Victoria Yoga

A certified yoga instructor, is the main instructor and coordinator of all yoga activities, programs, and courses. Michelle started her journey in yoga when she was only about eight years old:
“I took up dancing in my youth and always enjoyed the stretching components. I remember sitting in my living room and being drawn to sit in the lotus position, without even knowing what it was, and then I started wondering what I was doing. I ended up going to the library to find out more, since my family couldn’t help me find my answers. It was there that I found my first yoga book, which opened up a whole new world to me. It was exciting to play with more of the poses and create my own routines after reading about all the postures. Yoga helped me find that special feeling of connecting with myself.

“It was not until after the birth of my daughter that I decided to become certified and start teaching others. I took my training through The Chakra Yoga Center (currently located in Koh Phangan Thailand) in 2000. I have been teaching in Victoria ever since completing my training, and believe this is what I am meant to do”.

Michelle has been fortunate to have had the chance to study with several local and world class yogis, including Orit Sen-Gupta*, Gioia Irwin*, Peter Bennett*, and Elizabeth Peckham**

Elizabeth Peckham has been practicing and teaching yoga for 13 years. Elizabeth's teachers include Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, David Swenson, Beryl Bender Birch, Swami Satchidananda, Orit Sen-Gupta, and Shirley Daventry French. Elizabeth combines her knowledge of yoga systems with her training as a nurse, her athletic background, and her warm, encouraging and enthusiastic attitude.

Orit Sen-Gupta is a graduate of the Hebrew University with degrees in Sanskrit and Indian Philosophy, and translated the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali from Sanskrit to Hebrew (published 1992). She has been practicing yoga for over 30 years. At the age of 20 she traveled to India to study at Sri Aurobindo Ashram. She spent a number of years in India studying with Dr. Pratap of Lonvala Institute, Swami Krishnananda of Sivinanda Ashram, Sri B.K.S. Iyengar and Mr. Pattabhi Jois. Her path led to a decade-long collaboration with Donna Hollemman. Together they authored the yoga text, Dancing the Body of Light. Since 1995 Orit has taught the advanced yoga teacher training course at Wingate College. She lives in Jerusalem on Neve Sha’anan Street with her two daughters. http://www.vijnanayoga.com/staff%20english.htm

Peter Bennett, N.D., a Naturopathic Doctor, and author (with Stephen Barrie, N.D., and Sara Faye) of “7-Day Detox Miracle: Restore Your Mind and Body's Natural Vitality with This Safe and Effective Life-Enhancing Program.

Gioia Irwin has been practicing yoga for over 25 years and has been teaching for 20 years. She has had extensive training and was certified in the Iyengar tradition. In more recent years she has been deeply inspired by the teachings of Orit Sen-Gupta and Dona Holleman. http://www.saltspringcentre.com/vignana.htm