500 hour faculty
Jules Payne
Jules Payne, E-RYT 500 has been training teachers of yoga since 2004 and co-founded Ajna Yoga with Michelle in 2008. Her own training is in Vijnana, Anusara, Ashtanga and Integrative Yoga Therapy. Jules received her certification as a Yoga Therapist with Integrative Yoga Therapy.
In her teaching, Jules is most interested in connecting people with the therapeutic aspects of yoga - guiding people to their own internal source of calm through movement, breath and meditation. Her classes combine awareness of alignment, breath and a sense of play. Jules teaches vinyasa flow classes, hatha classes, meditation retreats, chair- yoga and sees clients for private yoga therapy sessions.
Michelle Schroeder
Michelle Schroeder, ERYT completed her certification through the Chakra yoga center in July 2000 and has been teaching ever since. She has taught many styles of yoga from Hatha, Flow, Power, Pre-natal, post-natal and kids yoga. In the last 5 years, Michelle has been drawn to a style of yoga called Vijnana yoga, working from a place of within. She currently studies with Orit Sen-Gupta, Gioia Irwin and her weekly teacher Elizabeth Peckham. Michelle is the co-founder of Ajna Yoga.
Elizabeth Peckham
Elizabeth Peckham started yoga at the age of 30. She has been practicing and teaching yoga for 15 years. She has studied with many senior teachers in the world including Pattabhi Jois & Swami Satchinanda. In the past 8 years she has studied Vijnana Yoga with Orit Sen-Gupta and Iyengar Yoga with Shirley Daventry- French. She presently teaches yoga to beginners, advanced students, athletes and works privately with students who have illnesses.
Nicole Marcia
Nicole Marcia, MA, RYT is a Yoga Therapist at the Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions. She holds a Masters of Arts Degree with a specialization in Yoga Therapy through Lesley University in Boston, USA and is a graduate of the 1,000-hour Integrative Yoga Therapy training program.
Nicole has developed and implemented yoga therapy programs for local businesses and for community, health and social service organizations. She conducts yoga therapy sessions for groups and individuals with special needs including chronic pain, addiction, mental health issues and stress related illnesses.
Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor, RYT's journey into yoga began as a method of recovery from playing soccer. As his practice deepened, he also discovered the stress relief and calm of mind that comes from a regular yoga practice. He has studied Yin, Ashtanga, Power Flow and Fusion Fitness in the U.S.A and Canada. Michael holds two certficates in Teaching Yin Yoga - from Paul Grilley and from Taoist Yoga Master Paulie Zink.
Michael's classes are taught from a physiological perspective to ensure students experience their postures safely and with awareness, deepening over time. This connection with the physical body is the bridge to connecting more fully with themselves.
Lisa Banks
Lisa Banks, MA, RN is a registered nurse with a particular interest in wellness. After spending a few years working in hospitals, she realized she would much rather dedicate her efforts to keeping people out of the hospital rather than dealing with them once they were already in. Following that path led her down the road to a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and many years working as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Olympic Weightlifting Coach. She began pursuing yoga as part of the path to wellness and has studied for the past 8 years in Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Vinjana yoga. She has taught yoga as part of a strength and conditioning program to the National Triathlon Team and the National Swim team as well as to cardiac and other chronic illness patients.