Our Teachers

Interested in learning about the amazing people who help promote movement in its various forms at Aedis Mvmt Studio? Read on below:

Meghan McKay MSc(PT), BKin

Born and raised in beautiful Squamish BC, I made my way to Nova Scotia for my education where I graduated with Bachelor in Kinesiology from Acadia in 2006, and from Dalhousie with a Master of Science in Physiotherapy in 2008. Since that time, I have worked in many practice settings, and continue to provide manual-based therapies in my home clinic.

I had always envisioned creating a studio where I could not only offer my core classes on a regular basis, but movement and rehabilitative-style classes for the wider community. I am so grateful to be able to share this space with you and our other wonderful instructors!

Patricia Candelaria

I became introduced yoga and its healing benefits after my own experience with back pain. Through yoga, I have gained physical strength and have embarked on a spiritual journey that has led me to love myself for who I am today. I knew I wanted to teach as a way to share these gifts with others, so I took my 200hr teacher training 6 months after starting yoga and my 300hr shortly thereafter, ultimately gaining my 500hr certification.

As a teacher my goal is to lead you - at your level - through a yoga practice that allows you to embrace your strengths, as well as to continue to grow them. I create an environment where it is safe to admit when you don’t know a pose or need more help. I find it extremely rewarding to see the progress that my students make over time.

In working through personal injuries, I felt a strong pull towards using fitness to help others find strength and mobility in order to help with the prevention of injury. I have been working with Meghan, as a physio assistant, helping clients learn to understand their body and use workouts to target specific muscles, helping them achieve their goals of living a life pain-free with better mobility.

I believe fitness balances the body and the mind. It’s never about the dress size, always about how you feel, and letting that guide you. I look forward to working with you.

Laura Elatrash

My journey into the world of yoga began in 2006 when I took my first yoga class, shortly after the birth of my son. The class was an effort to try something new, and to help with some lingering hip pain. Without any real thought, I attempted my first hot yoga class in the middle of August that year. I was not able to finish the class and spent the majority in Savasana (rest pose). The same thing happened for the next 10 classes, but eventually I began to feel progress with my movement and practice, and after that I was hooked!

I then embarked on a 500 hour yoga teacher training program in 2010, and continued a strong and steady practice. In 2013 my training evolved to focus on weights, strength and HIIT, progressing in 2017 to include spin and functional training. I welcome and enjoy teaching all levels!

Leanne Brannigan

I began dancing at the age of five and fell in love with the art of ballet. Taking classes in many different styles like jazz, modern, lyrical, national, stretch, and tap, as well as studying dance history and anatomy, I eventually received my teaching certification in ballet and jazz. I have been teaching in the community now for over 25 years.

I have always had a love of movement and fitness, so while previously running my dance studio I decided to offer BARREFIT classes for adults, combining my love of ballet technique with light weights, stretching, and of course some laughs! I also offer the Baby on Board Barrefit classes where Moms can wear baby and still get in a safe workout with the added benefit of meeting other Moms while bonding with baby.

I have recently embarked on completing Pilates certification and look forward to bringing this form of movement, which focuses on whole body strengthening, postural correction, and spinal stabilization, to the studio. I am grateful to be able to share my love of movement, ballet and fitness with all of you!

Darlene Austin

Embarking on my yoga journey some 30 years back was like stepping into a secret world – it wasn’t mainstream like it is now. My first yoga experience was a lakeside class at the Pumphouse in Grimsby where the instructor’s voice blended with the sounds of nature, creating a tranquil atmosphere. It beautifully complemented my martial arts training, leaving me feeling invigorated and centered.

Navigating a full-throttle career in the steel industry, embracing family life and weathering life’s ebbs and flows; I had the opportunity at 55 years young and earned my 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training certification. Teaching yoga wasn’t initially on my radar, but the universe had other plans. I currently infuse yoga into my workplace culture partnering with the Health & Wellness Team, leading sessions during breaks and after hours.

As I transition away from the steel industry, my focus shifts to movement, mobility and graceful aging. My goal? To inspire others to embrace life’s richness and move through it with poise and vitality.

Phyllis Sampson

I started my yoga journey simply because my ego wanted to prove that I can do some of the poses that other students were doing when I first took a yoga class years prior. As my practice on my mat increased, my body became stronger and healthier, but it was the sense of self-awareness and mind-body connection that made me love yoga more - and why I continue to come to my mat.

Being a stay at home mom for almost 6 years, I began to search for more than the identity of mom and wife and decided to enroll in yoga teacher training in hopes that I can give back to others the gift and benefits yoga had given to me. My completion in a 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training has led me to teach at several studios with students of all ages and skill levels. I teach with a mind set that yoga is not a “one size fits all” and offer students the opportunity to practice at their own pace and with modifications always an option.

When not teaching yoga, you will find me also teaching Spin classes, reading the latest book, listening to Taylor Swift, making music playlists, and watching the Toronto Blue Jays.

I look forward to meeting you on the mat and getting to know you off the mat!

Rachel Graham

I have always had a love and blooming curiosity for fitness. Prior to becoming a yoga instructor, I completed a Fitness and Health Promotion program, as I knew I wanted to be my clients' biggest cheerleader. I strive for my clients to be the healthiest and happiest versions of themselves while at the same time preventing any illness or injuries through fitness. However, this led me on my own personal journey of helping myself to help others.

