Teaching Team

MORGAN COWIE
INSTRUCTOR

Leo Sun, Virgo Moon, Scorpio Rising

Morgan Cowie (she/her) is a Leo Sun, a dedicated learner and a lover of all things that light the world up with joy. 

There is not a movement practice in the world that Morgan doesn’t want to find out more about. She is currently enthralled with teaching pilates, barre, yoga and fun dance cardio sequences. She loves the feeling of combining intelligent design and sequencing with straight up sweaty fun. 

There’s no feeling in the world better than being at home in your body and Morgan’s classes are created to help you know that amazing is your birthright.

‘Find out who you are then do it on purpose.’ -Dolly Parton

ANNE CHAN
INSTRUCTOR
Gemini Sun, Scorpio Moon, Libra Rising


Anne Chan (she/her)
A fast walker (in life) and a slow mover (in practice). To share in a practice that is personal and unique to every individual in every single class, is such an amazing experience.

My approach to movement is to invite self inquiry. To notice, observe and appreciate the experience and allow that to guide you so your movement becomes intuitive and visceral.

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” -Alice from Alice in Wonderland

BARBARA (Babz) JOHNSTON
INSTRUCTOR

Taurus Sun, Gemini Moon, Capricorn Rising

Barbara (Babz) Johnston (she/her)

I am a Toronto based multidisciplinary artist who spends a lot of time impersonating Ginger Spice and singing country songs.

I love practicing movement because it is the thing that grounds me the most of anything in my life and takes me out of my head and back into my body. I love teaching because it is where I learn the most.

“Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.” – Stephen Sondheim
CHELSEA COTTRELL
INSTRUCTOR

Sagittarius Sun, Pisces Moon, Sagittarius Rising

Chelsea (she/her) is a teacher & creative based in Tkaronto. Her practice is grounded in mindful and compassionate movement – with a particular affinity for a good heart opener. She strives to be conscious of how each person’s experience influences the way they show up every day – on and off the mat. She is a firm believer that each student knows their body best and lives by the saying: “you are your own expert”. She aims to guide classes that are supportive and challenging, and is constantly looking for fun new ways to transition into familiar shapes. 

“Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.” – Rumi

DANEA GREY
INSTRUCTOR
Leo Sun, Capricorn Moon, Virgo Rising
 
(She/her) I’ve been a yoga & movement facilitator/ teacher for the last seven years. Outside of facilitating movement, I love to cook, knit, read, dance and travel to places that allow me to bask in nature.
 
Being able to move my body freely/ without shame has been a lifelong project. I want to continue to take up space- not just physically but also with the sound of my breath & voice- and I hope to encourage others to do so as well. Sharing movement with others is something I am so grateful to be able to do.
 
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” – Eleanor Roosevelt
DARCIE LADD
INSTRUCTOR
Scorpio Sun, Capricorn Moon, Gemini Rising


Hi I’m Darcie (She/Her) I’m a mom of two, yoga teacher, passionate mover, and a forever student of yoga, life and the world. I have an eclectic background which both led me onto my yoga journey and continues to influence me as a teacher; including, an introduction to yoga philosophy and culture through my degree in Comparative Religious Studies, time in the corporate world and as a business owner, and now for much of my life, a dedicated practitioner, student, and teacher of yoga and movement. In addition to vinyasa flow classes where I often feel most in my element, I also teach Restorative, Pre/Post Natal and have spent the past few years teaching teachers in a number of teacher trainings in Toronto.

I love that the practice of yoga has no boundaries – it happens not just on the four corners of a mat but everywhere in our daily lives. It’s a process. Every moment is a new opportunity to grow, evolve and be present. And each day presents new evolution, new challenges, and it’s never the same, complete or “perfect”.

I get really, really excited about all things anatomy/mechanical related to movement and have spent the past several years doing a serious deep-dive into learning and teaching in this field. This certainly colours my sometimes explorative and creative perspective to teaching asanas. While at the same time, sharing deep reverence for the meditative and more subtle aspects of the yoga tradition and philosophy. 

