About ARC

Yoga Team Angie Keefe

Angie Keefe

Yoga has inspired me to work to my edge physically and mentally in my practice, and off my mat and in my life. I am excited to pass this inspiration on and I truly believe that how we show up and practice on our mat is how we show up in our lives. Yoga has provided me with a safe place to connect with myself and others. I love teaching and practicing yoga at ARC – it’s my second home.

I am RYT-200 certified in International Yoga Alliance. I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training with Power Yoga Canada (PYC) and Level 1 and Level 2 training with Baron Baptiste and Paige Elenson (Baptiste Institute). I have also taken training in Little Pretzels (kids yoga – PYC), Art of Assisting (PYC), Advanced Art of Assisting (Baptiste Institute), Aligned Flow (PYC), and Zero Gravity Aerial Yoga Training (Suzanne Hennig). I also completed an 8-week course on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for my own personal growth.

Yoga Team Laura Schmidt

Laura Schmidt

A personal mantra is that happiness, like love, increases when it is shared; I teach to share happiness, light, and good health with those who practice with me, to model positive lifestyle values for my daughter, and to help grow the encouraging, inspiring and supportive fitness and yoga community that exists in our beautiful city. I strive to provide empowering, mindful and trauma-informed instruction, whether in an energetic Power Flow or meditative Hatha class.

The foundations of my yoga teaching and personal training practices span my entire life, beginning from my early experiences as a competitive gymnast and power tumbler, and through my undergraduate and graduate studies in kinesiology, biochemistry and education from the University of Ottawa, and certification as a personal trainer with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.

Yoga Team Casandra Macdonald

Casandra Macdonald

Yoga is a beautiful practice that has graciously walked me through transformation with ease, acceptance, and joy. In my classes, you can expect to be challenged and nurtured. A class with me at ARC is heart-centered and devoted to holistic, groundbreaking, authentic embodiment!

My formal education includes a 200hr Hatha YTT which I completed with Joanne Pettit-Myers at Bend Yoga Studio, North Bay, in 2015. I have completed several Master Classes and immersions studying deeper into Chakra Theory, Yoga Tantra Philosophy, Yin foundations and enhancement practices, Shaking Medicine, and Fascia. I also have formal education in Social Work, Theatre, and Thai Massage which inform how I practice and teach Yoga.

Yoga Team Emily Zanini

Emily Zanini

I began practicing yoga in my teens and instantly connected with the mind-body aspect of my practice. My passion for yoga grew greater each time I rolled out my mat, and it didn’t take long until I realized I needed to share this passion with others. I have lived experience with depression, anxiety and body image issues and have used my yoga practice to help balance my mental health.

In 2016, I created the Sudbury Yogathon for Mental Health, a fundraiser designed to bring together all ages, experience, and styles of yogis to raise awareness and funds for mental health. My vision of a mentally healthy and accepting community flows into the classes I teach in that they are multi-leveled, focused on breath and self-awareness.

I completed my 200hr RYT with the Olive Tree Yoga Foundation in partnership with Tru Hot Yoga in A Baptiste Power Yoga inspired practice. I have also taken Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga with Suzanne Hennig.  My day job has me spreading mental health awareness throughout the community with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

Yoga Team Stacey Carter

Stacey Carter

I started practicing yoga in my late teens as a means to relieve stress, help heal injuries and be part of an amazing yoga community. Yoga is my self-care, it helps me to find grounding and balance on and off the mat. I continue to practice yoga as a method to help prevent injury and strengthen my body, mind, and spirit.

Teaching yoga has become a passion that pushes my limits of creativity, vulnerability, and confidence. For me, teaching yoga is an empowering and humbling experience.

In 2013, I completed my 200hr RYT at Power Yoga Canada. I have since completed the Yoga for Mindful Eating and Living Workshop and find inspiration by practicing yoga as I wander around the world. If you want an energetic, light-hearted and powerful (maybe inverted) class, come visit me at ARC!

