TEACHERS

EMMA KORKOLA

CYA-RYT500, YA-RYT500, MASSAGE THERAPIST (D'ARCY LANE INSTITUTE), BA (QUEENS UNIVERSITY) YOGA MALA FOUNDER, DIRECTOR, ENTHUSIASTIC TEACHER

I am inspired each day by my children, who love me as I am. They inspire me to be the best version of myself. In yoga I find such freedom and happiness. Practicing yoga to me feels like a prayer, a celebration, a gift. The discipline and commitment required gives me such peace, as it demands me to surrender to the shape and structure it creates in my life. I love teaching as it is holding up a mirror to reflectback the beauty existing within each person. I love the changing light in student's eyes as they begin to witness their own strength and grace. It is an honor to be part of the journey. Yoga Mala is for me, a healing place. It is my safe place. I receive great comfort and inspiration from the teachers and students who make up this beautiful constellation. I am thankful for it every day

AIMEE PASCUA

Yoga gives me an opportunity to connect to my mind and body. I love that it challenges me to evolve and explore physically, mentally and spiritually.
There is something transformational that happens when I step on to my yoga mat. For a moment, everything becomes silent. All of the day’s distractions come to a halt and my yoga practice becomes my own sacred space to let go, reflect, and reconnect. Even in a room full of other practitioners, it amazes me that I can find place of stillness through a moving meditation. This is because the Yoga Mala community helps cultivate this experience. There is an energy and thirst to learn and grow within this community - and you can feel it throughout the studio.
I am so fortunate to have instructors and peers that continuously inspire and encourage me to move further into my yoga practice. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to teach and share this experience with others.

ANDREA DOROSH

Yoga has shaped who I am today. What began as stretching has become my life and work. We all want in life to be happy, healthy, to have purpose. Yoga is a catalyst to self-discovery and inner-transformation and brings me closer to these things every day. I love sharing my passion for yoga with others. Teaching is an extension of practise and it is how I show gratitude and give back to the community that inspires me and enriches me every day. I know now that yoga is more than just stretching, it is a journey that reaches back through time and continues to change lives and impact the world today. Yoga is inspiring, and inspiration is contagious!
Andrea has been a student at Yoga Mala since 2008. She completed her 200hr Sattva Yoga Teacher Training with Rameen Peyrow in 2012 and has been happily teaching at Yoga Mala ever since! Andrea is also a registered Thai Massage Therapist with the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada.

ANGELA HOVLAND

I have been teaching at Yoga Mala since 2010, after completing Sattva Teacher Training. I am inspired daily by the goal of becoming whole in body, mind and spirit, which encompasses being the best yogi, the best mother, the best wife and the best community member that I can be. I am also inspired by my own deep faith in God and strive every day to pursue wholeness, and I find that my yoga practice is a wonderful path that leads me towards that goal. Furthermore, knowing that I am teaching others keeps me accountable to be my best.
I began practicing at Yoga Mala because I experienced warmth and sincerity from the community of teachers here. I was also personally challenged by Emma and the other teachers to take my own yoga practice to the next level and am encouraged daily by their genuineness.

ARBELY RUBALCAVA

I am inspired by meaningful things, finding purpose and transformation. Yoga gives me those things. While practicing yoga, I love the physical and mental challenge that it brings, and that I need to surrender to find freedom and peace of mind. The way yoga has transformed the way I interact with myself, and others, is something that I will forever be grateful for. I love teaching yoga because it allows me to share my passion with others; others who have a keen disposition and are so eager to learn. I love witnessing the growth of students, and encouraging them to keep trying. Yoga Mala was my first yoga community since moving from Montreal in 2009, and now it is like my second family! I have learned tremendously from Emma and the teachers, and being surrounded by not only like-minded individuals, but also kind hearted, refreshing people is a wonderful and rare gift that I have found here at Yoga Mala.

DANELLE HUSSEY

Yoga is a journey consisting of self-exploration. This path eventually leads to self-discovery and ultimately self-love. The most rewarding part of teaching yoga to others is seeing these positive effects occur for people. The exchange of energy that happens between teacher and student during a class is palpable and intriguing.
Yoga Mala is both the first Regina studio I visited and the only one I continue to visit. I feel a deep commitment and loyalty to this community. I feel blessed by the sense of belonging and support I receive when I enter this sacred space. I am grateful for the learning opportunities that have been provided by this wonderful studio.