“If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain” – Dolly Parton 

KATHRIN BRUNNER
INSTRUCTOR

Aries Sun, but I don’t know the rest.

Kathrin (she/her) began practicing yoga in 2005 and has been teaching since 2009. She’s also a Pilates instructor and has studied mindful approaches to resistance and strength training. Her approach to movement is one that values accessibility and personal exploration. She believes movement is an integral component of our overall health and that mindful forms of movement can increase our capacity for stress resiliency and self-regulation. In her own practice, the ability to self-soothe through breath, movement, and meditation has been deeply healing. Off her mat, Kathrin loves hiking, camping, learning about nature and playing with her two kitties Molly & Mitzi.

“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou

LAURA WOOD
INSTRUCTOR
More coming soon…
LINDSAY KINZINGER
INSTRUCTOR
Cancer Sun, Leo Moon, Libra Rising.
 

Lindsay (she/her) is a Toronto based movement instructor. Her approach to teaching is to create classes and an environment in hopes that people will feel comfortable exploring connection to themselves. Her classes are functional, challenging, fun and she encourages you to get deeply inquisitive about your personal movement practice.

LIZ LAYWINE
INSTRUCTOR

Capricorn Sun, Cancer Moon, Capricorn Rising.

Liz (she/her) has been practicing yoga for over a decade and been teaching since 2016.  Her work is rooted in bringing people back to themselves, to feel at home in their own bodies, hearts and minds. All bodies are different, and as such, Liz aims to meet you where you are and open up the practice with lots of options. Her classes are distinct by her specific cueing, playful and curious approach, and soul-stirring music. 

“Look down at your body / whisper / there is no home like you” – thank you by Rupi Kaur

MEREDITH BANNAN
INSTRUCTOR

Leo Sun, Virgo Moon, Scorpio Rising

Meredith (she/her) has been teaching asana, pranayama and meditation since 2004. Described as an intuitive and creative teacher, Meredith’s teaching style is a reflection of a personal practice that spans over 20 years and a variety of disciplines. Influenced most by Hatha (Anusara) and Yin Yoga, her classes are both dynamic and deeply therapeutic. 

By  placing attention on the subtitles of alignment and breath, Meredith encourages students to navigate mindfully through their own experience and embody the present moment. Meredith is also a Mom, nature lover and dog person.

“If you work on Yoga, Yoga will work on you.”   Baba Hari Dass

NICOLE PITCHER
INSTRUCTOR

Capricorn Sun, Aquarius Moon, Pisces Rising (aka, an old soul). 

Nicole Pitcher (she/her) is a Toronto-based Classical Hatha & Vinyasa trained yoga teacher, with a passion for practicing and leading the “quieter” yoga modalities such as Yin, Restorative, Yoga Nidrã, meditation and prãnãyãmã (yogic breathing). She believes that by cultivating inner awareness in a safe and supportive environment, we are able to deepen our connection to ourselves and others, sharpen our discernment and find a sense of ease in day-to-day living. Nicole is passionate about exploring the history and roots of modern yoga, and she is an avid student of yoga philosophy with her teacher/mentors, Taryn Diamond and Hali Schwartz. 

Off the mat, Nicole can be found at the Mosaic front desk a few days a week as well as running her own Organizational Focus & Strategy Consulting business from home. She lives happily with her husband and their two fur babies, Oliver and Desmond.

“And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.” – The Beatles

PAMELA BY WONG
INSTRUCTOR

Scorpio Sun, Capricorn Moon and Rising

Pamela (she/her) holds a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and is an inter-disciplinary-knowledge specialist, attempting to thread Western, science and dominant ways of knowing with everything-that-is-non-or-post-Western, -scientific, and -dominant. Her approach is an ever-evolving exploration of unraveling what we think we know and an ever-turning towards what we don’t know (yet) through an embodied practice. 
 