Yoga Team Maggie Thomas

Maggie Thomas

I am a lifelong learner, always growing, sharing and expanding. I am always filling my cup with new training and tools to improve myself and ultimately help others. I have always been fascinated with anatomy, biomechanics, and human movement with a mindful intrigue and gravitation to spiritual connection.  

Yoga has inspired me to deepen my inner connection and self-inquiry. Yoga has helped me ascertain tools to integrate and navigate life in a responsive manner on and off the mat.  My passion is to share my knowledge while inspiring and empowering the minds and bodies of my students along a journey of transformation.   

With a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and as a Certified Orthotist my educational background grants me a solid foundation of anatomy, biomechanics, and human movement.  Over several years I have been pursuing various certifications, including The Yoga Professional (Katie Brauer), 200 RYT in Vinyasa Based Yoga (The Yoga Loft), Zero Gravity Aerial Yoga (Suzanne Hennig), Fletcher Pilates (Jacqueline Ethier), and MELT Method (Sue Hitzman) self-treatment techniques that complement my scholastic training while furthering my passion of body and mind connection.

Yoga Team Katie Bisset

Katie Bisset

I started practicing yoga for the physical benefits but found that I kept coming back for its ability to reduce stress. I love all styles of yoga but I really fell in love with Yin and Kundalini by the end of my teacher training, two styles that I initially had a lot of resistance towards. I’ve found that you typically shy away from what you really need. By embracing this philosophy I strive to bring more balance into my life and I teach to help others bring more balance into theirs.

I have been practicing yoga for nearly 15 years. In 2011 I completed my 200-hour teacher training at Semperviva Yoga in Vancouver. I went on to complete my 50-hour Yin Yoga certification with Semperviva.

Yoga Team Karen Garneau

Karen Garneau

I was first introduced to yoga and meditation as a child. As a youth, I began to lose touch with my yoga and meditation practice.  Life struggles, pursuing a career, raising a child, graduate school studies and running a business made life complicated, exhausting and at times turbulent.  My return to yoga provided the peace and balance I sought.  Recognizing the gift that yoga has been to me motivated me to share this gift with others.  It is a true honor and I am ever humbled by every opportunity to guide others through their practice.

I completed my 200hr yoga teacher training with Shirley Williams (Buddha Rider) in Collingwood, Ontario and my children’s yoga teacher training with Aruna Humphrey (Young Yoga Masters) in Niagara Falls, Ontario. I have also completed my restorative yoga training with Andrea Peloso in Toronto, Ontario. As a mental health professional and yoga instructor, it is my passion to marry these two roles.

Yoga Team Cayla Bronicheski

Cayla Bronicheski

After attending my first yoga class during my university studies, yoga has transformed my life on many levels. I’ve always lived an active lifestyle and initially used yoga as a tool to physically tone my body. It wasn’t until the hustle and bustle of life progressed, that I discovered the peace that yoga could bring and I started to deepen my practice on a mental and emotional level. Yoga has taught me the importance of honoring, respecting and listening to what your body truly needs.

My yoga training was completed through the Marianne Well’s Yoga School in Costa Rica (RYT200). Yoga has helped me uncover my passion for helping others, where I now work as a Naturopathic Doctor in my hometown of Sudbury at Nickel Ridge Natural Health. With my passion for yoga and self-love, I truly believe that yoga is for everyone. My yoga classes are accepting, creative and span a variety of styles and skill levels. I encourage intentional movement by tuning into your body’s needs with love and compassion.

Yoga Team Bailey Urso

Bailey Urso

Yoga has taught me how to love the life I lead and to enjoy all aspects of my body, my mind, and my emotions, both on and off the mat. I teach because I want to share this experience with others in any way that I can. I believe you should never stop learning or challenging yourself, but you should also never take yourself too seriously. A healthy lifestyle should be fun – smile, laugh and enjoy the process. I received my 200-hour yoga teaching certification in 2012 in Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga through the Himalaya Yoga Valley Center in India. I am also certified in Zero-Gravity Aerial Yoga and Pilates.