I started my new quest on more of a spiritual journey, trying to find what I loved so much about fitness. It quickly became apparent that I wanted to move without pain and become stronger to be able to live more freely as I age through life. This is where I met Yoga. Yoga felt so foreign when I started, as it wasn’t traditional reps and sets with weights. However, through the warm welcoming arms of my instructors, I started to build a new confidence in my own practice. A few years later, I wanted to extend that same warm welcome to others. That was when I decided to take my yoga teacher certification training.

My goal as a yoga teacher is for my students to become stronger and unapologetically themselves through our practice together.

Shelly Murre

I have always enjoyed working with and helping people in my community and am a certified personal support worker. I have worked in-home with clients, in long-term care, and in hospital settings. I have always been fascinated with the human body, and have begun a journey to take better care of mine in order to increase my mobility, balance, and improve overall health. I am excited to share that journey with you during my classes at the studio!

I am kept busy on my one-acre property and live for gardening - no plant or tree is left behind! I also have some furry companions: my sweet dog, and now a dozen chicks. Life is very full between time spent in the garden and with my animals (which includes my two children)!

I look forward to continuing to explore movement for health and vitality, and sharing that with you in my classes.

Rosie Cox

I have been practicing yoga fairly consistently for the past 5 years. I was initially drawn to the practice as a tool to assist with not only physical but mental health. My daily visit to my mat was a key component in me dealing with depression, anxiety and finding sobriety. I am a nurse and have worked in different healthcare settings over the last 20+ years which takes a toll on the body.

For the last few years I had been dealing with severe pain issues making it difficult to enjoy my yoga practice and life in general. I started working with physio and incorporating strengthening and stability into my routine with life changing results. I then decided to pursue my Yoga Teacher Training as a way to deepen my own practice.

I had no intention of teaching but throughout the course I did find a love for it and a desire to share my love of yoga with others. I truly believe that breath and movement practice are medicine that will benefit everyone and I am grateful for this opportunity to meet with and grow with everyone on our mats.

Kristy Butler

Hi, my name is Kristy and I’m so excited to be here. I started my yoga journey more than 30 years ago. I was injured while performing at a rodeo. I required physiotherapy and through that was introduced to the magical world of yoga. It started simply for benefit of stretching, then fitness, and after the birth of my 4th daughter in 2015 it bloomed into a passion for movement of the body and management of the mind. I am disciplined and consistent in my personal practice; a forever student (with my 500 hr certification), learning new tools to string together the theories of movement into a physical practice for those who experience chronic conditions.

My passion for chronic pain and movement management developed as I suffer from chronic migraines, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and most recently endometriosis. Learning to work through the brain fog and the body pain changed me and fueled my fire to bring this magic to others, where I aim to teach people how to work with the brain to find mobility, functional movement and restore confidence in the self and the body's capabilities. Through compassionate practice, you will learn to meet yourself where you are everyday without expectation or judgement.

I love working with all ages and all abilities. I have recently found joy in my elderly client base, because as much as I teach them, they provide a wealth of wisdom and guidance based on lived experiences. This has given me insight and motivation regarding implementing positive changes in my daily life. I have also been enjoying working with those who are recovering and/or preparing for joint surgeries and/or replacements.

My ultimate goal is to meet people where they are, and improve mobility and movement for a better quality of life, giving them back their confidence in their bodies' abilities to move.

May we all be well.

Austin Lichty

My passion for movement began as a young child, beginning my first dance class at the age of four. I then quickly became involved in theatre and competitive dance, training in Jazz, Tap, and Ballet, and spent many years travelling, dancing, and eventually teaching in the competitive circuits. Upon graduating high school, I pursued my dance studies with Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) and continued to develop my training and technical repertoire with further post-graduate training. I was then accepted on a full-time contract with the prestigious Ballets Jazz Montreal which has allowed me the opportunity to perform in world-class venues across Europe.

Despite my focus being on Dance, I was fortunate enough to be exposed to a wide range of somatic modalities in support of my work as a professional dancer including Yoga, Pilates, Qi-gong, breath work and meditation. Most recently, I travelled to India where I completed my 200hr YTT in traditional Hatha Yoga. In addition to teaching yoga as part of the course, I was encouraged to teach dance outside of the program and lead several ecstatic movement classes for guests at the ashram. I am also interested in the interconnection of movement and energy, and how the two support one another. This interest led me to complete my Reiki levels 1 and 2, incorporating this energy channeling in both my own personal practice, as well as with friends and family.

As a movement artist, I believe in the importance of being curious and open to exploring the infinite possibilities of movement, as well as maintaining a strong and healthy body. My goal as a teacher is to share aspects of all that I have learned over my many years of movement practice, and to help others to be curious about exploring the intuitive intelligence of their own bodies.

Tracy Surface

My name is Tracy , and I’m super excited to help you achieve your health and fitness goals! I’ve always had a passion to help others in their nutrition and fitness journeys.

My curiosity in nutrition and fitness started at a young age, and I have always enjoyed working out in a group setting. The sense of community, and team building has always inspired me to come back for more. Becoming a busy Mom made me even more passionate about taking care of my health and fitness goals, and that’s when I decided to help others do the same.

I have been leading a variety of group fitness classes for over 15 years now, and I’m still as committed to learning, and growing in fitness and health with the community. See you in class!

AEDIS MVMT STUDIO