Amanda Chisholm
E-RYT-200, Reiki II, Prenatal & Postnatal Yoga, Yoga for Cancer
"Yoga, in its essence, is not about doing fancy things with your body. It's about connection, kindness, love, letting go, believing, and most of all trusting that we are so much more than this human body."
Amanda began her yoga journey while living in Toronto. After some major life changes, she sought out yoga and meditation as remedies for anxiety and quickly committed to a daily practice.
When life led her back to her Bathurst roots, she felt inspired to continue her journey into Teacher Training. In May 2014, she left for Baja, Mexico to complete her RYT-200. At Yandara Yoga Institute, she lived in simple, rustic surroundings without electricity, eating local food, and learning asana, pranayama, meditation, philosophy and reiki healing.
Since her return, she has been teaching classes in the Bathurst area, connecting with other yogis, and spending time deepening her own personal practice.
Mélanie Frigault
E-RYT-200, Postnatal Yoga, Yoga for Cancer, Yoga Nidra, HIIT & Flow, Reiki II, Mindfulness Coach
"Yoga began with the first person wanting to be healthy and happy all the time." - Swami Satchidananda
In November of 2016, Mélanie chose to follow her heart and attended a 200 hour intensive yoga teacher training through Yandara Yoga Institute, campus of Baja, Mexico, where she obtained her certification to teach. She is passionate about offering accessible and inclusive yoga, meditation and other services to her community. She hopes to inspire her fellow humans through her personal practice, on and off the yoga mat, to live happy and kind lives, by integrating principles of mindfulness & yoga in everything we do. Mélanie offers a variety of classes regularly on the schedule and is available for private bookings in both official languages.
Alex Gould
RYT 500
Alex set out on the yogic path in early 2018. His call to yoga was not unlike many others; the stresses of life had manifested themselves as chronic pain and had left him feeling disconnected from himself and those around him.
It was in the practice of mindful meditation that Alex found the connection within himself that he was seeking, and it has propelled him toward living a life centered around sharing his passion for wellness and personal connection. When it comes to the physical practice of yoga, Alex is huge advocate of a breath focused practice grounded in conscious physical movements. He believes the connection of breath and body is how we cultivate a deep personal connection to ourselves.
His methods of teaching were passed on to him in Rishikesh, India where he completed his 500hr Ashtanga/Hatha Yoga teacher training in 2019. As a lifelong student, Alex is always striving to expand on his teaching style and method to bring each of his students an accessible yet challenging style of practice. All he asks of his students is to come with and open mind, and don't forget to breathe!
Jeremy Pitre
RYT-200
Jeremy has been practicing yoga for years but dove deeper into his practice two years ago. After suffering a physical injury at work, he began discovering the power of yoga and its ability to heal not only the physical body but the mind as well.
He recently graduated from Yandara Yoga Institute as a 200hour registered yoga teacher and reiki II practitioner
He has a strong interest in the ‘inner work’ of yoga and the power of meditation. He hopes to help students find their own inner peace and guidance within.
Sarah Lavigne
Registered Massage Therapist, RYT-200.
Reiki II
Sarah is a Bathurst native who moved to Fredericton to study Massage Therapy. After her graduation from The Atlantic College of Therapeutic Massage in 2009, she began working in a spa in Fredericton and gaining experience in her field. In 2011, she felt the pull to move back home to Bathurst and has since been building a loyal following in the area.
Sarah is passionate about her work and is grateful to work in an environment in which she is able to both teach and learn every day. She feels that the trust and appreciation she receives from her clients is one of the most rewarding benefits of her job.
She has been active member of the ANBMT since 2009 and CMTNB since 2013 Sarah loves combining her knowledge from all of her professional training in an effort to help her clients find health and balance in all areas of their life.
Monique Nowlan
RYT-200
Monique first came to yoga for the physical benefits, hoping to ease stiffness and become fit. As her body became stronger and healthier, she discovered that on her yoga mat, she could find a sense of contentment, self-awareness and mind body connection. Monique enrolled in her 200-hour teacher training with Om-Line Yoga and Ayurveda, simply hoping to deepen her own practice. However, as she learned and grew as a yogi, her intentions turned towards teaching and sharing the practice she loves with others.
Monique’s intention is to create a space for students to explore the practice of yoga and to discover their relationship with themselves. Monique wants students to leave her classes feeling peaceful, yet empowered.
Yoga has taught her to harness her thoughts, illuminating how to let go of self-doubt and to be more mindful. In her life, she is becoming more like the person that she is on her mat - courageous, dedicated, kind, patient, and compassionate - and she can’t wait to share that with others.
Meghan Dahn
Registered Massage Therapist, Rapid Treatment Specialist
Originally from Alberta, Meghan has lived in a number of places before arriving in Bathurst and is happy to call this beautiful region home. She studied massage therapy at the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy (CCMH) in Halifax. Since graduating in 2014, she continues to take courses and has completed additional training in manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), fascial massage, Thai yoga massage, Rapid treatments, kinesiology taping and cupping.
Meghan loves to work with her hands, to think critically, and to help her clients move more easily. Depending on the needs and wishes of the client, pressure and massage techniques can range from superficial (light) to deep. A massage with Meghan can be tailored to full body relaxation or targeted to address an injury or areas of discomfort. She is especially passionate about MLD and the impact these techniques can have on reducing swelling and easing acute injuries.
When she is not working with clients, Meghan loves her home and family life, being outdoors, gardening, cycling, running, yoga, and rock climbing.
