Meet Monica, our new Fitness Consultant!
Born and raised in Calgary, I am a wife, mother, yoga instructor, vegetarian, licensed Realtor and university graduate. Aside from all the labels and alongside my passion for business and homemaking, I’ve always been a physically active and energetic individual. I participated in sports and danced competitively as a youth and then in my twenties, as I aimed to gain flexibility for my studies of the devotional dance form of India: Bharat Natyam, I discovered Astanga Yoga.
I had always been aware of other forms of yoga and have been practicing Bhakti Yoga since I was a child but in Ashtanga yoga, I found a community of likeminded individuals with whom I could better understand myself. I enjoyed being alone (all one) in a room filled with so many others. I trained with Rockne White at “Yoga in Motion” and soon became a certified Yoga Instructor. I travelled to India to train further – gaining more authentic experiences and got a dose of adventure along the way. I trained with Rameen Peyrow of Edmonton’s “SATTVA School of Yoga”, studied Prenatal Yoga with Amy Bidrman of the “Swelli Community”, practiced, practiced and practiced some more – and now, over twenty years later, I am still finding my way back to the mat and into the gym as well.
I’ve been teaching Ashtanga, Hatha, Restorative and Prenatal yoga for over 20 years now and but I continue to water my Bhakti yoga roots and am dedicate more time to my devotional practice – chanting to be happy. I constantly feel blessed by how the universe guides and assists me with the support I need to stay focused, healthy and to achieve my goals.
During COVID, I have really been enjoying nature and being outdoors – especially in the mountains. I’ve been hiking, back country camping and cross-country skiing. I walk, bike, swim, skate and toboggan with my little one and am putting it out there that I’d like to drive a little less in the coming year. This year I’m also training to become a certified fitness instructor and am looking forward to sharing up to date industry methods and practices to aid clients and staff here in my new role as fitness consultant.
Let’s get together, sweat together, sit together and be fit together.
– Monica Patel
