Larissa is a BScN Cardiology nurse who has explored and practiced yoga for almost thirty years. She has completed her E-RYT500® with the Yoga Alliance and registered as YACEP, and is now passionately working toward a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), focusing on Yoga Psychology and Yoga Psychotherapy.
LAHARI•YOGA
Found right on McKenney Ave above Season's Gift Shop, we are branching our roots out into the community to draw yogis in from non-traditional groups.
1. Where did the passion for yoga all begin for you?
💜 I tried my first yoga class back when I was doing my Nursing degree at the U of A! I loved the feeling of stretching and relaxing and couldn't believe the workout it gave me. I saw how strong and balanced I felt and started wanting more and more. Over the years I went from a once a week practice to a daily practice. I've been practicing for almost 20 years!
2. What made you want to become a yoga instructor?
💜 I left my Nursing career to raise my two amazing daughters. I threw myself into the mommy role full time and did all the school home reading, volunteering, etc., for years. When my oldest was in grade 6 I realized I'd better recertify my nursing license to get back to working at the hospital. Looking into options I discovered I could do a Masters degree in Yoga Therapy! I already had a daily personal yoga practice at this point and felt called to go deeper, and the Masters application required that I a) was a Registered Yoga Teacher with 200hrs of training {RYT200} and b) had taught yoga for minimum one year. I began my journey as a yoga teacher right from here.
3. What led you to wanting to open your own yoga studio in St. Albert?
💜 After I completed my 200 hours of Yoga Teacher Training {YTT200} I approached a local yoga studio here in St. Albert, offering to work for free, just to get the experience and opportunity to actually be hired strait out of training! I completely became passionate about that little studio and started getting all my girlfriends excited about it, I started doing social media for the studio and was teaching unusual classes like Yoga for tween girls (#LahariGirls), Yoga for sports and hockey teams, Yoga for firefighters, and Yoga For Weight Loss. We started making some real traction! I ended up buying the studio in October of 2014 and we have absolutely exploded here in the community!
4. Why is the aspect of community and giving back so important to you?
💜 I believe that authentic human connection is one of the most fundamental ways to bring joy and peace into the world. It's happened so naturally at the studio but it truly is a place where people stick around after class to have coffee and tea and connect. Yogis are always bringing in fruit or community baking or mint and fresh herbs from their gardens and we are constantly offering up this beautiful offering of love and abundance. People need to feel loved and accepted!! I know I need that! Yoga philosophy teaches non judgment, compassion, and oneness among many other beautiful things. A thriving community is so in line with this.
5. What fills your time outside of your yoga practice and your studio?
💜 My kids, my boyfriend, my friends and family, my dog. I got so unexpectedly busy with the studio that I still haven't applied for my Masters program!! My plan is to start working towards that degree; I'm so excited and passionate about the therapeutic benefits of yoga. I feel so called to share this with the world.
6. Who or what inspires you the most in life?
💜 I'm inspired to see love again and again and again appear in times of conflict, times of differing opinions, and times of confusion and chaos. Surrendering to love and trusting that things are going to be ok is hard sometimes, but it amazes and inspires me to see love and truth win every time.
7. Why do you think practicing yoga is so important and why do you think people should practice it?
💜 Yoga teaches us to breathe. To be in the moment. To be grateful. To see that we have enough. To see that we are enough. Yoga helps us understand that we are all worthy of love and belonging. Yoga helps us observe that we are already the "better version" of ourselves, and that instead of trying to become something better, to removing the things that are preventing us from being what we truly are. We are the light. We are love.
8. If you could describe yourself in 3 words what would they be?
💜Creative
💜 Loving
💜 Happy
9. What advice would you give to your younger self?
💜 I wish I had known about yoga before my 20s. I was a completely stressed out insomniac in my youth; I think I would have found so much comfort in this practice earlier in life. I wish I had listened to my instincts more too. I'm here now though, and so unbelievably happy and healthy and in love. I'm thriving, my children are thriving, the studio's thriving; I couldn't ask for anything more!
10. What are you excited about?
💜 I'm so excited to see yoga becoming more and more mainstream. They are teaching it as "mindfulness" in schools now, which is so good for all the young souls in our community! Yoga Therapy is becoming more well known as well. I take clients already in one on one sessions using my wealth of over 3000hrs of experience as a yoga teacher and of course my BScN degree as my knowledge base. I'm excited to expand my knowledge of Yoga Therapy and bring some love and healing into the world
We can't wait to meet you and are so looking forward to filling the studio with happy energy, compassion, fun, and health!
“The light in me thinks the light in you is freaking awesome.
Namaste.”
Here's what to expect when you visit
* low fares
* big sales on the solstices and equinoxes!
* beautiful new cork floor
* colourful saris in all the windows
* more (smaller) change rooms
* the original room is the SUN room for obvious reasons
*a second studio; the MOON room!
* as of May 2016 we opened up a third studio space named the STARLIGHT Room
* a nutrition bar called the OM KITCHEN for hungry hearts to find nourishment, tea, coffee and fresh fruit flavoured water before and after class.
* a comfy, cozy, happy little lounge to connect, sit and read, drink tea, chat, and socialize at any time of day or evening. Come just connect with us!
* many hugs and laughs and good karma and kindness.
* Please help whomever is at the desk computer with your deeply appreciated patience.
Subscribe to LAHARI•YOGA's Love Tribe Newsletter
Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates from the LAHARI Love Tribe.
**We respect your privacy and you can remove your self from the email Newsletter at any time.**
Contact Us
Email:
lahariyoga.ca@gmail.com
Location:
Suite 200, 86 McKenney Ave., St Albert, AB T8N 2G4
* Right above Seasons Gift Shop and next door to Therassage Clinic