Our Teachers & Facilitators

Celeste Mallett Jason

Celeste has lost count of the number of years she has been teaching (over 35 years and not quite 40 years). She started first as a school teacher in the land of her birth, South Africa.. Her love of the Sea and the spectacular landscape of the Cape, and physicality of Africa, left such a deep impression, that the language of Nature continues to inform her teaching. Living on a Farm on the West Coast of Canada breathes life into her, inspires her, and keeps her humble.

Celeste has studied various forms of Yoga, with many well known Yoga Masters, but is particularly drawn to the Therapeutic aspect. She dives deep into Yoga Nidra and Restorative Yoga and loves to assist folks pre-and-post surgery, either in Private Sessions or in her well-loved Chair Yoga Classes. Mixed Level classes are always fun, comprehensive and do-able, as she believes Yoga Asanas are more accessible than we realize.

Creating Sacred Spaces is also a passion, yet to Celeste, seen as a service offered, for folks to come together to share both collectively and independently, their interpretations of their own Divinity.

Mahāvīr

Catherine Bennett

Catherine’s strength lies first in her passion for teaching. Her classes are supportive, encouraging and inspiring. Offering well-grounded, sound exercise, at an energy level that suits the individual. Catherine is continually mindful of good practice. Motivated to be the best she can be and a true believer in all forms of exercise as the route to sound health. She truly loves what she does!, Catherine was encouraged to apply her teaching skills to the Health Industry through fitness and has developed a variety of unique class styles which she has taught over the past 35 years. She is a fully Certified Fitness Instructor and her CPR and First Aid certification are annually updated.

“The joy which I strive to instill in myself motivates me to share with, and inspire all class participants to reach new levels of fitness and good health.”

Hanna Munneke

Hanna brings playful inquiry to her classes, while exploring the principals of quiet mind, relaxed body, breath, rooting, connection, expansion and intent. All classes include a short meditation and pranayama. Hanna has taught weekly classes on Salt Spring Island since 2015.

Tanja Akerman

Tanja Akerman is a Certified Level 3 Barre Instructor – Barre is a combination of ballet, pilates, yin yoga & functional fitness movements.

Tanja is also a health & fitness coach, who helps others improve their health by focusing on the foundations of Lifestyle medicine: stress management, boosting physical activity and healthy eating.

Tanja’s passion for fitness & health started with a desire to create a healthier lifestyle for herself and her family in 2013. When Tanja fell in love with getting healthier and feeling better, Tanja knew she needed to share it with the community she grew up in. Tanja now teaches barre fitness classes and facilitates group wellness programs.

Tanja’s is certified with the American Council of Exercise. ACE is science based and NCCA approved, also certified with IBBFA, International Ballet Barre Fitness Association.

Mardon Dary

Mardon is passionate about health and wellness and believes that there is always more to learn about the human body and mind, and enjoys sharing this with others.

Mardon has an interest in human connection and understanding Nature. This has inspired her to embark on a personal journey of self realization, meditation and vital living. Mardon has discovered through her own healing journey that the human body has a natural capacity to heal, recover and thrive!

Mardon loves continuing her education in health care to keep living vibrantly, as she firmly believes that life is meant to be enjoyed.

Mardon discovered TRE® in her personal search for natural self care remedies for pain and trauma. Mardon’s own transformative experience with TRE® is her motivation to help others relieve their trauma, stress, and pain and come back into balance.

In 2015, Mardon became certified to teach TRE® to better serve her community.

Nicola Bishop

She is grateful beyond words for her primary teacher, Ajahn Sucitto, as well as all the many influential teachers in her life. She had been an active member of SS Insight for 14 years, and is a manager for silent retreats at Stowel Lake Farm.

Nicola is a passionate horticulturist/garden designer, and lover of wildlife, wild spaces, and animals.

Lisa Erck

Howie Baral

I began to discover a renewed joy and passion! Wow, a moving meditation, letting go of my ego, reducing the noise in my head, and listening to my body more, all in one simple yet profound movement with the breath. I stopped my martial arts training and dove all-in to my yoga practice. After 15 years of practice, I took my first 200 hour RYT (registered yoga training) in Hatha Yoga, and then another 300 hour RYT in restorative yoga and began teaching 8 years ago.

I love sharing my passion of yoga and know whatever inspiration students find in my class or any other yoga class they take, comes from within their own desires and their own passions and their own abilities. Any teacher is simply a guide to each yogi’s path! I am so grateful for all my teachers who guided me. I look forward to also guiding every student who finds their way to my classes and I’m grateful for the passion and inspiration they show me as well! Namaste, Howie