Yoga Journey, Iyengar Yoga

Yoga Journey, Iyengar Yoga Yoga Journey is located at 87B Hurontario Yoga Journey has moved to The Painterie on 43 Elgin Street in Collingwood.

We are situated in a house built in the late 1800s in the loft. All classes are taught in the Iyengar tradition.

☀️ Hello, August.August has become a sacred pause in my year.While I step away from my regular teaching schedule, I won'...
07/30/2026

☀️ Hello, August.

August has become a sacred pause in my year.

While I step away from my regular teaching schedule, I won't be stepping away from yoga. This month is devoted to a different kind of practice—personal study, reflection, planning, family time, and the quiet work that often happens behind the scenes.

As B.K.S. Iyengar said,

"My body is my temple, and asanas are my prayers."

Those words remind me that yoga isn't something we simply teach—it is something we continue to live.

I'm also excited to share that Amanda and Jane will continue offering classes throughout August, so our community can keep practicing together while I'm away. I hope you'll join them...who knows, you may even see me there. 😊

As a thank you to our members, I'm curating a special Summer Practice Playlist featuring some of our favourite Yoga Challenges, pose explorations, shorter practices, full-length classes, and a brand-new Inversions: Deconstruction & Reconstruction series to support your practice all month long.

Not a member? You can still access the Practice Playlist for just $37/month, and you can explore everything with a 2-day free trial before deciding if it's right for you. The link to join is in my bio.

This August, my own study is centred around three words:

Learning. Knowledge. Wisdom.

What's the difference? How do we move from simply knowing something to truly living it?

And, of course, I'll continue practicing one of yoga's greatest teachings: becoming just a little less reactive and a little more present—one day at a time.

✨ Every day, 1% better. It feels so doable, doesn't it?

Thank you for being part of this incredible community. I wish you a joyful August filled with movement, rest, curiosity, and practice.

The full August at Yoga Journey newsletter is waiting in your inbox (or sign up through the link in my bio if you'd like to receive my monthly updates and weekly reflections).

And one last thing...

Don't forget to practice. September always feels a little sweeter when we've stayed connected to the mat. 🤍

www.yogajourney.ca

Practice doesn't make you perfect. It helps you remember that you already are.One of my favourite teachings from Fr. Joe...
07/29/2026

Practice doesn't make you perfect. It helps you remember that you already are.

One of my favourite teachings from Fr. Joe Pereira has been echoing in my mind lately:

"Do your sādhana, practice, and all that is unnecessary will fall away."

What if practice isn't about adding more to ourselves?

What if it's about uncovering what has always been there?

Fr. Joe also reminds us that through our yogic journey we discover "an infinite reservoir of stillness within us." That image always brings me back to T.S. Eliot's beautiful words:

"At the still point of the turning world..."

Life never stops moving. There will always be responsibilities, distractions, deadlines, and change. Yoga doesn't ask us to escape that movement—it teaches us to find the stillness within it.

And perhaps that's why Maty Ezraty's words continue to resonate so deeply:

"You are perfect. Practice is to help you know that."

This week, instead of doing more, try doing one thing differently.

✨ Hold a pose a little longer.
✨ Stay with your breath a little more closely.
✨ Explore a pose you've been avoiding.
✨ Sit quietly for a few moments before or after your practice.

As B.K.S. Iyengar often taught, it's not about the quantity of practice—it's about the quality of your attention.

Attention is love.

Sādhana is love.

Don't be discouraged by what you can't do today. You are not your limitations. They are simply today's conditions.

Keep showing up.

The stillness you're looking for may already be waiting within you.

www.yogajourney.ca

Still basking in the glow of an unforgettable few days at Bloom Retreat Centre. ✨As I look back through these photos, I'...
07/21/2026

Still basking in the glow of an unforgettable few days at Bloom Retreat Centre. ✨

As I look back through these photos, I'm reminded that the most meaningful moments of a retreat aren't always the ones we plan.

They're found in the quiet concentration of practice…
The conversations that continue long after class…
The laughter over shared meals…
The stillness of early mornings…
The beauty of nature…
And the friendships that deepen when we slow down together.

This year's exploration of Viveka—seeing clearly—and Saṃskāra—the patterns that shape us—was woven through every practice, every discussion, and every shared experience. 🪬

A heartfelt thank you to Stephanie Tencer of Studio Po for another wonderful collaboration, and to everyone who joined us with such openness, curiosity, and enthusiasm. You made this retreat truly special.

Here are just a few of the moments that made this year's retreat so memorable. 💙

Another Bloom Retreat has come to a close, and my heart is full.Over the past several days, together with my dear friend...
07/20/2026

Another Bloom Retreat has come to a close, and my heart is full.

