MĀ Wellness
Modular 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training India

Ten minutes later I found myself surrounded by people dressed in white, feeling light headed as the room panted, chanted, and rolled around like animals writhing in pain. My delicate adolescent psyche could barely withstand the “uncoolness” of it all. I began to ask myself if the pale look of terror I would receive from my mother when I told her I had joined a religious cult was worth it.
Two hours later I’m speedwalking to my vehicle trying to put distance between myself and what I had just encountered. I felt loopy, famished, and had just mustered all the dignity I had left “recreating” my own birth. The level of bizarre activity was something I had no intention of speaking of again and needless to say, I would not be returning.
The next day, however, I awoke with a lightness in my body and a freedom of movement through my spine that, at that point in my life, was an unparalleled sensation. To my surprise, I did go the following week, and the week after that. Before I knew it, these practices became a regular thing for me. I continued to explore other practices and I was struck by how different I continued to feel. Yoga became an invaluable companion to me through my early teens and twenties that drastically altered my life.
I became interested in teaching and apprenticed my first teacher in 2006 studying hatha yoga. I moved to India shortly after and began intense study in Ashtanga Yoga and philosophy, Chanting/Sound Yoga, and traditional Hatha with Lalit Kumar and Vinay Kumar as well as study in Ayurvedic Practices.
Inspired by Ayurveda, wellness, and movement I began to lead Ayurvedic retreats in Nicaragua for part of the year and took a position as a senior yoga instructor for the Himalaya Yoga Valley Teacher Training School in Goa and Dharamsala, India for the other part.
In 2011 I moved back to Victoria, BC to embark on the study of Chinese Medicine at Pacific Rim College and my perspective on yoga became rocked with the influence of Taoism.
In 2012 I established the Brahmanda School of Yoga. Since then, my fellow teachers and I have graduated hundreds of professionals in the practices of Yoga. The teacher training program has taught me so much about how to show up everyday, no matter what is happening, and how to hold space for people who are working hard to show up for themselves.
Opening the MĀ Institute has been a culmination of inspirations that have taken place on and off the mat. I am inspired by our ability to change forms in unpredictable ways and the grace that practicing yoga can give us in transitions. I am passionate about providing education that empowers the student and gets them to the place where they are asking the big questions about themselves. I believe in “straight talk” when it comes to learning about yoga and want to bring the teachers that are embodying the practices.
Ultimately, the fruit of the practices show up in our authenticity: in who we are, our clarity in how we approach our world, how we communicate who we are, and in our ability to love. I am struck every day by what a tremendous blessing it was to have walked through the doors of that rented church years ago with no intention at all of altering my world views. I guess you never know when a small act will veer you into a new course, and it’s exciting to now hold a space that could have similar implications for someone else.

My love of yoga, meditation, and sacred sound healing began when I met MĀ’s Founder, Katyanna Ryan. My first class with her–on my birthday no less–she sang mantras, played the harmonium beautifully, and guided us in Sanskrit through each movement. I was captivated. A few short weeks later, Katyanna, B.Joel (the other owner and co-founder of MĀ), and I found ourselves in Panama on an epic yoga retreat, and the seeds of our budding partnership were planted. B.Joel and I ALSO own a pretty spectacular film production company called Lot2.Media–fun, right? I took the 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training program through Brahmanda School of Yoga and discovered a deep sense of appreciation for the performance aspect of teaching.

I have been a musician for most of my life, and co-creating our urban musical wellness sanctuary has been the greatest blessing. I teach primarily Restorative Yoga with Sacred Sound and believe deep in my bones that making music while guiding restorative classes is precisely where I am supposed to be.

She went on to study extensively at the Sivanada Yoga and Vedanta Ashram, Kerala, India and at Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana in Bangalore, India and has since taught in India, the USA and Canada. She has been offering Ayurvedic Workshops for the past 8 years in India, USA and now in Canada.
Sarada also offers private Ayurvedic Consultations, teaches Ayurvedic cooking classes,workshops and Marma Kriya.

Sarada is a co-owner of MĀ Yoga and Wellness and can be found teaching yoga and various workshops as well as in the clinic as an Ayurvedic practitioner.

Her mission to make Yoga accessible to people who don’t think they are ‘yoga people’. Nyk is an expert in teaching those who aren’t human pretzels.
As a Yoga Therapist, her specialty is helping those who have Back Pain.
Her personal practice and her Yoga classes are rooted in Buddhism, Taoism and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Nyk has been practicing Yoga since1998. In 2003 she decided to deepen her study and took her first Yoga teacher training and has been teaching Yoga since 2004.

