Theresa Gagnon
The shining star of Yoga Source. Theresa brings her exuberant instruction and her management experience to our Newmarket studio. Having trained and studied extensively in the US and Canada, her teaching reflects a broad range of influences including Kripalu, Iyengar, and Anusara yoga. Her knowledge of the human body is evident. Clients will recognize the touch of an expert as she is also a massage therapist at our studio. Theresa's classes are filled with energy. Read Theresa's thoughts here.
Laurie Newton
Yoga Source's resident traveler and wild child. Laurie's classes combine traditional influences with international flavour. Trained in the gurukula format and influenced equally by the history of the practice and whatever the wind blows in, Laurie's love for knowledge and exploration is evident in asana class. Laurie's classes are filled with laughter.
Patti Wietzes
Big smile, warm heart, devotee of all things fun! Patti is a registered yoga teacher who delivers precise instruction balanced with compassion and a sense of humour. She believes that the breath is the key to unlocking the connection between the mind, the body and the spirit. Her classes will leave you feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and restored. Let go of the past. Enjoy the moment. Listen to your heart.
Teri Macias
Teri is passionate about teaching yoga and feels honoured to witness, guide and support students in their practice. Her classes are a fusion of styles where she strives to help each person realize their ability to root and rise. Whether leading restorative, therapeutic or begin, Teri offers a safe space for students to be in their own body, discovering the power of the breath, while being gently guided towards their optimal expression of a pose. A nurturer by nature, Teri’s students feel taken care of, even when she’s suggesting that they learn to get comfortable with discomfort.
Sara Mercer
Sara is a Registered Yoga Teacher, Rainbow Kids Yoga Qualified Instructor, and Ontario Certified Teacher who has found a way to combine all that she loves into one intention: Kids & Family Yoga! She found yoga a few years ago and hasn't looked back since, recently completing Yoga Source's YTT program, and starting her own yoga business, Calmunity Yoga, in an effort to bring more yoga opportunities to the little yogis in the community. She saw how yoga can be such an enriching and beneficial practice for adults, for their mind, body and spirit, and was able to see the same can result when children were introduced to the practice as well. Sara loves to laugh, play and brings a light-hearted approach to yoga, stemming from her background working with children, as well as her bright and kind personality. It's okay to fall out of a pose, or to not quite nail it perfectly, because it allows for room to grow, and space to live authentically and to come into the pose in your own unique way. It's okay to laugh and giggle and make mistakes - please do! We're all learning and following our own journeys and that is such a beautiful example of how unique we all are! Sara is constantly growing and expanding within her own practice, and hopes to allow students the opportunity to find the fun in yoga, the community within the room, and the peace within themselves. Everyone needs a little time to play, and yoga is such an amazing opportunity to do so!
Stephanie Hiscox
Stephanie began her yoga journey 8 years ago, shortly after she discontinued a 10 year competitive dance career. She started yoga as a way to maintain flexibility, and what she gained was a sense of peace and strength unbeknownst to her. She knew this was her calling. Stephanie's training is in Hatha yoga as well as Hot Yoga. She teaches from a place of love; for her students, her teachers (whom are often one in the same) and for her true love of the practice. Her passion is helping others become the best version of themselves through many yoga styles, as it continues to do so for her.
Daye Simpson
Daye is a sensitive, creative, openhearted, free spirited individual, who is passionate about teaching. Yoga, breath, meditation, spiritual studies, her love of photography and inspiring others are her life. Her passion for teaching yoga and healing studies spans over twenty five years and incorporates a variety of teachings that allow her to connect with students of all ages. She thrives on assisting others on their personal path of self-discovery and awareness. Daye embraces several forms of yoga as a platform to branch those forms into unions with Self.
Caitlin Shipley
Caitlin first came to yoga to increase her strength and flexibility for long distance running, but discovered that a regular yoga practice helped her to find the peace of mind and balance needed for everyday life. She is passionate about sharing the benefits of connecting the mind and body through breath with others. She especially loves working with youth, to spark the passion for feeling good from the inside out, early in life.
Ruth Bonner
Ruth came to yoga late and after being sidetracked many times – by drama, dance, aerobics, motherhood, publishing, sales and editing – all of which inform her practice and her classes. She admires humour and honesty, teaches only what she knows and learns as much from participants as they do from her. Ruth’s journey towards mindfulness and compassion is never-ending but it’s lightened by having sympathetic travelling companions.
Jen Fish
When Jen Fish found yoga only a few years ago, the practice quickly resonated very deeply within. Her daily practice teaches her to embrace the peace and balance that she was searching for when she initially started her journey. Learning to let go takes practice and patience and it is a lifelong journey. Jen welcomes you to open your heart and mind and allow yourself to create your own freedom and space within.
Maya McCready
Maya felt drawn to yoga form a very young age. She remembers learning poses from books and attending occasional classes at the local temple. On a trip to India in 2001 she was able to deepen her yoga and meditation practice. Once completing her studies to become a naturopathic doctor in 2005, she had time to become serious with her yoga practice. In 2007 she wanted to further deepen her practice by taking a 200 hour teacher training through Wilfred Laurier University. She began teaching small classes and integrating yoga into her works as a naturopath. Through her beloved teacher, Kasia Kord, in Waterloo, she began her life changing journey with Kundalini yoga. Soon she was going to Kundalini events whenever she could. In 2012 she met her husband at a Kundalini yoga event in New Mexico, and she moved to Vancouver to be with him shortly after. There she had the blessing of training under Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa one of the original students of Yogi Bhajan and founder of the home of Kundalini yoga in Vancouver, Yoga West. Since moving to Newmarket in 2014, Yoga Source has become her new yoga home and she is honored and thrilled to be bringing Kundalini yoga here.
