes!

Getting a concussion from putting a broom away. The worst experience and also the best - I’m proud of my body for recovering, grateful for all the adventures, people, lessons and love this time has brought me.

Locating a great coffee shop and finding out from the staff where I should explore

Kate McMurray is a certified nutritionist and healthy food systems advocate. For 10 years, her work at The Big Carrot has focused on championing organic agriculture, building better food literacy, and fostering creative partnerships in the community. Kate is passionate about food education and cooking, and her goal is to get people excited about food and empower them to make food choices that bring them and their communities joy and health. 

Kate is no stranger to retreating + the journey home. She's travelled with us to Guatemala and Portugal and has some fun dietary restrictions. Knowing the challenges of traveling with restrictions, Kate is excited to create delicious food for EVERYONE. She wants there to be no hangry retreat participants!

Vinyasa yoga, Meditation, Pranayama, Kundalini yoga, and mobility.

I traveled to Romania in 2005 to do some volunteer work, and took a long weekend trip to Istanbul. This involved an almost 25-hour train ride via Bulgaria. My travel partners and I were told we'd need a visa to enter Turkey, but that the train would stop at the Bulgaria-Turkey border, and we could simply get off the train, purchase the visa, and then get back on and continue. We were told that the visa would cost $60 each, but failed to find out which currency was needed. When the train stopped at a tiny, somewhat unsafe, and remote border crossing at 3am, we got off the train to get our visas, only to discovered that only USD was accepted. Between my 2 companions and I we had about $40 USD, 80 Euro and some Romanian currency. We found a lone traveler who was willing to purchase our Euro, but were still about $20 short. In a moment of panic, I asked myself "What would they do on The Amazing Race?" (I was an avid watcher at the time). And I figured that they would beg for money, which we did. A kind, young Romanian couple gave us the US currency, and we gave them all of the Romanian currency we had. We technically owed them about $4, but they were gracious and generous, and wished us well. We were the last people to get back on that train before it rolled on to Istanbul.

The last year (and in particular living through a pandemic) has revealed to me that I should pursue what I have always wanted to do, and not to be afraid of what it will take to achieve it. At 42 years old and multiple career paths, I returned to school to study kinesiology. It's never too late to start again.

Having a fire with friends or swimming or both.

“If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it.” - Yogi Bhajan

This concept compelled me to become a yoga teacher, as when I first began to practice yoga it changed my life so profoundly that I wanted to take deep dive into it. I have been teaching yoga for 12 years, first having done my 200hr Kundalini training in Toronto in 2009, and then taking the trip of a lifetime to Maui in 2012 to complete my 200hr vinyasa training at Maya Yoga. I've since continued to train (and always will) with a variety of teachers and methods including Restorative at Octopus Garden and have been particularly inspired by the style vinyasa often referred to as 'Intelligent Sequencing' or 'SmartFlow' with teachers such as Kate Gillespie, Annie Carpenter and Nikki Vilella (Kula NYC).

My vinyasa classes are quite alignment focused while maintaining pace and flow. Lately I've been incorporating a lot of mobility work and functional movement in my sequences, and I always have a theme or a peak pose, even for yin. I also find a way to include some awareness and breath work in my classes. My kundalini mentor, Mary Paterson, came to kundalini from a Hatha and Buddhism background, and always found a way to be true to those roots while maintaining the integrity of the Kundalini tradition. As I've grown and matured as a teacher, I feel that I've been able to maintain the balance and integrity of all the traditions I have practiced and studied, regardless of which style I am teaching in that moment. I love teaching pranayama, I love chanting, and teach meditation from a variety of styles and traditions.

Personal chef, Postpartum care and nutrition, doula, reiki, & playwriting. 

Being shown around Rome at night on the back of a motorcycle by a man named Giuseppe who owned a gelato shop. Also, possibly my most cliche travel memory. 

Surfing, infrared sauna & home cooked meal with a friend. 

This question stumped me! Many of my mistakes no longer feel like mistakes because of how divinely guided I’ve been in their wake. But, I guess my biggest would be disowning parts of myself for love. This mistake (repeated endlessly in my late teens and early 20s) placed me smack in the center of a tremendous (and continuous) self love journey. It’s also provided the most rewarding female friend and mentorships. 

Calling and keeping connecting with friends. My humans keep me grounded even when miles and miles apart. 

Movement and breathwork with a deep understanding of physiology and anatomy.  

Skinny dipping.

Learning how to release fear!

MJ Renshaw is the founder of The Being Method: a course on the science of spirituality, and Earth Connection Oil. She can usually be found swimming in a lake, eating baked goods, or running long distances.