Drop-In Faculty
Jennifer Helland
E-RYT® 500, YACEP®
Meditation has had a profound effect on my life. It has helped me dig a deeper well of tolerance for my challenging and uncomfortable life stuff. It has helped me become more present and compassionate with the people I love. But the honest truth is that meditation has also been a bumpy road. Stillness is difficult for me. I LOVE to move, even if sometimes moving means avoiding. I have found an embodied movement practice an incredible gateway into meditation. I'm excited to share movement and stillness with you.
My daughter. She is incredibly funny, creative, loyal, feels in deep ways and has panic attacks sometimes. This morning was one of those times.
My son. He is so smart, kind, empathetic and can’t calm his brain down enough to fall asleep at night. Last night was hard.
A few weeks ago, @josh__cohen said “we often teach the things we need to learn.” I’m learning.
We’re learning
-to steady our breath.
-to notice ourselves and name what comes up in our bodies, thoughts and emotions.
-to imagine a calm space that makes us feel good
-to love ourselves and each other and to not be ashamed of our stuff.
I see the ripple effect from my meditation cushion into our lives. The process is so slow. But I’m feeling grateful.
Jennifer Helland
Josh Cohen
I first discovered meditation while traveling through India in my late twenties and from that moment it became an essential practice for helping me improve concentration and manage the ups and downs that inevitably arise in our lives. As I practised more and more I started being asked to teach and now almost 20 years later I find myself sharing the techniques and concepts to inquisitive minds who also wish to calm and centre themselves and find a greater sense of ease. I draw upon eastern philosophies, natural physics and western psychology in relating the timeless and universal principles and I treasure the opportunity to share space with beginners and dedicated practitioners alike as we settle into the present-moment awareness of simple being.
Josh Cohen
Michael Alex
I work with people of all ages, particularly teens and younger humans, to get curious about how they pay attention and show up in the world. Much of this work is learning focused, and is mindfulness-based. Meditation is a central aspect of my life, so even when I'm not meditating with learners, the skills and competencies which are the basis of our explorations are certainly inspired by or “meditation-adjacent.” And what we get curious about when we learn together invariably lends itself to meditative practice. So that is pretty cool!
My practice lives in the weird and wonderful learning laboratory of my own mind. I love meditation because of the insights it provides and the capacity it has to grow kindness and care. Meditation is the bedrock of my "practice of life” because regular meditation coupled with mindful movement allows me to be a better version of myself day-to-day, to learn from experience when that doesn’t work out, and to embrace an attitude of “okayness,” either way.
I look forward to sitting in community with you!
Michael Alex
Pat Harada Linfoot
E-RYT® 500, YACEP®
Pat Harada Linfoot: “I’ve been practicing meditation for 18 years and the process of showing up, leaning in, letting go, and waking up has been a game-changer for me. It has been inspiring to build relationships and community in a safe container. My hope is that we’ll realize that we’re not alone and that our shared humanity is the portal into a life worth living. By offering mercy to ourselves and others, we can develop practices based on respect, gratitude, resiliency, receptivity and grace.”
Pat Harada Linfoot
Ronalyn Dziklinski
Hi I’m Ronalyn (pronounced “ROW-nuh-linn”).
As an avid journaler for the last 20 years, journaling is what led me towards deepening my meditation practice which began in 2014 during my 200HR Yoga Teacher Training. It was a time of transition in between the seasons of life that helped me develop a personalized practice by combining both journaling and meditation.
As a meditation practitioner, in my classes, we will be exploring a variety of meditations together towards the journey of creating your own personal practice.
Ronalyn Dziklinski
Rochelle Miller
I first began my yoga practice over 12 years ago, since then I have been fortunate to be able to study with some of the most inspired, creative and passionate teachers who have really amplified this meditation practice as one that is imperative to support social change.
The ability to look at one’s self and environment in a curious and critical way allows for us to transform not only ourselves but our communities. Through the years I have been most passionate about how to make mindfulness accessible to diverse and marginalized communities. This unique experience has allowed me to cultivate a practice that uses ancient teachings in a relevant way to meet practitioners where they are, with simple and new twists to old practices.
Rochelle Miller
Salma Oomer
Upon quitting my job as a highschool teacher to dive into the study of asana through yoga teacher training, I landed myself in a deep meditation training program in Bali. Here I learned the benefits of meditation to still the mind and connect to something so great it humbled me and yet so incredible that it was validating at the same time. Since then I have studied meditation at Octopus Garden Yoga Centre and gone on to spend many months studying and practising meditation at Las Piramides Meditation Centre in Guatemala. I have come to see meditation as a doorway to all the vast possibilities the universe offers and consider it an honour to share the practice.
Salma Oomer
Shir Givoni
As a linguist and mindfulness practitioner, I am fascinated by words and even more so by how we may use them to guide ourselves towards stillness. With each word we mindfully encounter, begins a journey of discovery. When we allow ourselves to notice our reaction to a word, to observe where our breath goes, what sensations arise in the body, and what emotions are present, we give ourselves space in silence. As we are able to extend the gaps between one word and the next, sitting with whatever arises, we give ourselves permission to simply be. Join me for a contemplative practice where language and mind reconnect with body and breath.
Shir Givoni
Community Teachers
Alenka Bullen
I started meditating in Pat’s classes when I moved to Toronto in 2018. Each time I sit, I’m reminded of how this practice helps me feel settled, spacious and more myself - like letting the light in. I always keep a pen and paper close by to let my soul speak, write and doodle from a quiet place. I’m delighted to begin teaching and continue learning in community.
