Laura Wayne

Laura is a yogini, musician and scholar who has been exploring yoga for the past 8 years. Her journey has taken her around the globe, most recently to India and Nepal where she spent ten months wandering, singing and discovering her limitless capacity to love. Both devotion and an open heart have led Laura to identify most strongly with the path of the Bhakti yogi. She cares deeply for the well being of her students and is particularly concerned with making the practice accessible to everyone. For this reason, she is delighted to join Atmapuri in extending the wisdom of yoga beyond a studio setting and into the wider community.

Prior to devoting a majority of her time to yogic endeavors, Laura earned a BA from Mount Allison University, specializing in French, German and Spanish Languages with a minor concentration in Religious Philosophy. From 2007 – 2008 she was a Fellow at the University College of London, England, where she earned a Masters degree in Cultural Anthropology. She has worked and written extensively as a political analyst in Washington D.C. and engaged with documentary filmmaking in Havana, Cuba. She is currently exploring film as a medium of self-expression and works as a videographer with the Mustard Seed Drama Club. In the coming months, Laura hopes to express much of her energy creatively, leading and facilitating a Kirtan practice throughout the Calgary community.

Gita Travail

Since childhood Gita has always been interested in health and spirituality. She has been practicing Yoga in a variety of different forms for close to 20 years. Among her objectives as a yoga practitioner and teacher is to share the knowledge of yoga with others around her.  She continues to help people gain good health and a sense of inner peace.         

As time has passed she has been drawn more progressively to yoga as a way to help herself and others to evolve and be inspired to reach their highest God given potential and to achieve outstanding results. In 2008 Gita completed the yoga teacher training course at SVYASA at Prasanti Kutiram ashram, near Bangalore, India. She has also completed numerous workshops and retreats on meditation and different forms of healing.  Gita is especially interested in nutrition as it affects our entire being and wholeness.

Kristen Ingram

Kristen has beena yoga practitioner for over 8 years.  Inspired by her Yoga family and beautiful teachers she followed her path to earn her 200hr teacher training certification in India under the guidance of Yogi Vishvketu in Akhand Yoga.  Kristen teaches many different styles of Yoga, but she specializes in providing classes to Seniors and new practicioners.  She aims to bring a yoga experience to her students that engages the body, enlivens the spirit and calms the mind through asana, breath work, chanting, and meditation.  She has come to cherish her yogic experiences as means for connection, not only with those around her but with her mind, body and spirit. It is from this passion for connection that her teaching has developed. 

Check out Kristen's teacher schedule and registered classes by clicking here.

Natasha Van Meer

Natasha discovered yoga in 2007.  Initially expecting only a physical workout for her body, she discovered instead a world of possibilities and new experiences.  As she learned more and more about the beautiful practices of Yoga she also began to learn about her own personality and her relations with the world around her. 

After the fairly standard awkward learning process, Natasha’s bhakti (devoted) attitude continued to bring her back to class.  The time she spent on the mat became a time of reflection, peace, and of awareness.  While she practiced, and explored the aspects of Yoga, she found herself exhibiting and embodying a more centered and harmonious lifestyle. 

As she continued to practice, Natasha began to realise more and more that the exploration of Yoga was quickly becoming a very integral aspect in her life.  The beauty she had found in her practice thus far inspired her to attend an Indian Ashram in 2009.  Her experiences there not only deepened her own personal practice, but also left her with a strong desire to teach and share her newfound passion with others.  She is currently enjoying her own constantly changing Yoga experiences and is learning every day how to share this wonderful discipline with all manner of students.

Natasha continues to work with Atmapuri on the Juno House project and also with Immigrant Services Calgary for our Seniors Yoga class.

Kate Mak

Kate is an inspiring teacher working at a number of different studios in the Calgary area.  She has completed two 200 hr. Yoga teacher trainings.  The first was with Moksha Yoga for a one month intensive out of Toronto, and the second was in Vinyasa Krama out of Ananda Ashram near New York city, also a one month intensive.  Kate continues to further her teaching practice through workshops and community events.  She also offers Yoga retreats and workshops throughout the year.  Kate is currently working with Immigrant Services Calgary on our Yoga for Seniors project.

Kate would have to say the practice found her without properly understanding that this was what she was looking for in her life. It would be an understatement to say that yoga essentially saved her as it transformed the very core of her being and gave her perspective of what was truly important in her life. Regardless of why people come to their mats to practice, we are all linked together in the common path towards finding and living happiness. Within each person lies a powerful and inherent luminosity that can light this path for others and themselves. Kate is continually honoured and so grateful to be surrounded by the energy and love of the practice and the people.  

Check out Kate's thoughts, inspirations and daily musings on her blog by clicking here.