Let's flow - together!
Be more calm, confident and connected. This class supports increased relaxation, resilience, and focus, while practicing to improve your core strength, flexibility and strengthen your mind-body connection. Emphasis on safety and alignment.
Location(s):
Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport (100 Devonshire Place, Toronto) - Fitness Studio
Athletic Centre (55 Harbord St., Toronto) - Dance Studio
Eligibility:
Students: U of T students paying incidental fees for the current term can access this program at no additional cost.
Members: Anyone who has a current Sport & Rec membership can access this programming at no additional cost.
Upcoming Schedule Adjustments
Meet your Mindful Moments Yoga Instructors
Lauren B: Lauren is the Mindfulness, Meditation & Yoga Program Coordinator for Student Life and is pursuing a PhD in Curriculum & Pedagogy at OISE, where she is studying student wellbeing and mental health at U of T. She was introduced to mindfulness to manage performance anxiety as a teen athlete and has practiced yoga for over 20 years. Lauren has taught yoga and mindfulness in healthcare, public schools, with elite athletes and executives, and in higher education. She holds a BEd and MEd in Adult Education, an Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certificate and is a registered yoga instructor.
Abby G: Abby is a grad student in the East Asian Studies department at U of T and is an enthusiastic motivator about practicing and teaching yoga. Throughout her studies as a fashion designer (BFA in Fashion Design from the Parsons School of Design), followed by her time as a womenswear designer for UNIQLO in New York City, Abby has been exploring a diverse combination of yoga styles and practices. Though she started her yoga pursuit in 2016 as a Hatha-style certified teacher, Abby enjoys teaching a variety of styles with a focus on relaxed vinyasa yoga flow.
Melissa C: Melissa is an experienced yoga teacher and yoga therapist and has completed Foundations of Applied Mindfulness Meditation at U of T's School of Continuing Studies. She encourages you to personalize yoga and meditation and bring yogic teachings into daily life. Melissa's classes involve a reflection topic/intention, gentle yoga practice, relaxation, breathing practice and seated/lying down mindfulness meditation. All of her classes are beginner friendly with modifications available.
Niamh W: Niamh has been practicing meditation for over a decade and has been a certified yoga instructor since 2017. She is also a PhD candidate at the Institute of Forestry and Conversation. Niamh views her personal practice of yoga as an opportunity for physical and spiritual inquiry and strives to make her classes accessible by creating space for others to do the same.
Jenna S: Jenna is a registered yoga teacher and has been teaching yoga for over 4 years. She is also a first year Masters student in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. Jenna has taught diverse populations from kindergarteners to professional athletes, always with a focus of creating an accessible and engaging environment. Her approach to teaching is to foster a mind-body connection, enhance mobility, and promote body autonomy.
Keke C: Keke is a certified trauma-informed yoga instructor. She teaches in a multitude of styles, including Vinyasa, Hatha & Yin, with an emphasis on mind-body and breath connection. Keke is also a certified CBT facilitator and fuses both meditation and movement into her classes. She believes yoga should be accessible to all and has over 12 years of experience with yoga philosophy and teaching.
What Happens in this Class
Each class will start with a friendly intro from the instructor, leading into a dynamic warmup.
Class will move through a series of movements focused on stability, flexibility, strength, and breathing.
Every class includes components of mindful meditation, stillness, and reflection.
Every class will finish with relaxing breaths and closing greeting.
Each class is 45-minutes.
Equipment Needed and What to Wear
All equipment will be provided, including mats, straps, yoga blocks, and more!
No special clothing is required. Wear something you can move comfortably in. Yoga is usually practiced in socks or barefoot. You may also bring your own mat.
Indoor activity.
Class Size and Capacity
GC Fitness Studio - Max. 30 participants
AC Dance Studio - Max. 50 participants
It is recommended to arrive 15 minutes before the start of class to secure a spot. Program staff will be on site to monitor and manage class capacity as needed.
Meet Your Mindful Moments Yoga Instructors!
