Some of you may know that I completed my Yoga Teacher Training at Therapeutic Approach Yoga Studio (TAYS) in Halifax. TAYS was an early leader in yoga training and certification 25 years ago, and hundreds of yoga teachers in Nova Scotia were trained by Mike Munro and Maxine Jeffrey, co-owners of the studio for many years. My YTT training in July 2021 was exceptional, as Mike, Maxine as well as many other teachers helped ensure that we learned yoga philosophy and history, anatomy, asanas, chakras, and above all how to safely teach yoga to people with a range of abilities. TAYS was rooted in an understanding of injury prevention as a core principle of responsible teaching, and for that reason its clients always represented the community–a range of ages and abilities–much more than other yoga studios I’ve experienced.
Unfortunately TAYS is no longer able to continue operating, and will close its doors on September 30, 2023. We have all had some time to adjust to this difficult news, and most of us will continue to teach yoga in our own ways. I am hoping to build a practice with clients who are open to exploring their bodies and minds through yoga, in particular among the communities Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour. The first opportunity for this has come through Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, which is sponsoring six classes for BIPOC faculty members this fall. I will be offering similar classes to the community in the near future, and otherwise will continue to offer hatha and yin classes to everyone.
I hope you’ll join me soon.