Our Teachers
Shakti Yoga Studio is committed to sharing the benefits of yoga with the St. John’s, NL community. We wish to support our students’ health and well-being through informed teaching and personalized attention. Our instructors share a deep appreciation for the practice of yoga and hope to inspire others to make yoga a part of their lifestyle.
Bobby Bessey B.Sc., RYT 500, RPYT, Doula CD(DONA), Hypnobirthing Instructor
Bobby has studied yoga in India, Japan, and Canada. She approaches yoga as a holistic practice that involves body, mind, and spirit. Through her classes, she hopes to share some of the life guidance and joy that yoga has brought to her own life.
Bobby studied and was certified as a yoga teacher at Yoga Vidya Dham, in Nasik, India. This yoga university not only provides teacher training to foreign and Indian yoga teachers, but also runs a large number of non-profit yoga therapy clinics throughout central India. As a result of this influence, Bobby’s classes approach yoga from a healing perspective, as well as a means of maintaining and optimizing physical, mental and spiritual health. Classes are also infused with a touch of Zen philosophy and aesthetic sense as a result of Bobby’s years of yoga study in Japan.
Meaghan Hutchings B.Comm. (co-op), RYT
Meaghan began attending yoga classes in 2005, while living in Toronto, ON, as a way of managing regular back pain. The practice of yoga immediately appealed to Meaghan, and quickly became an important part of her life. Since then, she has practiced in St. John’s, NL., Toronto, ON., & Bangkok, Thailand. In 2009, Meaghan spent six weeks in British Columbia completing Yoga Teacher Training at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, a well-respected institution, which teaches Classical Ashtanga yoga. Meaghan is continuing her yoga study in the Anusara style with Certified Anusara teachers Barrie Risman and Robin Golt.
Classes taught by Meaghan are focused on the Sanskrit concept of triputi - merging the body, breath and mind. By challenging the body physically, gaining control of the breath and bringing awareness to the mind, a greater sense of calm and well-being is achieved. By incorporating instruction from the many different teachers she has studied with, Meaghan hopes to bring an eclectic mix of yoga practices to her students.
Cheryl Fenk, Certified Yoga Teacher & Reflexologist
I love, love, love yoga. It amazes me how even five minutes of moving and breathing on the mat can transform my view of the world. My first class was Yoga for Jocks in Jasper, Alberta fifteen years ago. Since then I have enjoyed exploring many styles of yoga and am in awe of how vast the world of yoga really is. In 2008 I completed my teacher training in Calgary, Alberta with Yogi Vishvketu of the World Conscious Yoga Family. The training inspired me to find more joy in my practice and ultimately more joy in my life.
Each day on the mat is different and each time we step off the mat we have changed. I look forward to exploring yoga with you. See you on your mat!
Linda Barnes, Yoga Instructor & Reiki Practioner, Certified 2004 (Nesta)
During a very challenging time in my life, I was guided to the ancient practice of Yoga in my search for Inner Peace and Harmony. The benefits I received from this practice had a profound impact on my outlook of life and all its challenges and it started me on my Journey of deep personal growth and change. I am still changing and learning as I go but the path that leads me toward Inner Peace and the Spiritual connection I crave is rooted in Yoga and its lifestyle. Its because of my desire to touch as many lives as I can with its teachings and healing wisdom that I became certified. This ancient gift from India has been one of the greatest blessing of my life. I am honored by the opportunity to be a part of Shakti Yoga Studio and look forward to walking alongside others on this Sacred Journey. Meet me on the mat to celebrate your uniqueness and discover your natural self.
Beth Moores, RYT
I have been practicing yoga since 2007. I was hooked after my first class and I knew that yoga would be a part of my life forever. The overall sense of well-being that I felt was amazing, and I immediately realized the value of a dedicated practice, both on and off my mat. I decided to become a Certified Teacher because I wanted to share with others some of the benefits that yoga has offered to me. It is an ongoing journey of self-discovery and an adventure in exploring all that life has to offer. My goal is to have people leave my classes feeling calm, inspired, and at peace with themselves, and to seek goodness in everyone and everything while living a happy, balanced, and peaceful life.
I opened Ebb & Flow Boutique (http://www.ebbandflowboutique.com) in Churchill Square in May 2010. The store offers many yoga-related items and it is my hope that it will provide guidance and inspiration for you to live your yoga. Namaste.
Claire Poirier, Certified Yoga Instructor
Claire has been practicing yoga since 1999. After a few years of exploring the physical benefits of the postures her practice deepened, and she became aware of yoga’s transformative power. Yoga has since been a guiding light in her life, always illuminating the path before her. It has taught her how to take on challenges and tackle fear, but also how to be kind to herself and accept her imperfections.
In her classes Claire encourages the cultivation of inner guidance, body wisdom, breath awareness and subtle energy. Allowing time for silence and stillness, engaging in slow movements and challenging postures, and deeply attending to breath allows her students to discover for themselves the relationship between physical tension and mental thought patterns. With practice, the postures become tools to bring peace of mind.
Claire completed her yoga teacher training at the Kripalu Institute in Massachusetts in 2008, and after teaching at a studio in Halifax for two years, moved to St John’s to pursue her PhD. She is very excited to teach with the Shakti community!
Kathy Moulton, Certified Yoga Instructor
I started taking yoga classes in 2001 after practicing for a number of years on my own. My first teacher was amazing and turned my interest in the physical poses into a love of the mental and spiritual benefits of practicing yoga. Since then, I have always turned to the mat and to the teachings of yoga whenever I am faced with a challenge or find myself in a difficult place in life. Yoga always helps me to pull through! Over the years, I have practiced on my own and with a variety of teachers all with different styles. In 2010, I decided it was time to take the plunge and sign up for teacher training. I completed my 200 hour YYT with TAYS while living in Fredericton, NB and I have been so grateful to be teaching ever since! I love being able to share yoga with as many people as possible and I am very happy to be part of the Shakti team. See you on the mat!
Robin Penney
Robin took her first yoga class in 1998. She continued her practice off and on for several years before beginning a serious daily practice in 2009 as a way to manage stress and to have some dedicated time for herself amidst a busy life with her husband and two children. Yoga became much more to her the more she learned, and she was eventually drawn to the alignment principles and the celebration of heart qualities that are a part of the Anusara Yoga tradition. She completed the 100-hour Anusara Yoga Immersion program under the guidance of six wonderful and inspiring teachers: Neesha Zollinger, Cate Stillman, Samantha Shakti Brown, Kenny Graham, Christina Sell, and Darren Rhoades. Robin is currently finishing the Anusara Yoga Teacher Training program with Samantha Shakti Brown, Chrissy Graham, and Kenny Graham in Los Altos, California. She also completed the Ayurvedic Living Course with Cate Stillman in 2011. Robin believes that we all have the capacity to appreciate the beauty and wonder of life and those around us, to have healthy bodies that support us and help us move freely, and to challenge our minds to bend and learn, along with our hearts.