JENNA SMITH
Jenna is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with over five years of experience teaching yoga to a wide range of individuals, from children to professional athletes. Currently pursuing a Master’s in Kinesiology at the ADAPT Lab, their teaching philosophy focuses on making physical activity personalized and enjoyable. They aim to create an accessible and supportive environment where participants feel confident and motivated, while fostering a strong mind-body connection through appropriately challenging classes.
Motahareh Nabavi
Motahareh is a dedicated yoga practitioner pursuing a Master's in Psychospiritual Studies at Emmanuel College, University of Toronto, with a focus on the Muslim stream. Motahareh holds an MA in Education and have completed a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) from Yoga and Tea in Ottawa. Motahareh’s philosophy centers on using yoga to achieve unity of mind, body, and soul, with a passion for embodiment and using the practice for healing and cultivating presence.
Abby Gaskin
Abby is a graduate of the Masters in East Asian Studies program at the University of Toronto and holds a BFA in Fashion Design from Parsons School of Design. A former womens' wear designer at UNIQLO in New York City, Abby has been a certified Hatha yoga teacher since 2016, specializing in relaxed vinyasa yoga flow while exploring various yoga styles. Passionate about fitness, Abby integrates weightlifting and other forms of movement into a holistic approach to wellness.
Suzi Lima
Suzi believes in the calming and grounding effects of combining movement, breath, and meditation. Suzi's classes offer a blend of breathwork, slow vinyasa flow, and restorative poses. With a teaching style that encourages exploration with curiosity and without judgment, Suzi fosters a supportive and open environment for all participants.
Lucy Wolff
Lucy is a former UofT graduate student who loved attending Mindful Moments yoga. Lucy enjoys teaching classes within the UofT Mindful Moments community. Trained at Downward Dog Yoga Centre in Toronto, Lucy is certified in Pre/Post Natal Yoga and Chair Yoga. Lucy has also completed the MindFit program at UofT, further enhancing a diverse yoga teaching skill set.
Keke Chambers
Keke is a Trauma-Informed Certified Yoga Alliance Instructor specializing in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Yin yoga. A retired professional dancer, Keke has over 7 years of experience teaching yoga. Immersed in yoga since the age of 16, Keke was inspired by her mother, who is also a yoga instructor, and discovered the healing powers of yoga after sustaining multiple dance-related injuries. Keke's teaching philosophy emphasizes playful curiosity and the belief that all bodies are capable of practicing yoga.
Niamh Maria Wall
Niamh is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Forestry and Conservation and has been a certified yoga teacher since 2017. With training in various meditation practices, Niamh integrates these into yoga classes to create a well-rounded experience. Niamh's teaching philosophy focuses on making classes friendly, accessible, and relaxed. Passionate about continuous learning, Niamh enjoys the ongoing growth that comes with teaching yoga.
Smriti Sundar
Smriti is a University of Toronto alum who was raised in India, where yoga has been a constant part of life. Smriti completed 200-hour and 300-hour teacher training programs in Bangalore and Mysore, India. Smriti's teaching focus emphasizes grounding and self-awareness through conscious stillness, controlled movement, and synchronized breath.
Melissa Campegnolo
Melissa is an experienced yoga teacher, meditator, breathing educator, and yoga therapist who teaches as part of the Mindful Moments program. With extensive study in the Viniyoga tradition, Melissa specializes in adapting yoga to meet individual needs. Melissa's classes are beginner-friendly, focusing on stretching, strengthening, and unwinding to provide a range of benefits for participants.
Savannah Li
Savannah has over a decade of experience in various styles of yoga and recently completed 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training and Yin-Restorative Training at Yoga Therapy Toronto. Savannah also holds a 100-hour Meditation Teacher Training from Hoame, accredited by Yoga Alliance. Savannah specializes in making yoga accessible and helping participants reconnect their body, mind, and breath. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Japanese, Savannah is also learning French.
Maya Gangji
Maya has been involved with the Sivananda Yoga Organization since 2016 and has been teaching at the Sivananda Yoga Toronto Centre since 2022. Maya's experience includes traditional Hatha yoga, Kirtan/mantra chants, and discussions on the Bhagavad Gita. Currently, Maya is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, studying Physiology, Psychology, and Buddhism, and is heavily involved in campus life.
Questions?
Email us at sportandrec@utoronto.ca for additional information.