In 2007 Nyk fell madly in love with Yin Yoga and has been studying with her teacher Paul Grilley ever since.

In addition to numerous Therapeutic & Restorative Yoga intensives, she holds the following teacher training certificates:

– 300 hour Yoga teacher training – The Yoga College Of Canada – 500 hour advanced Yin Yoga Teaching certificate – Paul Grilley – 1000 hour Yoga Therapy Certification – Ajna Yoga College

Nyk has also completed 2,300 hours of Chinese Medicine studies and 360 hours additional Bio-medical studies at Pacific Rim College.

I gained so much healing from the teachers I practiced with and my doing my Teacher Training peeled back many new layers of self-acceptance, bravery and confidence that I didn’t know were there. I found my voice. Upon completion of my YTT I knew I wanted to give back and offer the healing I had received from yoga. I consider myself a lifelong student of yoga and will forever be looking to deepen my knowledge of this beautiful tradition.

My teaching takes inspiration from all the teachers I have learned from and lineages I have been lucky enough to study which include Ashtanga, Iyengar, Traditional Hatha, Trauma Sensitive, Yin and Restorative yoga. Off the mat I am a Facial Reflexologist and Chinese Medicine Face Reader, I have studied the Lymphatic System and how to build Immunity through touch and movement, these things often flow into my yoga teaching.

She is joined on this journey by her two beautiful children who are both her teachers and allies.

Pilar’s trainings include: Modo Level 1 (2011), Yin Yoga (2014), Vinyasa Flow (2014) and Sound Healing Training (2018 and 2019.)

To keep him engaged, his grandmother would tell him stories from the Puranas, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. Little did he know that one day he will be reciting the same stories and carry forward an ancient tradition of oral storytelling!

Fast forward 30 years—after 12 years in the US and 6 years in India as an Assistant Professor in a University—Harish recently moved to Victoria in February 2019. Now, he is revisiting all the stories he grew up with by reading and researching India’s ancient, historical and spiritual texts. Harish wants to share this journey with you and introduce you to the world of ancient wisdom and fascinating tales from the land of Bharatavarsha (what is today called India.)

She aims to encourage body awareness, agility, and strength, while illuminating the peace and power that comes from mindfulness. Alongside Yoga, her work as a performer has taken her to stages all over the globe, and she feels endlessly grateful to continue sharing her “why” through movement and music.
Tara fell in love with this practice in 2001. By 2008 she began formal training with Rod Stryker’s Para Yoga Vinyasa Certification (Mary Bruce and Johnna Smith), has continued with trainings, immersions and inspiration from: The Iyengar Institute, Laughing Lotus NYC, Kula Yoga NYC, Moksha/ Modo Yoga, Sivananda, Janet Stone, Carly Forest (Yin), Christine Price Clark, Ryan Leir, Natalie Rousseau, Dina Tshouluhas, Witold Fitz-Simmons, Ted Grand, Jessica Robertson and will be a student for life!

Along with music, Tara is passionate about mentoring new teachers and is honoured to share a practice that has brought so much courage, joy, and freedom into her own life, and intends to bring light and authenticity to all she does. For info on upcoming retreats, events, workshops, mentorships, and teacher trainings visit www.tarahealyoga.com

For over 25 years I have served communities locally and abroad as a full spectrum doula, celebrant, yoga therapist, grief doula and ritual healing guide-supporting people in thresholds and transitions, in birth, pregnancy, postpartum, holding vigil, living funerals, weddings, death, rites of passage.

I train folks to become fuller spectrum doulas and trauma inclusive-feminist yoga teachers and work to ground my practice in the values of anti-oppression, anti-racism, anti-white supremacy, liberation and intersectional feminism.

I am committed to a life long journey of doing the work necessary and using my place of privilege to support a world that is safer, more inclusive and just.

The experience was so powerfully transformative, Tianne now devotes her time to teaching yoga and offering yoga therapy. She specializes in restorative yoga and restorative yoga therapeutics.
Certified Yoga Teacher RYT500

Certified Yoga Teacher Trainer ERYT500

Registered Yoga Therapist

Advanced Restorative Yoga Certification

Yoga for Golfers ™ Certification

Certified Athletic Coach NCCP

I am profoundly grateful to my beautiful, amazing teachers, for graciously sharing their passion and deep wisdom, inspiring my teaching and my life