Meet the Teachers

Laurin Wolf
​Studio Owner, CYA E-RYT 200,
​Thai Yoga Massage, Yoga Teacher Trainer

Laurin first began exploring yoga as a way to treat anxiety and panic disorder, and has since been irreversibly drawn to the calm and inner peace the practice can bring. She has a traditional approach to yoga from her intensive training in India, and her continuing yoga education includes Yin Yoga training with Marla Erickson, and Core Strength Vinyasa with Sadie Nardini.

​She is passionate about the healing powers of meditation, music and nutrition, and often blends these with her yoga practice to create a holistic approach to health and wellness. Laurin is enthusiastic about sharing her practice and experience with others, and in helping them bring harmony to their own lives.

​Jason Maraschiello
Studio Owner, CYT,
Mindfulness Coach & Meditation Teacher

Jason has a long standing relationship with both mindfulness and strength building. Jason started his meditative practice at the age of 12 and has used it to help get through the tough times and enhance the good times. At the age of 14 Jason entered into the world of martial arts, with background in wrestling, judo, jujitsu, Muay Thai and eventually MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Jason understands the importance of finding the balance between a mindful practice and a physically challenging one.
If he's not in the Studio space, you can find Jason in the Treatment Room using the power music and sound as modalities for healing and transforming the conscious and sub-conscious mind, through Sound Healing and Frequency Therapy.

Jennifer Bascom
RYT 500

Jennifer is a wine-sipping, deep-reading, scattered-thinking, peace-loving Leo with a heart bigger than her head. Her deep and sincere connection to the practise and her students means she is a beloved yoga instructor. She earned her 500 hour instructor certification with Moksha (Modo) Yoga in Nicaragua in 2014 and has been teaching in Barrie, Orangeville, at retreats all over Ontario, and at her own studio ever since. Thrilled to be at Kala, she spends all her time teaching. Elementary students by day and yoga students by sunrise and Saturdays.
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Her accessible and engaging classes emphasize breath, strength, and flexibility, with a focus on getting students to clear their minds and focus on their bodies so that time floats by, leaving participants feeling strong, calm, and blissed out. There will be lightness, laughter, peace, and maybe even a savasana foot rub!

   

Natasha Boldireff 
Certified TY, YT, IAYT Accredited

Natasha Boldireff is a Certified Therapeutic Yoga Teacher and Functional Synergy Mentor who has enjoyed teaching in her beloved community for over 10 years now.
The lineages and paths she has taken with her yoga, anatomical, biomechanical and philosophical studies have certainly influenced the teacher she is today. Natasha is well known for her generous insights and colourful analogies to help land a difficult concept. Her work with her students, clients and yoga teachers consistently demonstrates that everything and anything can improve when key therapeutic principles are understood, applied, and embodied. She teaches group classes, workshops, and privately in both the local and global community to people of all abilities with a wide variety of needs, and is really happy to be teaching in an awesome yoga studio again.
Natasha believes and embodies that Ease is Possible and Life Changing.

Chris Chihrin
RYT 500 & Restorative Yoga Instructor

Chris is a Yoga Alliance certified Instructor who has completed 570 hours of Yoga Teacher Training. He regularly teaches private and public classes in Orangeville and Toronto.

​As a result of personal circumstances, he has a growing interest in working with people who are engaged in recovery from illness, injuries and with those who wish to meet the aging process in a constructive, sustainable way. He has a strong commitment to building communities who come together to celebrate and support each other on and off the mat.

Barb Denstedt
RYT 200

Barb completed her 200 hour Teacher Training 2017. She also has her 50 hour Yin Certification, and has attended a workshop with Maty Ezraty. Barb has been practising for 6 + years and continues to be involved with yoga philosophy with online courses with David Garrigues. A key component of Barbs class is building strength for a safe asana practise.

Megs Emerson
​RYT 200

Megs was born and grew up in Hockley Valley until her early twenties when she left for the west coast of Canada. She lived in B.C for 2 years before moving to the UK with her husband. They proceeded to travel the world, backpacking through Africa, Australia, New Zealand & Asia. Megs loves to travel, hang out at the cottage with her family & hike with her dog Oakley.

Megs is a reiki master and believes in the power of Shamanic healings, as such she incorporates the importance of healing into her classes. Megs creates her own essential oils and loves spending her time outside camping and exploring the wilderness.

​She welcomes people of all abilities to join her classes and can’t wait to meet all of you!

Daniel Fow
CYT 

Daniel has found an interest in meditation since the age of 13, and has always had a deep interest in spirituality and yoga philosophy. After working with plant medicine and studying under a Peruvian Shaman in South America, he decided to pursue a life's work in healing arts, meditation and yoga. and traveled to a well-known school in South India to learn yoga from its source. Daniel appreciates authenticity, and believes the best teachings come from experience rather than intellectual knowledge -  a theme he tries to bring to his classes and students. 

