Meaghan Mielnichuk

I began my journey into yoga eight years ago and since my first class I have never looked back. Initially I did yoga to alleviate stress and it soon became a regular part of my daily life, I began to notice changes that were so amazingly positive I knew I was on the right track. I began teaching in January of 2009 and instantly loved it. I figured that like most jobs this would fade away with time, and I have found the complete opposite, I love my job more and more every day and it is an amazing feeling after I finish each class. The benefits of yoga are endless but I think in our society the biggest benefit is to learn to simply slow down and really be present in the moment. We spend so much of our time planning, creating these to do lists and it seems as though we are only content when we are working on crossing things off the list. I have been in the fitness industry for quite some time and peoples biggest excuse is I just don’t have time, but what we need to realize is the time to relax is when you don’t have time to! It is so important to take time for yourself because if you don’t you begin to lose yourself in all the ‘stuff’ and you start to lose touch with who you are, and even more importantly the negative effects it can have on your health. I have been very lucky to train with many influential teachers, the most recent being Baron Baptiste and I will forever be a student to yoga because no matter what, there is always room for growth. I am trained in many different styles and in my classes I try to create a balance, focusing not only on the physical practice but also incorporating the philosophy that makes yoga such a powerful tool in our lives. Last year I took a course in pilates and I learned so much from this course and just how effective the combination of yoga and pilates can be in toning your body!