— Guylaine was 16 when she was first introduced to the world of yoga (most vividly she recalls Shirley MacLaine’s VHS Inner Workout). She was attending weekly Alateen meetings in Newcastle, NB and a group leader, Leona, had been travelling back and forth to Boulder, Colorado to study with meditation and yoga teachers. She became a mentor for Guylaine, and it is through Leona, and a deeply profound long-term relationship with her friend Ra, that she was introduced to and became fascinated with meditation, spiritualism, self-study and yoga.
Although the physical (asana) form of yoga had not yet found its way into her daily life, Guylaine knew it existed and was aware of the necessity to have some method of removing herself from anything that might suck at her spirit and her personal charism. At this point she stuck with prayer, running, writing and Leonard Cohen—her favorite yogi.
Through university and a significant friendship with her professor Al Bentley, her practice of yoga involved meditation and self-study—reading scripture, mythology, and the poetry of great mystics including Rumi, Gibran and Hafiz. After university, and when spending a few years living abroad in China and throughout Europe, Guylaine became an avid runner. It became her way of finding or returning to herself—experiencing moments of pure elation, bliss, a connection to God, and the earth. She wanted that feeling to last. She was also hooked on a yoga VHS done with the gang at Crunch Gym in New York and Erich Shiffmann’s VHS Yoga: Mind and Body.
“Shortly after returning to Toronto, I was told that I should stop any intense cardio, as I had gotten too thin. Shocked, I was desperate to find something that would give me the same satisfaction as running had had for so long.” Within a week she found The Yoga Sanctuary on the corner of Yonge and College and attended her first Ashtanga class. “During savasana I was home again! I loved it, and continue to love it, and will forever love it!” She bought a pass and went everyday—sometimes twice.
After a year of practice at The Yoga Sanctuary with great teachers like Michael Stone, Janine Woo and John Carson, Guylaine decided to take their first ever yoga teacher training. The instructors were Cynthia Funk, Hart Lazer and Jonathan Austman. Guylaine feels it was Austman who has had the greatest effect on her understanding of the practice and the role of a teacher. The 250-hour YTT was by far the most committed she had been to anything in her life. Shortly after finishing this YTT, she returned to Halifax and was blessed with the opportunity to teach at Therapeutic Yoga Studio for nearly 7 years.
During the summer of 2008, Guylaine was invited by Tim Miller to go to Encinitas, CA to study and deepen her practice. She took Tim’s Second Series YTT in Ashtanga and stayed on for two months after the training was done. Shortly after returning from California, Guylaine was offered the chance to open and run her own studio in Oakville, ON. She successfully opened the Flying Monkey Yoga Studio as studio manager and a senior teacher, but after some time, Guylaine returned to Halifax to help her mother through a dramatic surgery and also maintain a bond with her young nephews. The decision to return to Halifax was a difficult one as Guylaine had truly thought she was ‘done’ with this city, “but as a yogi/ni, you learn to go with it and have faith”.
Guylaine has trained with talented teachers like Hart Lazer, Richard Freeman, Michael Stone, Tim Miller, Erich Shiffmann, Matthew Sweeney, Angie Birt, Seth Daley, Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty, Diane Bruni, and Ron Reid. She has taught years of Hatha Vinyasa, prenatal, postnatal and kids’ yoga, participated in TAYS’ 500-hour YTT and acted as faculty for their 200-hour YTT and prenatal YTT. Guylaine is thrilled to be a part of Halifax’s Ashtanga Yoga Shala as both a senior teacher and acting director along with Angie and Seth. “I believe we have a brilliant team of teachers on board to be a part of what I trust will be a true community dedicated to this crazy ride called Ashtanga and all it’s limbs!” Guylaine’s next missions are to establish StandingUP and to find her way back to study with her Guru, Jonathan Austman, director of the Winnipeg Yoga Shala. She continues to work on being a better student, teacher and yogini while learning to love all that arises.
“Living on and off the mat—each a mirror for the other. Jai Ganesh!”