Ram Vakkalanka
Ram shares his deep knowledge of Sanskrit, Vedic sciences and philosophy, Nada Yoga, Kirtan and Meditation thru workshops, webinars, one-on-one sessions, lectures and talks as well as preservative media. Ram touches the lives of many people thru his teachings. Being born and brought up in the Vedic tradition, Ram possesses the intimate knowledge and the traditions, and dispels myths and misconceptions about Indian philosophy in the western minds, with compassion and logic. Many are impressed by Ram’s deep knowledge and wisdom; everyone is touched by his humility. Ram’s teachings from his heart. His teachings are easy to understand, lucid and engaging, filled with relevant examples, subtle wit and humor.
Julie Thayer
Julie has been a fitness enthusiast all of her life. An athlete in her early years, her motto was “harder, stronger, faster!” and thus, her relationship with yoga was, shall we say, tenuous at best. A nagging curiosity, compelled her repeatedly back to her mat, until she eventually began to embrace the idea that less is absolutely more! And then, she fell hard and fast for this yoga thing!!! Joyfully understanding, that connection to breath, mindful movement and kind alignment, supports the integration of the whole and inspires vitality in all of the magnificent layers of ones’ being; physically, mentally, emotionally, energetically and soulfully!!! As her love affair with yoga blossomed, Julie’s desire to deepen her experience did too, and she pursued her RYT 200 Teacher Training at White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA. She then, completed her RYT 500 and Professional Yoga Therapist Certification; mentoring with Karen Claffey, and the esteemed faculty of The Heaven on Earth Yoga Institute in Stoney Creek, Ontario. This intensive training profoundly impacted Julie’s deeper understanding of the capacity of yoga to heal mind, body and spirit. Most recently, Julie fell head over heels for the playful and powerful practice of SUP Yoga (pure bliss!) and completed her SUP Yoga Teacher Training and Level 1 WPA SUP Instructor Certification. With Canada’s oh-so-short SUP Yoga season, Julie was then inspired to create karma SUPtra, a SUP-Inspired Indoor Yoga Board & Class! And last, but not least, you may have seen Julie hanging out in class at Yoga Source and auditing Teacher Training, as Theresa is one of her treasured teachers and mentors.
Let’s breathe together, be mindful, move kindly, create space, practice playfully, explore compassionately. Namaste. - Julie
Crystal McDermott
Crystal is a Hatha Yoga trained registered yoga teacher and an artist/painter of over ten years. She is a lover of animals, the outdoors, growing and nurturing her garden, and creating in any way. Crystal brings an open mind, a good sense of humour, compassion and an eagerness to always learn and evolve. As she suffered from trauma, depression and anxiety, she came to yoga as a last resort to heal her own trauma. The love quickly blossomed and grew rapidly as yoga walked her back home to herself. After years of practice, and moving back home to Ontario from Dublin, Crystal graduated YTT this year at Yoga Source under Theresa Gagnon, Laurie Newton, and Teri Macias. Committed to living her life authentically helping those who also may have lost themselves she is living, breathing proof that bringing the body into healing, and moving with our tribe Works. With a love of trauma sensitive yoga, Yoga for grief relief, yin/yang, restorative, and vinyasa. Her classes will always offer an authentic, creative and unique opportunity for transformation, allowing modern Yoga to work for you! Using radical acceptance, primal movement, somatic experiencing, mindfulness and mantra, moving and releasing stuck energy and emotions, and a whole lot of breath.
She invites you to join your tribe to Wake the Brave, come home to presence and to the warriors we are.
Cathy Smuk
Cathy found yoga later in life. She loves the work she does but it involves high conflict and is very emotionally charged. When the stress of her career began to take a toll on her physically and emotionally, her doctor (a very wise woman) “prescribed” yoga. From the first yoga class Cathy took, she was hooked and began a regular practice at Yoga Source. She quickly learned that the breath is an amazing tool to deal with stress and anxiety. Following the suggestion of one of her teachers, Cathy began teacher training in 2015 and completed it in 2016. She learned that yoga is so much more than the poses we do on the mat. Yoga has also reignited Cathy’s love for singing and listening to music. Cathy believes that yoga is an amazing gift that she has been given. She feels that it is important to treasure that gift and to share it with others. Cathy brings her passion for yoga to her classes. Her classes are inspired by the magic of the breath, compassion and non-judgment, her talented and gifted teachers, her life experiences, her students and music. She looks forward to continuing her yoga journey and sharing that journey with others.
Jen Trussell
Jen says...My life has been about death. I am a 5th generation Funeral Director. I grew up in a Funeral Home – yes like “my girl” or “six feet under”….sort of! After university I took my Funeral Director training at Humber College in 2002 and became licensed in 2004. I continued to work in Toronto for almost 10 years at some of the busiest funeral homes in the city, working with families experiencing trauma. In 2012 I completed my Yoga Teacher Training, I have studied energetics and intuition with Karen Strumos, and discovered more of my beautiful magic with the beautiful Asha Frost. Two years ago I developed my Bereavement Yoga Program. I love helping people during their grieving journey. If I have learned one things over my life it is that we never stop learning, even when if feels like we cannot possibly move forward. We can learn, grow, and even heal our past as we learn to live with new life circumstances.
Lynn Duncan-Smith
Lynn has been exploring the world of posture and alignment for more than thirty years. She began with martial arts, continued with her previous career as an RMT, and has further enhanced her knowledge with the study and practice of osteopathy. All of these disciplines find voice in her yoga classes. Lynn received her initial yoga training at Yoga Source in 2009.