Toronto’s top teachers
MONICA VOSS
Voss is one of the city’s original yogis — she’s been at it for 35 years. A Scaravelli yoga teacher and co-owner of the Esther Myers Yoga Studio, one of Toronto’s oldest studios, she teaches retreats in Costa Rica and Iceland, and is on the teaching faculty of several yoga conferences. Q: What is your daily practice? A: I try to practise formally for about one hour a day, but there are also all kinds of small opportunities during the day and evening, even during the night, to stretch, take a big breath, and establish the body on the ground. Q: Does yoga affect how you live the rest of your life? A: Developing awareness changes one’s life, making it both richer and more challenging. Q: How do you feel about the recent rise of yoga? A: I think, overall, it’s great! More people seeking health, truth and self sufficiency — what could be better? Q: What are your favourite poses? A: I like any posture that helps me feel happier living in my body. Q: Who is your yogic mentor? A: My working relationship with Esther Myers was incredibly helpful to me. I learned an enormous amount from her and I owe her my present career. We were also friends for 25 years.
DAVID GELLINEAU
When he was 26, Gellineau began practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. Nineteen years later, he is the owner and creative director of the Beach Yoga Centre and a faculty member at several yoga teacher training programs in the city. He has studied under R. Sharath Jois in India for the past 10 years as well.
Q: What is the most important thing you try to teach people through yoga?
A: I often teach my students, “Remember, whatever you think you need to do in yoga, do the opposite.” Q: What is your daily practice? A: I practise six times a week, for about two to three hours a day, starting at 4:30 in the morning. Q: Does yoga affect how you live the rest of your life? A: It has allowed me to become more aware of myself and my very small part in this world. If I don’t do my practice, I feel incomplete. Q: What are your favourite poses? A: I don’t really have a favourite posture. I honestly just do my practice and I like doing all of it. Q: How do you feel about the recent rise of yoga? A: I think that the popularity of yoga was to be expected. Why? Because it brings a little order to chaotic, busy lives and gives people hope. Yoga always wins.
NANCY ANJALI WEISER
Weiser teaches classical hatha yoga to people of all ages and abilities — kids, adults and seniors. Her locations follow a similarly varied path, from the Granite Club to The Dunfield Retirement Residence, workplaces and even kids’ birthday parties. Q: Does yoga affect how you live the rest of your life? A: Yoga is the foundation of my life and has helped me through some very difficult times in my life, including breast cancer four years ago. It allowed me to go through this particular journey with acceptance, grace, gratitude, faith and courage, as well as a sense of humour. Q: Who is your yogic mentor? A: I don’t have a guru, but the yogi I admire the most is Swami Sivananda, a great saint in India who exemplified service to humanity and promoted unity amongst all beings. Q: What are your favourite poses? A: At the moment, my favourite pose is extended side angle. It instills in me a great sense of confidence, determination, will power and strength — like I can be and accomplish anything. Q: How has your yoga practice changed over the years? A: Since I have been teaching yoga, my practice has expanded from being focused on the physical practice to applying the yogic principles to all aspects of my life.