Healing Movement
Throughout our lives, and in our day to day, we hold so much stress in our tissues, we unconsciously tend to breathe short and shallow breaths, and oftentimes, we are dissociated from our bodies because we spend so much time in our heads.
My classes are a combination of slow and gentle therapeutic Yoga, non-linear movement, embodiment practices, nervous system regulation, breathwork, and meditation with an important emphasis on Mindfulness.
What I bring to the mat
I guide my students to move slowly and mindfully, paying particular attention to their inner experience as they transition between movement and stillness. In my classes, there is an invitation for deep inner inquiry, curiosity for what arises, and non-judgemental awareness of the moment-to-moment experience. I incorporate non-linear movement, which is a way of allowing the body to move intuitively because I believe that when we are able to surrender the mind, the body is able to move in the ways it knows how in order to heal.
With a combination of 3 yoga teacher trainings (done in Bali and India), as well as kinetic swedish massage therapy, 600h of Osteopathy school, and my knowledge in somatic healing and trauma release, mindfulness meditation, and breath work, my classes have a strong foundation in anatomy, mindfulness, and mind-body connection. I have an eclectic approach to healing and I am extremely passionate about leading people through an unforgettable journey of self-discovery. Sharing the transformative power of compassionate presence on and off the mat, I have helped thousands of people realign with their inner wisdom and connect to their bodies in profound ways.
My own Journey with Yoga
I was about 10 years old when my mom brought me along to do yoga with her for the first time. Then I tried again when I was 15 and didn’t really think much of it. Later, I tried again at different ages, and it was actually quite triggering for me. What do I mean by that? I mean that yoga invites you to be present with yourself. To be in your body. And I was not ready. I had been through a number of difficult challenges as a teenager and young adult, and without having processed any of it, being with myself was proving to be quite difficult. Whenever friends would invite me to go do a class, I’d find any excuse to avoid going. Little did I know, what I resist and avoid is usually what ends up being life changing for me, in a good way.
By the time I was 23, I realized I had been struggling with anxiety and depression, and I felt helpless. In the middle of a semester in University, I had a strong gut feeling that I needed to go to Bali, but I didn’t know why. I went online and googled “Bali”, and the first thing that came up was “Yoga Teacher Training”. I’m not sure what I was thinking, but I decided to go for it. This was the first time I listened to my intuition, and I’m glad I did, because boy oh boy, did that take me down the right path.
I went to Bali 10 days later, and my eyes, heart, and mind were opened to a whole new world and perspective of wholeness, openness, self-acceptance, self-love, self-compassion, breath, movement, spirituality, and connection. That 1 month trip was the beginning of a new journey, a path that led me back to myself, and guided me towards helping and supporting people with their physical body and their emotional body. I fell in love with teaching yoga, and I felt alive again, like I had found my purpose in life. My purpose was guiding people back inwards, and yoga was the first modality I learned to offer that guidance.
Through the years, I did more trainings in Bali and in Rishikesh India, attended workshops, and taught over 3000 classes to people from all over the world. My way of practicing has changed and transformed over the years, and consequently, so has my teaching style. I used to think yoga had to be fast paced because that’s often how its taught. But one of the most transformational changes has been to slow down, way down. This allows me to be more present in my body, and to feel the experience of every moment. Our bodies are constantly communicating with us , and moving slowly allows us to be able to listen.
I love closing my eyes, and breathing slowly and deeply while I move. It's like the biggest gift of love and presence that I can provide to my tissues, organs, muscles, and bones. After running away from myself for so long, yoga invited me to be present again, to re-member that this vessel is my home, and that when something hurts it’s because it needs attention.
Now I know how to pay attention.
“The quieter you become,
the more you are able to hear.”
-Rumi-
Where to attend my Healing Movement classes:
I am currently located in Montreal, Canada. Classes are held in the West Island. Click below to inquire about my current schedule.
I often travel around the world, so if you would like to have me teach at a workshop or event, please contact me.
To inquire about live zoom classes, or for corporate classes, please contact me.
“The nature of yoga is to shine the light of awareness into the darkest corners of the body.”
-Jason Crandell-