ABOUT
Me —
Hey, I'm Hannah.
And I’m so glad you’re here.
I practice Thai Yoga Massage and I teach yoga and pilates in Peterborough, Ontario and online.
I stumbled upon Thai Yoga Massage in my yoga teaching journey, and I just knew it was the missing piece in so many peoples’ lives and practices.
More on that here.
My Commitment as a Teacher and Practitioner
There are endless benefits of yoga, pilates and Thai Yoga Massage, from relieving stress, to building a deeper connection to our bodies and of course building strength and flexibility.
I believe that these practices should be accessible.
Which is why I specialize in accessible yet challenging vinyasa, yin and restorative classes.
Just as no two faces are the same, no two bodies are the same. Not every pose works for every body and it's important to honour that.
In my classes and offerings we move beyond our thoughts of how we should feel, act or look in class and we learn to listen and respond to ourselves with compassion, as we are, in this moment.
I also share this practice outside of yoga studios, teaching to adults with intellectual disabilities.
I teach and practice because these practices have helped me in SO many ways and I believe it's my responsibility to share this with others.
I am grateful everyday that my job is to share these wonderful practices.
Meditations and Anxiety
In addition to my work as a yoga and pilates teacher and as a practitioner of Thai Yoga massage, I also specialize in body-based meditations.
You can find some examples on my YouTube Channel and through the platform Insight Timer. (If you don’t have Insight Timer, don’t worry - it’s a free app, so it’s worth it to check it out.)
Plus, I deal with anxiety sometimes, and I know how hard it can be, so I created a whole course for us.
I will say that yoga, meditation and my Thai Yoga Massage practice have been huge parts of helping me learn to deal with my anxiety - to befriend it, and not let it take over.
I really do feel like I’m living my dream, being able to teach yoga full-time and now getting to expand my work into Thai Yoga Massage.
(Wondering what exactly Thai Yoga Massage entails? I'm glad you asked! Head here to get all the details.)
Loving What I Do
People say that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. But they don’t always talk about the work it takes to get to a career you love!
I spent a lot of years waitressing and bartending while training to become a yoga teacher.
But once I was able to start teaching, I wasn’t done learning.
My practice is informed by more than 500 hours of yoga training, plus instruction and education in yin yoga, anatomy, accessible yoga, chair yoga, trauma informed work and master level reiki.
I continue to train and take classes because I want to bring everything I can to my students.
I feel so lucky to work doing what I love in a way that feels really good. That includes continuing to offer donation-based yoga classes through Insight Timer.
More About Making Yoga Accessible
My mission is to make yoga accessible to as many people as I can.
That means two things:
First, in every class, I try to provide modifications for injuries or movement limitations.
I never want those new to yoga to think that you have to be uber-athletic, gymnast-level flexible or able to hold a plank forever in order to do yoga.
Not with me as your teacher, baby!
(Here is a peek into how I teach.)
I love teaching classes like my REST class, which can actually be done from bed.
It’s my firm belief that we can benefit from yoga without stressing and straining our bodies or doing headstands every day.
The other way that I try to make yoga accessible is to make it affordable and easy to access.
I teach on Insight Timer and share videos on my YouTube channel so that you can do yoga from home.
And I never want yogis to feel limited by not having the “proper” tools. There is nothing I love more than using blankets and pillows off my bed, couch cushions and other everyday items to replace traditional yoga props.
That doesn’t mean that you CAN’T use more traditional yoga props in classes with me - it just means that I don’t want the cost of yoga accessories to get in the way of you jumping into a class.
A Peek At What Makes Me Different
I’m going to let you know now, that what I do is a little different than what you may think of when you think of a classic yoga teacher.
First, I am often joined by dogs. My dog, extra dogs ..
Dogs are a big part of my life, and so they are a big part of my home-based classes.
They keep things … interesting!
Second, sometimes I swear. (Just keepin’ it real.)
Third, I love what I do, and I’ve trained extensively to get to this point, BUT, that doesn’t mean I make every posture look easy.
A big part of my education has been learning about anatomy, and how every body really is different.
So there are certain shapes my body loves, and certain shapes that are a bit harder for me.
I am open about that with my students - especially if we’re holding Pigeon for a long time in a Yin class!
You Can Absolutely Do Yoga
So I kind of want to shout from the rooftops that YES - you can do yoga.
In fact, I really hope that you’ll join me for a class, or head over and find a class in my YouTube library. I have some body scans and meditations there too. And I have a ton of free meditations and yoga practices available on-demand through Insight Timer.
I’ve worked with hundreds of students with mobility issues, students recovering from surgeries or injuries and people who never imagined themselves as yogis.
To me, that’s one of the biggest joys of this job - getting to share what I love with people, and seeing how they benefit from yoga, meditation and bodywork.
WHERE TO FIND ME
MORE ABOUT …
Pay What You Can Yoga/Donations