Daniel has an in-depth understanding of Yogic Culture & Philosophy, Meditation, Shamanism and Yogic Anatomy. He is known for his no-nonsense style of teaching, and balances strengthening and challenging sequences with deeply therapeutic and gentle poses that help to stimulate healing. His students enjoy his precise verbal cues and energetic presence. When he's not on the mat he is normally out hiking and exploring nature, or participating in community events. He loves his practice and would love to help you to over-come obstacles and live a richer and more abundant life inwardly and outwardly. 

Sarah Houghton
CYA-RYT 200

Sarah is a recent graduate of Kala’s 200H YTT program. After 3 years of serious practice, she felt the desire to deepen her knowledge of yoga and to learn how to share it with others.

Following the births of her daughter and twins, and some significant health complications and multiple surgeries, Sarah began searching for a way to help herself recover, and discovered that yoga was very accessible to her on a physical level. What came with further exploration was the impact on her overall well being, not just body, but mind and soul as well.

​Through tapping into your own power, thoughtful alignment, breath and flow, Sarah hopes to show others through yoga, what it is possible to achieve, no matter where you start.

Tabitha Irwin
​CYT

    

​Ruth Laing
RYT 200

Ruth comes to yoga after years of teaching a wide variety of fitness classes. She completed a physical education degree 'a number of years ago', has worked in corporate fitness and for the Ontario Fitness Council. She was introduced to yoga by a friend and fellow instructor ten years ago. She trained with East to West Yoga in Toronto to earn her RYT 200 yoga certification and continues to attend workshops, conferences and classes. Attention to alignment, body awareness and inner focus are key components of her classes.

Elaine O'Sullivan
Kundalini Yoga Teacher

Elaine was born and raised in Ireland. She has always been interested in health and fitness having trained in Gaelic football, athletics and kickboxing. Yoga had always been a side stress buster!
 
After working in the Architectural and Natural Building world for a number of years, she felt called to commit to her spiritual path and pursue her training as a Kundalini Yoga teacher, having experienced her first class about 10 years prior in Ireland. Yoga had always been part of her journey when it came to dealing with stress and anxiety and she wanted to share these tools with others. During her teacher training she realised she needed to reconnect with the land and her roots. In May 2016 she moved to a farm near Grand Valley, Ontario to pursue a career in biodynamic farming, natural building and sharing the teachings of Kundalini yoga.
 
Elaine explains the science behind Kundalini Yoga and guides you through your own unique experience. It is different for everyone but brings you exactly what you need at this time. Elaine teaches with love and compassion for all through a strong connection to the earth and the infinite. Kundalini brings you home to yourself and unleashes your potential! Be prepared - it works fast! 

Kassey Phillips
CYT

My name is Kassey. I've been passionately teaching yoga since November 2017, right after I finished my training. Teaching yoga puts me right where I love to be. Home with my Self.

I've suffered from depression since I can remember. From childhood to my teen postpartum at 16 (yes, I was a teen mom) to adulthood. I've planned my suicide numerous times since I was 13 and have conquered my demons through spiritual shifts every time. I used to look to God, you know the man in the sky (as I lived in two catholic foster homes) but it didn't take much time before I started to be a skeptic since so many innocent people were suffering, including me. I cut my arm when I was 13 because I was being assaulted, which first started when I was 12. I've also suffered from a victim mentality and PTSD since I was 2 because that's where my traumatic memories begin. I'm a childhood sexual assault survivor as well as an adult sexual assault survivor, which is so weird to say and it doesn't resonate with me at all. I'm not a survivor. I'm a liberator. I have a history of drug use and I've been in and out of abusive and toxic relationships. I'm a recovered severe skin picker as well. I grew up as a crown ward since I was 7, and was in and out of foster homes.

This may sound sad and disheartening while the scars and memories still linger, but it has given me so much strength, compassion, empathy, and understanding. I was led to Yoga when I was 24 and I've never looked back. After my first class at Kala Yoga, I knew I was going to be a teacher as it came so naturally and I was finally able to be with my Self. It was the first time I truly felt like I belonged on this planet we call Earth. My passion is to offer a space for people to be. A space for people to integrate. A space where people feel like they belong and someone truly sees, hears, and understands them for what they truly are. With all this being said, thank you for reading some of my story and I hope to see you on the mat!    

Miriana Simpraga
CYT

   

Kimberley Van Ryn
CYT

Kim arrived at teaching yoga after a couple years of her own intense practise. It was most evident to Kim
the changes yoga had made in her personal life, and she is now committed to bringing that to others.
Kim started out her career as a Child and Youth Worker, and has always been fascinated with the way
the body and the brain respond to the stresses and traumas of life. Yoga was a big piece in helping her
to integrate her own experiences, and Kim hopes she can introduce those yoga concepts to others.

Her classes include flowing in and out of yoga poses, as well as ample space for contemplation. Kim
functions under the assumption that she is a guide in the Yoga Room, and will always attempt to bring
the most nourishing yoga experience possible to you. As a dedicated student of Yoga you are as likely to
find Kim teaching a class, as practicing right beside you!

Carrie Witor
CYA