Her current interests lie in the potential for Yoga as a contemplative and decolonizing practice that is requisite for emergence in postmodern, postcapitalistic, and human-centric contexts. In practice, these themes present themselves through less polti-thinking and more feeling. In teaching, these themes present themselves through a co-collective and co-created experience with every body, which will ever-change from class to class. 
 

“Truth is one, the paths are many.” -Rig Veda

PHILIPPE VAN DE MAELE MARTIN
INSTRUCTOR

Capricorn, Capricorn, Capricorn. Don’t mess with Earth energy, baby.

Philippe (he/his) is a bilingual (en/fr) vinyasa & restorative yoga teacher and actor originally from Ottawa and based in Toronto. He found yoga in 2007, and has been teaching since 2015.

Why You Love to Practice and Teach: Yoga was the beginning of my healing journey. I am forever grateful for a practice that has fundamentally changed my life. Being in the teacher’s seat, my hope is to connect authentically to those who come to class, and to offer others what the practice has offered me.

“It is safe to desire more than just survival.”

RAMI SCHANDALL
INSTRUCTOR
Cancer Sun, Libra Moon, Taurus Rising
 
As a teacher and multidisciplinary artist, Rami (she/her) is grateful for the body-mind practices that offer balance, ongoing inquiry, and inspire creative ways of engaging with the world. She is honoured to share these gems with you. Current loves: restorative, rope-wall, yoga nidra, pranayam, chanting & kriya, dharma study, yoga philosophy. 

Discernment and self-study are central principles in Rami’s teaching. In a life-long practice, self-awareness and the physical body continually change. At every stage, it is possible to listen more deeply, to ground, and to water the seeds of joy and wisdom. 

“Our being alive is the act of joining together in the party hosted by the universe. When we use our kind and benevolent mind, the kind and benevolent energy of the universe follows.” –Beop Jeong
SHAWNA TURNER
INSTRUCTOR
Pisces Sun, Aquarius Moon, Virgo Rising
 
Shawna (she/her) is a self-proclaimed bibliophile and as much as she is inspired by movement and nature, she is inspired by words and stories.
 
Shawna is passionate about making what we learn in a yoga class applicable to our lives.  She believes that there is so much potential held in this practice and she wants to help others to see and feel into that potential; ultimately tapping into their own unique potential.
 
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” – Toni Morrison
TAMARA FAITH BERGER
INSTRUCTOR
Sagittarius. Do not know the rest!
 
Tamara Faith Berger (she/her) is a writer who has been practicing and teaching yoga for twenty-five years. She loves to share the practice of yoga with others, to support the capacity of the body to balance, twist, stretch, hang, grow, be still and feel good. Tamara likes to teach a dynamic sequence of yoga postures, offering variations and hands-on adjustments, as well as a deep rest at the end. Tamara has been a part of yoga teacher training programs in Toronto and she hopes to teach and practice yoga for the rest of her life. 
 
“Beauty is in the mind, not the eye.” -Agnes Martin
TAMARA SALPETER
INSTRUCTOR

Cancer Sun, Aquarius Moon, Leo Rising 

Tamara (she/they)

I believe in the holistic benefits of movement and lead practices in a multitude of modalities. I instruct yoga, restorative, pilates, barre, rope wall, functional movement, circus arts like contortion and aerial, and more. I am also in school studying to be an osteopathic manual practitioner. 

I love leading practices that invite connection to breath, noticing thoughts, emotions, and loving and accepting the most subtle layers of yourself. The invitation to be intentional, and integrate your practice to inform your actions, expand your heart-mind, and to be of service off the mat.

“Don’t move the way fear makes you move. Move the way love makes you move. Move the way joy makes you move.” -Osho

TARANEE PONJANI
INSTRUCTOR

Libra Sun, Scorpio Moon, Libra Rising

“T”, (she/her)

Who You Are: A human trying to be her best self

Why You Love to Practice and Teach: To give back to community and develop deeper relationships with myself and others.

Taranee’s favourite quote is “We are our ancestors wildest dreams”. She uses this quote as a reminder to dig deeper, work harder, and to take a chance on herself.