JENNIFER OLAFSON

P.ENG, MBA, PMP

My parents inspire me as they provide unconditional love and support. Nature is another inspiration as it is resilient and adaptable; it is truly non judging and non biased. Yoga has the ability to challenge me in both physical and mental ways but also provides for my self-defined need for structure in what can be a chaotic life. It can lift me up as well as temper my ego and remind me that sometimes it is ok to just let go and be present. I love to share the practice with students as they cultivate their own practice and journey. My ultimate goal is being present for that "ah ha" moment that inevitably happens.
Yoga Mala provides me with a sense of community that holds no judgments while providing me with space to cultivate my practice. I practice with individuals whom I feel that I know intimately yet may never communicate with outside of the studio. I feel both blessed and humbled by this relationship.

JOHANNA BUNDON

I am inspired by movement and by people coming together in movement. That includes dance and yoga and also people gathering to move their mind stuff and ideas. I have grown to love the way steady yoga practice inspires a sense of focus in my life and enlivens my choices with a sense of direction. Teaching reminds me how to be in relationship with a diverse array of humans. I love gathering all this diverse energy in a common direction of learning. Yoga Mala is a place that has offered me deep healing and lovingly nourished my impulse to grow. I feel grateful to Emma and my family at Yoga Mala. Yoga Mala just totally uplifts the quality of my heart!

LINDSAY FERGUSON

BA (HONS), LL.B

What inspired me?
Different people and ideas inspire me daily, especially my children and the Yoga Mala community. Both are a constant, daily presence inspiring me to be a compassionate, strong and confident version of myself.
I love yoga because it provides space for reflection. It is a daily opportunity to move and breath & observe myself and what motivates me, to note patterns in my body, thoughts and emotions and to try and carry that level of awareness throughout my day.
I love teaching yoga because it is an opportunity to express gratitude for the practice itself and for the Yoga Mala community. It is an opportunity to share something that is an important part of my life.
I started practicing yoga at Yoga Mala in 2005. My reasons for practicing yoga have shifted and evolved over time. YM offers a community of compassionate, dedicated yogis who serve as an invaluable support & inspiration at every step along the way.

MARGOT HURLBERT

Describing what I love about yoga and what I love about teaching yoga is a difficult thing! What I love most is the peacefulness I find when I practice and teach yoga; but sometimes I'm challenged, sometimes I'm humbled, and sometimes I'm elated in my yoga practice. I find out new things about myself and my relationship with others in my daily yoga practice. When I'm teaching and helping a student in their yoga journey, I experience a deep sense of well-being and satisfaction. This is my most salient inspiration.
I've never experienced such a warm, caring and positive environment (other than with my own family!) than I have at Yoga Mala. It's my safe haven. I'm grateful for the part of each day spent at Yoga Mala.

MAUREEN HARRISON

I am inspired daily by the opportunity to learn and grow through my yoga practice. Yoga helps me to be strong and flexible in both mind and body. It teaches me to challenge myself and explore my potential. It also teaches me mindfulness, compassion and acceptance. Yoga has become a constant in my life, a daily grounding and a sacred space I create for myself each day.
I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to teach yoga. It is an honour to be a part of someone’s yoga journey, to watch students explore their bodies, and to awaken and grow both physically and spiritually. Yoga Mala is a wonderful community where I feel completely at home and where I am supported, encouraged and challenged to continue practicing, learning and growing both as a teacher and a student.

RYAN SAWKA

Growth and possibility inspire me on a daily biases. I believe perceived misfortune can elude barriers and limitations; these can appear both mentally and physically. Yoga has given me clarity, opening my body and mind. Teaching yoga is a form of therapy for me. I consider myself extremely blessed to have the opportunity to promote the gift of health and awareness. I am humbled and honored to be apart of the Yoga Mala family and look forward to continuing my journey at the studio. Personally, Yoga Mala has promoted growth and catalyses possibility in my life that I am extremely grateful for.