Over the past several days, together with my dear friend Stephanie Tencer of Studio Po, we had the privilege of guiding an incredible group of students through our annual retreat at Bloom Holistic Retreat Centre.

This year's theme was Viveka—the practice of seeing clearly.

Drawing from the wisdom of the Yoga Sutras, we explored how discernment grows through practice. Not by trying to become someone different, but by learning to recognize the difference between our true nature and the habits, stories, and saṃskāras that can quietly shape our lives.

Each practice, philosophy discussion, meditation, shared meal, and walk through nature became another opportunity to pause, observe, and ask:

Am I reacting from habit, or responding with awareness?

That question may be one of the greatest gifts yoga offers us.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us—especially our wonderful Yoga Journey Collingwood and Studio Po communities—for your openness, curiosity, laughter, and willingness to explore so deeply. Sharing this experience with you was an honour.

The retreat may be over, but the practice of seeing clearly continues every time we step onto the mat... and every time we step into our lives.

www.yogajourney.ca

Start before you’re ready.One of the biggest obstacles to a home practice is the belief that we need to be ready.More ti...
07/12/2026

Start before you’re ready.

One of the biggest obstacles to a home practice is the belief that we need to be ready.

More time.
More energy.
A better space.
The right sequence.
A clearer plan.

And so we wait.

But practice rarely begins when conditions are perfect. It begins when we are willing to begin.

The beloved yoga teacher Maty Ezraty once said:

“You are perfect. Practice is to help you know that.”

We are not practising to fix ourselves. We are practising to discover ourselves—not for aesthetics, not to perform, but to see more clearly what we are capable of.

B.K.S. Iyengar spoke of walking the line between caution and courage. Perhaps starting before we feel ready is part of that practice.

Keep it simple.

Start with three poses.
Practise for twenty minutes.
Take twenty minutes from scrolling, television, or some other less intentional part of the day—and give it back to yourself.

You do not need the perfect sequence.
You do not need the perfect conditions.
You do not need to feel ready.

Start before you’re ready.

✨ In this Sunday’s newsletter, I’m also sharing a practical home practice video exploring ways to create traction and length through the spine using something you likely already have at home: your kitchen sink.

Not on the list yet? Sign up for my weekly newsletter through the link in bio to receive reflections on yoga, practice inspiration, and practical resources to support your own practice at home.

www.yogajourney.ca

Happening TOMORROW!Ready to take your yoga practice into your own hands?A home practice is one of the most meaningful st...
07/07/2026

Happening TOMORROW!

Ready to take your yoga practice into your own hands?

A home practice is one of the most meaningful steps we can take as yoga students—but knowing where to begin isn’t always easy.

What should I practice?
How long should I practice?
How do I sequence poses intelligently?
What if I’m short on time, space, energy, or motivation?

Join me for Establishing a Personal Practice: A Home Practice Workshop, a practical and educational two-hour session designed to give you the tools and confidence to practice independently.

Together, we’ll explore how to:

✨ Build a consistent and sustainable home practice
✨ Create simple, intelligent sequences
✨ Adapt your practice to your needs, energy, and available time
✨ Navigate common obstacles and stay inspired

As I prepare to step away for the month of August for vacation, personal practice, and study, this feels like the perfect time to help you build the confidence to continue exploring yoga beyond the studio walls.

Wednesday, July 8
9:30–11:30 AM

✨ Free for Yoga Journey members — registration required
💫 Non-members welcome — $40 + HST

A personal practice doesn’t need to be long or perfect.

It simply needs to begin.

www.yogajourney.ca

The Practice of StayingIn Iyengar Yoga, we often hold poses for longer periods of time.This requires physical endurance—...
07/05/2026

The Practice of Staying

In Iyengar Yoga, we often hold poses for longer periods of time.

This requires physical endurance—but perhaps more interestingly, it requires mental endurance.

B.K.S. Iyengar stated:

“The pose begins when you want to leave it.”

What happens when you stay?

When the initial work of entering the pose is complete, notice where the mind goes.

Boredom?
Frustration?
Impatience?
The desire for the next instruction, the next pose, the next experience?

The body may be relatively still, yet the inner experience can be remarkably dynamic.

In yoga philosophy, the fluctuations of the mind are called vrittis. Sometimes, it is only when we become still that we begin to notice just how much the mind moves.

This feels particularly relevant in 2026.

We live in a culture of constant stimulation—scrolling, notifications, busyness, movement, and endless opportunities for the next dopamine hit.

A longer hold asks something different of us:

Stay.
Observe.
Pay attention.

Of course, endurance is not the same as force. We should never hold a pose beyond our capacity or ignore pain, instability, or our individual conditions. Intelligent practice requires discernment.

But when appropriate, time in a pose becomes part of the method.

