 | i blend classical yoga with my
background in contemporary
dance (bfa), the mindfulness practices of thich nhat hanh (my teacher in
the zen tradition) and the insight meditation known as vipassana. it is
an honour to explore yoga
(the union of
individual experience with the universal) with my students and
fellow yogis (people practicing the art of
union.) with great delight, i have been guiding people to access their creativity and enhance their well-being for over 15 years. i started teaching music to children, moving onto drama and dance which i studied at concordia university, earning a bfa in 2002. i now focus on yoga and mindful living, which i've been sharing since 2005. my yoga studies began in the sivananda lineage of classical hatha yoga. i completed my yoga teacher training program at the california ashram in 2005. i then went to volunteer and teach with the sivananda organization in los angeles for 5 months where i also studied alexander technique. this past year i just completed a 100 hour teacher training course with hart lazer, kristin honey and meaghan johnson. my exploration into meditation began at the same time that i started my yoga studies. i have spent over 2 months in total on silent vipassana retreat, which is my primary sitting practice - from the thai forsest tradition rather than goenka. this year i began a mentorship with norman feldman and molly swan focused on teaching vipassana meditation to others. while my sitting practice began in the vipassana tradition, my study and deep love of the buddha's teachings have been centred on the mindfulness teachings of thich nhat hanh. i've spent over 4 months in total on retreat with the plum village community of thich nhat hanh, deepening in the practice of joyful awareness in every moment. i am also actively involved in my unitarian congregation, a spiritual-religious group that embraces all wisdom teachings, encouraging each person to jouney through their own search for truth and meaning. i work for the unitarian congregation of guelph as both the spiritual development coordinator and one of the lay chaplains (licensed wedding officiant.) to learn more, please visit melinabondy.ca. have a blessed day! |