TARYN DIAMOND
INSTRUCTOR

Leo Sun, Taurus Moon, Virgo Rising

Taryn (she/her) will forever call herself a ‘new mom’, despite having a four year old. Her entry to yoga was through movement, but her passion ruminates in studying its roots in Eastern philosophy. She is unabashed in her commitment to cheesy jokes and not taking this thing called ‘life’ too seriously. Taryn is most passionate about teaching movement that breeds self-inquiry and compassion. Her classes purposefully amp up the agency of her students because, ultimately, we all have the best teachers within us. If she had to pick one modality to be monogamous with, it would be Yoga Nidrā. Through nidrā, Taryn is able to express the golden nuggets embedded within the philosophy of yoga, while also facilitating some meaningful rest for her students. 

Despite not being a ‘Trekkie’, this Leonard Nimoy quote really hits home for her: “The miracle is this: the more we share, the more we have.

VALERIE TIU
INSTRUCTOR

Cancer Sun, Taurus Moon, Capricorn Rising

Hi, I’m Val, I use she/her pronouns. I’m a Yoga & Movement Instructor and Meditation Guide. I offer practices rooted in mindfulness and an anti-oppressive lens.

Outside of yoga, I love spending time outdoors and sampling baked goods in hip cafes.

Yoga has been the one thing that has remained a constant for me over the last 15 years. It is a practice that has grounded me in the most challenging times, leading me back to joy and peace with myself and others. Sharing the practice is an incredible privilege that comes with the responsibility to honour yoga’s roots and teachings.

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” – Rumi

Administrative Team

MORGAN COWIE
STUDIO OWNER/DIRECTOR

Leo Sun, Virgo Moon, Scorpio Rising

Morgan Cowie (she/her) is a Leo Sun, a dedicated learner and a lover of all things that light the world up with joy. 

There is not a movement practice in the world that Morgan doesn’t want to find out more about. She is currently enthralled with teaching meditation, barre, yoga and fun dance cardio sequences. She loves the feeling of combining intelligent design and sequencing with straight up sweaty fun. 

There’s no feeling in the world better than being at home in your body and Morgan’s classes are created to help you know that amazing is your birthright.

‘Je suis prest (I am ready)’ – Clan Fraser of Lovat

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AMBER GARDINER
SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
Scorpio Sun, Capricorn Moon, Capricorn Rising
 
Amber (she/her)

Yoga is a truly magical practice. It challenges
me, supports me and always guides me home to myself. I am grateful for the opportunities I have to teach and share this with others. There is always something new to learn.
 
“Life is not a problem to be solved but a mystery to be experienced.”
LAMA HALABI
ASSISTANT MANAGER / SALES AND MARKETING COORDINATOR

Capricorn Sun, Taurus Moon, Scorpio Rising 

Lama (she/her) began her yoga journey with her Grade 4 students and noticed the difference meditation and attention to breath had on development. 

In 2019, she became a certified yoga teacher with a passion for learning about the human body and all that it is capable of.  

As she continues on her yoga journey, Lama hopes to spread her knowledge of healthy living by learning constantly, embodying healthy habits, and creating accessible information to share. 

On her off time, Lama enjoys making mala bead necklaces and bracelets to continue spreading good energy. 

 
“Character is what you are in the dark.” -Dwight Moody
 
TEAGHAN YOUNG
DESIGN COORDINATOR

Libra Sun, Sagittarius moon, Scorpio Rising

Teaghan (she/they) is an artist of many mediums, with a focus on the performing arts, as well as graphic design. Her work aims to blend storytelling, creativity and accessibility. 

Why I love to practice: movement has always helped me express myself in a way that words cannot 🙂

SHIREEN MIRSHAK
SPECIAL PROJECTS

With a background in Women’s Reproductive Health, Holistic Nutrition, and Yoga, I am passionate about supporting others in finding balance and re-connecting with themselves on and off the mat.

The mind and body work together in a beautiful, lyrical dance, and if we can learn to LISTEN to what it has to say I believe we will all be that much closer to finding what it is we are truly looking for, no matter what that may be.

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