The next time you want to leave a pose, ask yourself:

What is asking me to leave—the body, the breath, or the mind?

www.yogajourney.ca

Pune-Style Practice 🤍⁠Friday, June 26| 4–6 PM⁠Yoga Journey Collingwood⁠⁠At the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute ...
07/03/2026

Pune-Style Practice 🤍⁠
Friday, June 26| 4–6 PM⁠
Yoga Journey Collingwood⁠

At the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India, students gather daily—not for a class, but for practice.⁠

They roll out their mats, work quietly, use props with intelligence, and learn through doing. The room itself becomes the teacher—through shared discipline, observation, and presence.⁠

Inspired by this tradition, I’m opening the studio for a self-guided practice session.⁠

✨ Come to:⁠
• deepen your personal practice⁠
• revisit what you’re learning in class⁠
• explore props in your own way⁠
• cultivate independence (svādhyāya)⁠
• be inspired by practicing alongside others⁠

While the practice is self-led, a certified Iyengar teacher will be present to support and assist as needed.⁠

This offering is free and open to all—no membership or class pass required.⁠
Recommended for those with 6+ months of yoga experience who feel comfortable practicing independently.⁠

Come as you are. Drop in when it suits you and stay for as long as you like.⁠
Let your practice be your teacher.⁠

www.yogajourney.ca

🇨🇦 Happy July & Happy Canada Day! ☀️🍁As summer settles in, so does a shift in rhythm at Yoga Journey. Please take a mome...
07/01/2026

🇨🇦 Happy July & Happy Canada Day! ☀️🍁

As summer settles in, so does a shift in rhythm at Yoga Journey. Please take a moment to check the schedule regularly over the coming weeks as we move into vacation and retreat season. There will be a few adjustments as teachers and students alike take time for rest, study, travel, and renewal.

This week, I'm in beautiful Sooke, BC attending a retreat as a student. Later this month, I'll be joining my friend and fellow teacher Stephanie Tencer of Studio Po to co-host our annual retreat. Many of you will be joining us there, and we can't wait to share practice, learning, laughter, and community in such a special place.

☀️ Dynamic Practice Classes
Tuesdays & Thursdays at 6:30 AM
If you've been thinking about joining us, now is the time to rise and shine!
Regular participants often report unusual side effects, including:
✨ Joy✨ Euphoria✨ Increased energy
We'll be putting these classes on pause in August, so don't miss the opportunity to experience them before summer slips away.

🏡 Cultivating a Home Practice Workshop
Wednesday, July 8 | 9:30–11:30 AM

One of the most empowering things a yoga student can do is learn how to practice independently.

Join me for this annual workshop designed to help you build a meaningful and sustainable home practice. We'll explore sequencing, motivation, common obstacles, and practical strategies for making yoga a consistent part of daily life.

Participants will also receive:
✔️ Practice PDFs
✔️ Video resources
✔️ Book recommendations
✔️ Home practice guidance
✔️ Live Q&A

✨ Free for Yoga Journey Members
💫 Non-members: $40 + HST
👉 Registration link in bio.

🍁 Canada Day Reminder
The studio will be closed on July 1 and there will be no classes that day. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Canada Day celebration!

🤝 Our free Community Sangha gatherings and Pune Practice sessions will take a summer pause and return in September. Thank you to everyone who participated this year and helped build such a wonderful community of practice.

🎥 Members, stay tuned! I'll be curating special summer playlists in our video library.

The Importance of Sound in YogaAt Yoga Journey, we begin each class by chanting AUM (OM) three times before reciting the...
06/29/2026

The Importance of Sound in Yoga

At Yoga Journey, we begin each class by chanting AUM (OM) three times before reciting the Invocation to Patanjali.

Have you ever wondered why?

In the yogic tradition, sound is more than something we hear—it is something we practice.

AUM is considered the primordial sound, the vibration from which all creation emerges. But beyond its philosophical significance, it offers us something deeply practical: a way to focus the mind.

When we chant AUM, the breath steadies, the body softens, and the attention gathers. The sound becomes an anchor, helping us transition from the busyness of daily life into the practice of yoga.

This is also why japa—the repetition of a sacred sound, word, or mantra—is considered a form of yoga practice. Repetition refines awareness. Each return to the sound is an opportunity to return to the present moment.

In a world filled with constant noise and distraction, perhaps the true gift of AUM is that it teaches us how to listen.

✨ This week, notice the sounds that fill your day.

Which sounds scatter your attention?
Which sounds help gather it?

And what changes when you intentionally listen rather than simply hear?

📖 This week's newsletter explores the significance of OM/AUM in greater depth. If you're on our mailing list, check your inbox. Not subscribed yet? Visit our website and join our community for weekly reflections, practice inspiration, and educational resources.

www.yogajourney.ca

Address

87 B Hurontario Street
Collingwood, ON
L9Y2L9

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 9pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 6am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm

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