Yoga Team Teresa Marsh

Teresa Marsh

I have been practicing yoga for over 20 years.  I teach yoga because yoga can change lives.  Yoga allows me to connect fully with my body in ways that deepen my internal and external relationships. Meditation and yoga are a way of life and it confirms daily this concept of loving-kindness. As a teacher, I am given a unique opportunity to connect with others and myself physically, emotionally and spiritually. I want to impart these same gifts to my students and all who I come in contact with. Yoga is healing and revealing and helps us to make better life choices.

I received my Transcendental Meditation initiation in 2000 and have been practicing meditation since. I studied Ashtanga Yoga with Kathryn Beet at the Yoga Space Studio in Toronto and completed a 200hr teacher training with the school in 2003. I also completed my Moksha Yoga (Hot Yoga) teacher training with Ted Grant in 2005.

Yoga Team Kristen Morin

Kristen Morin

I initially started practicing yoga for the physical health benefits, but now yoga has translated into an exercise to help me stay connected and expand my potential physically, mentally and emotionally. My intention is to stay grounded and find balance so I can help others do the same. The primary goal of my teaching is to inspire ease of movement within a yoga class so that ease can be translated to other aspects of life.

I currently hold my 200hr yoga teacher training certificate (RYT), recognized by International Yoga Alliance. I completed an 8-week course on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. I also have a background in physical education and health promotion.

Yoga Team Lynn Morin

Lynn Morin

Yoga has helped me clarify what is important and bring balance to my life. I believe yoga is for everyone, I feel physically, mentally and emotionally different after every practice. Your own experience is the most important part of your practice.

I completed my 200hr Yoga Teacher Training in Hatha and Kundalini Yoga with Sempreviva in Greece (2014). I went on to complete 4 more Kundalini modules. I am very grateful to be part of such a great community at ARC.

Yoga Team Ashley Lawrence

Ashley Lawrence

Yoga has been such an important part of my personal evolution and this is what has motivated me to teach and share that experience with others. In our world today we are pulled in so many different directions and faced with situations that challenge our bodies, minds, beliefs, and values. I use Yoga as a way to re-center and re-connect with myself so that I may face these challenges with confidence and grace. I believe Yoga is a personal journey to get to know yourself in one way or another, as well as a way to understand the flow of life. When you know yourself and the nature of the world around you, you learn to go with the flow and life becomes more enjoyable.

I am proud to say I’ve been teaching at ARC since it opened and I am grateful to be part of such a wonderful space. I obtained my 200hr Yoga teaching certificate in 2009 at the Sivananda Ashram in Val Morin, Quebec. Sivananda Yoga is a very classical and philosophical branch of Yoga. The Hatha component of practice is rooted in concepts of balance, awareness, healing and taking the time to feel. Since then I’ve made the journey into Yoga as a major part of my life. I’ve completed training in Restorative Yoga, Yin, Ayurvedic Yoga therapy, and SUP Yoga among others. I’m passionate about personal research, lifelong learning and of course, practice!

Yoga Team Sue Seguin

Sue Seguin

I practice and teach yoga because I believe in the transformative, healing and restorative powers of the practice.  My role as a teacher is to support and encourage yogis and help them find release and strength both physically and mentally. I seek to help them discover themselves while creating balance in their day to day life. I enjoy teaching at the ARC yoga studio because of the support, inspiration, empowerment, personal connections and the spirit of freedom.

I obtained my first certification in well-being as a Fitness Instructor Specialist. As yoga started to play an integral role in today’s society, I became a student of this practice and realized its many contributions to healthiness. Being passionate about learning and traveling, I obtained my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training certificate in India certifying in Vinyasa and Hatha Yoga. I’m also certified in Pilates Level 1, Yoga for Runners, Yin Yoga, and Restorative Yoga. As a recent retiree, I have also attained my Level 1 training for Gravity Aerial Yoga.