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.

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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.”

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Howie Baral

Howie Baral

Ever since I was young, movement and challenging my body have been a way of life for me. From gymnastics to martial arts, I found a challenge to test my focus, strength, and athletic ability. It was while I was training for my black belt 2nd degree in Tae Kwon Do when a friend invited me to a yoga class. It was with Bryan Kest, in Santa Monica, the creator of Power Yoga. I was amazed and challenged like never before in my life!

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

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Lisa Erck

Lisa Erck

Lisa lived in Hawaii for the past 18 years and wishes to share the knowledge she gained dancing with the lovely ladies of Halau Manu Le’a Hawai’i. You will have the opportunity to learn some language, history, cultural practices, and most importantly, have fun dancing!

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Teacher Li Mei

Li Mei

Li Mei is a yoga teacher, high school teacher and toddler-mama. Using yoga as rehabilitation and therapy over the years, she now uses yoga off the mat to feel embodied and balanced in daily tasks. She completed her yoga teacher training in an ashram in India, and dove into further yogic studies all over the world. Her interest in somatic movement, dance, and trauma-informed practice led her to explore conscious breath and movement through a myriad of lenses. Using this perspective, she has facilitated yoga in schools, studios, community centres, detention centers, and festivals. Mei feels strongly about using yoga to create a safe space to play and explore.

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Teacher Adam Huber

Adam Huber

It has been a long and circuitous road which has led me to become a sound energy facilitator. It all began many years ago with a severe autoimmune disorder which consumed my life for 11 years. This brought me into the realm of alternative physical and Spiritual practitioners of all sorts. But it wasn’t until I completely surrendered into the grace of one deep prayer that things changed. Within a year of that prayer, all symptoms disappeared when I finally met the one healer that was directly in my path.

This sparked within me an understanding of which direction I was to take and has led me to the place and position where I am in facilitating deep transformation through crystal and voice sound energy.

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Hanna Munneke

Hanna fell in love with yoga around 2009. Practice became her center point amidst a busy life as the mother of 3 children. She took part in a traditional yoga apprenticeship with teacher Cathy Valentine for 3 years, (800 hours), and became a certified Vijnana Yoga International teacher with Valentine and Orit Sen-Gupta in 2016. She also gained her RYT 200 and 300 Level certifications.

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.

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Carrie Anne

Carrie Anne

The journey is to come home to ourselves. We practice to move old patterns in the body & to feel into the space and our chill vibe within. This leads towards the embodiment of calm joy that can be called upon as we move through our day to day.

Carrie Anne enjoys on-going yoga immersion training with Celeste and Hamsa, here at the Ganges Yoga Studio. Carrie Anne holds certificates for teaching Vinyasa from MA Yoga in Victoria B.C. and Restorative from Sarah Diedrick, which took place in the surfside town of Santa Teresa.

As a surfer; Carrie Anne works with pranayama, incremental strengthening yogic poses and meditation to have the confidence to thrive mentally and physically, not only in the cold waters of Tofino, but in all of her life. To her classes she brings music, knowledge and self compassion.

~ We take care of ourselves so we can take care of others. ~

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Jimena

Jimena

Hi! I’m Jimena, I recently moved to this beautiful island and would love to share my classes with you. I’m a certified Pilates Instructor & 500HR Yoga Teacher. I have studied a variety of forms of yoga and have been offering classes since 2015.

I believe that the connection between movement and breath is the greatest tool we have in our journey towards self awareness, self understanding and ultimately, self love.

I think it is through self love that we learn to live mindfully, be kind and inspire others. My mat is the space where I make that connection.

In my classes I curate experiences that invite the mind to be present and the body to move while breathing consciously, allowing the self to observe and feel.

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