Jessica Lagace
RYT-200
Originally from Campbellton, Jess moved to Bathurst in 2015 after she graduated from University. Jess was introduced to yoga in 2010. She started practicing yoga just to move her body, but these last few years she has integrated the principle of yoga as a way to relieve her stress and to move her body. As a Social Worker, Jess realized the importance of incorporating yoga practicing in her work and wanted to learn more about it all. She decided to join a Yoga Teacher Training and graduated from My Vinyasa Practice in 2021 as a 200hr Yoga Teacher and a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher. From the moment she started learning about yoga more in depth, she knew that she needed to make yoga a regular practice and it was important for her to share her knowledge with others.
Rachel Legacy
RYT-200, Yoga Nidra, Trauma Informed Yoga , Tabata, Reiki II
Certified whacky human: I like to move it move it.
Yoga teacher in training; E-RYT-200, Trauma Informed Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Reiki II Originally from the Chaleur region. She is by trade a social worker, she graduated from University in 2015; Rachel had a passion to help others but wanted t “think outside the box”. Working with people in need, she felt something was missing from her practice. Changing career paths in social work, she now works as a mental health and drug addiction social worker. Rachel was introduced to yoga several years back but was inconsistent in the practices; although when she needed to find balance yoga has always been the go-to.
Being an anxious individual, she struggled to cope with regulating her reactions to outwards stress, she learned to manage this by introducing physical activities to her daily routine. People describe her as “that sweet girl that talks a lot”. In 2018 she started taking her Reiki levels and plans to finalize her third this summer. She has also followed several trainings on trauma informed approaches, grounding, mindfulness and other trainings related to self care and self love. In 2021 Rachel started to study the techniques of yoga, in hopes to becoming a certified yoga teacher. She plans to finalize her teacher training in the year 2022 and plans to give 1-1 sessions with the Chaleur Autism center. She will be graduating from My Vinyasa Practice in 2021 as a 200hr Yoga Teacher and a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher. You can also catch her on the bike, as she has been teaching at the local spin studio “Spin North”.
Jennifer Daigle
E-RYT-200, YYT-100
Originally from Moncton, Jennifer now makes her home in beautiful Bathurst.
Jennifer began practicing Yoga in 1992 and it has been a part of her life since. In 2012, she decided to delve deeper into her yoga practice, completing 300 hrs of Yoga Teacher training and opening her own studio.
Sharing the philosophy of yoga and a yogic lifestyle is a passion for her. Jennifer teaches different styles and believes each student must find the style of Yoga that speaks to them.
Jen Luong
Jenny has two essential philosophies that are fundamental in all she teaches:
1) Individual autonomy
2) Live and learn in harmony with nature.
In nature we can find all the solutions we seek, all the answers explained. We can simplify to live the right path by observing cause and effect. Nature also gives us all the perfectly balanced food and resources we need for optimal living. Individual autonomy means you recognize your part and responsibility in life. You appreciate the miracle of living and act accordingly. These philosophies are part of Jenny’s matrix and so her passion and commitment to them shines through in everything she does.
Jenny was born into a family where natural medicine and healing is the norm. Her grandfather was a Taoist shaman and her father is a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
In 1997 Jenny started studying medicinal herbs and Clinical Herbology through Dominion Herbal College. She also studied Chinese and Ayurvedic herbs with Michael Tierra, and became a Clinical Herbalist in 2000. She then became a Registered Massage Therapist in 2002. She completed her first level of Yoga Teacher training in 2005. Jenny then trained to become a nurse and after almost completing nursing school with honors, she realized it was not in alignment with her belief system. In working with clients and understanding how integral the mind is in a person’s health, Jenny started to study neuroscience and epigenetics and became a Clinical Hypnotherapist in 2008, and Certified Neuro Linguistics Programming practitioner in 2010. In 2012 Jenny started training as a life coach, and was certified in 2016, registered with the ICF (International Coaches Federation). During 2015, she also completed her second level (500 hr) Yoga Teacher training in Yoga Therapy. And then another 200 hr in Ashtanga Vinyasa in 2018.
Jenny currently practices as a Registered Naturopath in Petit Rocher Sud. Her approach is holistic, simplified and pragmatic.
You can find her at www.jenluong.com
Karine Cormier
E-RYT-200
Hello, I am Karine. I just completed a wonderful teacher yoga training on Maui with Wisdom Flow Yoga. This experience has confirmed everything that I loved and knew about yoga. No words can describe my appreciation for this formation and meeting a great mentor of mine, Jennifer Lynn. I am over the moon excited to be part of the teaching community at Pure Balance in the near future.
My journey with yoga started in 2015, as I wanted to “stretch” my body during my years in university of Moncton. I found our little paradise studio here in Bathurst when I was back in the region. Since then, my practice has evolved and changed so much over the years.
I am a multi-passionate woman, whose main interest lies in well being and healing from inside out. I thrive in community based engagement ranging from artistic projects, ecological movement and social equity programs. My interests also include physics, philosophy, dance medicine, gardening, poetry and connecting with Mama Earth. I love to learn and consider myself a forever student. I have a background in radiology and assistant chiropractic (Dupas Chiropractic in Bouctouche); where I learned the potential of having an aligned body that helps us thrive in our lives. I have seen from experience the transformation of people working with alternative medicine and yoga practices.
As you may know, yoga is so much more than the Asana practices (poses). It is a path to union. Therefore, it implies relationships. As we walk the yoga path, we improve and rediscover our relationship with ourselves, our mind, our breath, our divine essence, our home Gaia as well as relationships in our life. For me, yoga really did change the way I interact with people in my life and how I navigate the ups and downs of being a human being.
I am forever thankful for what this practice has led to my life. It is a great privilege to be teaching in our amazing studio in Bathurst. Amanda, Melanie, Alex, Monique and Jeremy have all played an important role in my becoming over the years. I am thankful for my teachers and ready to step into this role as well. I will be offering some alignment based sequences with my special creative spin on it. I want students to leave my classes feeling empowered, refreshed and in symphony with the greater meaning of life.
