There are many paths to Yoga. Mine began in the cold climate of Canada. I was part of a marching band from 7 years old. One of our music teachers included Yoga in our preparations for our competitions. At that time in my life I didn’t know anything about Yoga, but I could tell it was helping me in so many different ways especially when we performed.  

We used to have this thing called the book bus that came to school,  and in seventh grade I bought some books that weren’t labelled as Yoga books but now I as I think back to some of these favorite books they covered Yoga philosophy and practices. I loved the cool exercises they had in them like all different ways of asking myself Who AM I, Yantra symbols and lots of breathing and meditation techniques that I never realized would later become a way of my life. I spent hours in my room, reading all about the yogic tools of mindfulness and meditation. 

 I travelled around the world for a couple of years as a backpacker when I finished music college. I remember taking my first public Yoga class in Melbourne Australia and not liking it at all. I think it was just a little too spiritual for me, and didn’t resonate with me at all. I also remember hanging out with the Hare Krishna groups for free tasty vegetarian food, and amazing stories about the history and traditions of Yoga. When working on a cruise ship as a musician for a couple of years I got totally addicted to Bikram Yoga, at least 20 years before all the lawsuits started. That was probably my springboard to realizing that Yoga changed me and my life. I noticed my trumpet playing got better not just physically but also mentally. I felt so much more confident.  

 For me, it has been my passion and my mission to offer to others training in the Yoga path. Yoga has shown me a way to accomplish one's dream and to reach a higher level of Yoga. When I was in high school I ended up with a pretty bad back injury carrying too many bricks for my brother. This persisted throughout my life and there has been many times I remember crawling around the house because I couldn’t even walk. Since Yoga has been my back therapy the pain and lack of mobility have almost gone away and only show up maybe once a year or so and don’t last long and are easier to deal with…

Later when I worked my way up as an IT specialist to later become director of a multi million dollar IT department. I had a fear of public speaking and an anxiety that grew with the job ladder. It got to a point where I couldn’t even find myself going to meetings from these fears for a whole year. As a way to combat this crippling trauma I started taking Yoga teacher trainings to bridge my passion for Yoga and learn to speak in public by teaching classes. This training brought me into studying Yoga therapy to learn how to help others with anxiety and back pain.

I’ve since spent countless hours honing my craft and studying every aspect of yoga: anatomy, sequencing, philosophy and meditation with some of the most renowned experts in the industry. To me, it isn’t just a career path. I consider myself a lifelong student. 

Elevate Yoga Center was born in the fall of 2014. Our brand was a special Elevated approach to Yoga, using Aerial Yoga and Yoga therapy for the mind, body and soul. 

At the beginning of 2020 I became the sole owner of Elevate. Last year I shut down the studio in March due to COVID, and reopened in May, with a studio created for a full-spectrum Yoga practice enriched by a philosophy grounded in the five elements of nature, both in its teaching and setting.

Along my journey, Yoga has restored health to my back and given me the tools to face the stress life throws at all of us. It is my hope that I can help you by sharing these same gifts, especially in these stressful times.

I created EYC to be your home away from home. It's safe and inviting. A place where you can get settled in and just let go. Here, you are free to take care of yourself, and leave the guilt behind. Here, you matter.

We look forward to welcoming you into our EYC commUNITY. A place we hold dear to our hearts, and we hope it brings you as much light, joy, and healing as it does for us.