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.
Billie Woods
Yoga has been a part of my life for over 20 years. It is now something I practice daily to bring balance to my life. I have taken a diverse range of teacher trainings to deepen my personal practice. The past 2 years I have focused on Yin. Realizing its the perfect way to help my parents with better mobility I took a week teacher training in Vancouver with Bernie Clark. I have been guiding and teaching part time since then. Yin yoga is my preferred evening practice. It helps process stress from the day and softens my body giving space for a deep relaxing sleep. I can’t wait to share the practice with this beautiful community.
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 has been an active member of Salt Spring Insight for 14 years, and is a manager for silent retreats at Stowel Lake Farm on Salt Spring island.
Nicola is a passionate horticulturist/garden designer, and lover of wildlife, wild spaces and animals.