Anita Katakkar
Anita is a tabla player, composer and producer based in Toronto, Canada. She has studied tabla for over 20 years, including learning with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, who is the epitome of Lucknow style tabla. When Anita began practicing yoga about 15 years ago, she noticed how it supported her music practice and vice versa. It was through these practices that she developed a soundscape for "equal part breath" or Samavriti which you can listen to here: https://rakkatakyogatrax.bandcamp.com/ . Having completed the meditation teacher training at Downward Dog Yoga Centre, Anita now explores the use of sound and silence to settle into a meditation practice. It's her goal to make mindfulness and yoga accessible to everyone, regardless of their religion, race, or ability.
Bernadette Roca
After many years moving around and working a busy consulting job, I’m now in Spain, taking some time to focus on writing. Although I’d tried meditating several times over the past few years, my meditation journey began in earnest only very recently - and rather unexpectedly - with Pat’s 21-day meditation course on compassion. I feel deeply curious about the transformative power of meditation and I bring that curiosity, alongside openness, excitement, and commitment, to our meditation group.
Dylan Grant Chisholm
Dylan came to meditation through yoga, and has found it to be an invaluable tool for self discovery, and creating intimacy with oneself. The deep exploration of our inner world is vital work if we, collectively, want to create peace in our lives, our relationships, in our communities, and with the world. Mindfulness can be applied to any activity and has the power to catalyze real personal change. Dylan is primarily influenced in his approach to mindfulness by Jon Kabat Zinn, Thich Nhat Hahn, and the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. He'd also like to thank Pat Harada Linfoot, Jay Andrews, Josh Cohen, Shawna Perlin, and Tracy Heffernan, and the community of teachers for all of their guidance and knowledge.
Geoff Siskind
For more than two decades Geoff has worked as a producer, writer and director on television shows, radio and podcasts that have been seen and heard around the world. Sparked by his interest in meditation and creativity, Geoff’s teaching taps into a sense of wonder and playfulness that lives within us all.
Karen Cove
I was introduced to meditation in my early teens, though, the idea of sitting still and being present in my body felt impossible. I found practicing Hatha Yoga and focusing on the postures and mindful movement much more accessible. A decade and a half later, I found my way back to meditation and began to practice consistently. I have dedicated my life to both the practice and teaching of yoga and meditation. For me, practicing meditation is about taking time every day to observe and listen inwardly compassionately. By observing and listening, I can interrupt reactive patterns and behaviours and be more responsive throughout the day.
Marco Fiorante
Learning to meditate is a practice. Having no destination in mind, we learn to slow down, we feel our breath and we feel our body. Creating space within to notice on a journey inwards, we find ourselves. My first meditation teacher once said; “you have to have a self before you can let go of the self.” These words have always stayed with as I’ve learned to reconcile spiritual work with therapeutic study and client work. My meditation practice started over 15 years ago introduced to me by my first therapist, the practice and time spent sitting and exploring the teachings of the Buddha and many others have held me in many ways, and more importantly, it introduced me to the practice of compassion. A practice I wish to share with others, cultivating compassion for ourselves and others on a journey towards greater empathy, intimacy and community.
Melissa Ostrosser
Melissa has been practicing yoga for more than 15 years and completed Yoga Teacher Training with Downward Dog. More recently, she discovered the power of mindfulness and meditation which is having a profound impact on both her personal and professional life. Melissa is also pursuing certification in Advanced Principles and Practice of Mindfulness with McMaster University.
Pamela Wong
Pamela guides a weekly inward-looking meditative tour with The Path Unfolding, an open and exploratory occasion to indulge our curiosity, attune our senses, and notice what’s happening inside. She obtained her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (2015) and 300-hour YTT (2016) at Octopus Garden, and Restorative Yoga with Traditional Chinese Medicine (2018) and Rope Wall (2018) YTT at Mosaic Yoga. She's also studied yoga philosophy since 2015. She is passionate about providing a space for others to experiment and explore the infinite diversity of skins and self. She has a PhD in polar bear ecology and evolutionary biology and, when she is not teaching, is a technical wildlife advisor for Kitikmeot Inuit communities in Nunavut.
Shawna Perlin
I am a family physician, mindfulness teacher, yoga practitioner, and sports enthusiast. I began a meditation practice and self-inquiry after taking a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy course (MBCT) which was my first introduction to mindfulness. I began to live more in the "being mode" rather than always in the "doing "mode. I increased my understanding of how our thoughts, emotions, and body sensations are linked and affect our reaction patterns and responses. I really enjoy teaching mindfulness practices and psycho-educational skills. They have definitely helped to improve the wellness and health of all my patients and myself.
Terry Chang
As a fitness & yoga teacher, meditation is the ultimate self-care. Meditation awakens our awareness of self & the world around us. A great tip to level-up is to harness the power of community on your journey to a healthier sense of perspective & observation without judgement.
Tracy Heffernan
A long time social justice lawyer and community activist, meditation has given me permission to wrestle with heartache, to notice but not be so caught in the turbulence of life, and to take long deep dives into stillness, calm and clarity. My practice is grounded in the quintessential question: how can one best engage the richness of life with justice, kindness and love? I have studied with many teachers, most recently at the Nalanda Institute in New York City.
Veronica Montero
I have been practicing yoga for more than 20 years and my other passion is cycling. I love adventures and the outdoors; movement, silence, and the sounds of nature. I have two young daughters who are becoming amazing humans in front of my eyes and this causes me wonderment. My family and I moved to California from Toronto 7 years ago and I recently completed my first 200-hour YTT. Meditation to me is a path of no regrets that supports self discovery and reaching for your potential. I am constantly amazed by the mind-body connection and believe that we are better to each other when we feel good about who we are.