YTT Faculty Biographies

The strong reputation of this course is built on our outstanding 17-member faculty and their dedication to passing on the spiritual teachings that have enriched their own lives. All practice classes are taught by our team of experienced and knowledgeable certified yoga instructors. Theory classes are taught by a variety of guest instructors who specialize in each subject.

Main Asana Instructors

Celeste Aradhana Mallet has been teaching yoga for twenty-four years and has completed three Yoga Teacher Training programs in Sivananda Yoga, classical Ashtanga Yoga and Iyengar Yoga. Aradhana has served as Curriculum Developer and Senior Instructor for the Yoga Teacher Training at Mount Madonna Center (MMC) in California. Aradhana has developed a highly successful teaching practice on Salt Spring Island , working with students of all levels and ages and is currently the owner and Director of the Ganges Yoga Studio on Salt Spring Island, BC.

Andrea Kalpana Tabachnick has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since 1975 and teaching for 14 years. Kalpana served as the Director of the Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Santa Cruz, CA for ten years and as Curriculum Developer and Senior Instructor for the MMC Yoga Teacher Training for six years. Her background studies includes Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training in 1981, intensive studies in Ayurveda, as well as ongoing workshops in traditional and contemporary styles of asana. She currently serves as the Program Director for SSCY and teaches public and corporate classes throughout Vancouver.

Lesley Ormiston has spent the last 10 years exploring the varied practices and philosophies of Yoga. She completed her teacher training in Classical Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga while living at the Mount Madonna Center in California. She has since been on the faculty of presenters for both MMC and Salt Spring Centre of Yoga teacher trainings. Lesley's teaching reflects her interest in the subtle methods for connecting the mind, breath and body both during one's practice and in every day living. She currently resides and teaches all levels of classes in Victoria, BC.

Kashi Richardson has been dedicated to the practices of Classical Yoga for over 20 years and has been teaching full-time for 12 years. Her background includes Advanced Teacher’s Training in Sivananda Yoga and Yoga Therapy with RMIYA in Colorado. She specializes in yoga for pregnancy, yoga for ‘stiff guys’, and yoga for illness and injury. As a senior instructor at SSCY, she brings a richness and depth of understanding to both the practical and spiritual aspects of yoga.

Chetna Tracy Boyd has been studying yoga in its many aspects since 1999. She began teaching in 2003 and is a graduate of the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, where she was certified in Classical Ashtanga and Hatha Yoga systems and is registered with the Yoga Alliance. She is currently completing an internship in Yoga Therapy through Integrated Yoga Therapy. Chetna joined the faculty of the SSCY Yoga Teacher Trainings in 2007. Her gentle approach to teaching promotes an environment that is relaxing and encouraging, empowering and fun.

Cordula Vogt has been teaching yoga for five years and received certification through the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga in 2002, and pre/post natal certification in 2004. She is also registered with Yoga Alliance. Through her 15 years of personal yoga practice, Cordula has studied with Celeste Mallet and Sheri Berkowitz. She teaches regular asana classes as well as classes specifically for seniors and pre/post natal women on Salt Spring Island.

Dorothy Price has been a yoga practioner for over 30 years and completed her Yoga Teacher Training at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga in 2002. She teaches all levels of yoga on Salt Spring Island, as well as weekend yoga getaways and an annual retreat in Mexico. Dorothy's teaching style includes sustained as well as flowing postures, with the aim of cultivating mindfulness through alignment and breath. She brings compassion and a deep love of yoga to her classes.

Ainsley Seema Sutton has been practicing yoga for nine years, and completed her first Yoga Teacher Training at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga in 2003. Since then she has continued her studies of Ashtanga, Vijnana and Hatha Yoga, and has completed two other Yoga Teacher Trainings in Power Vinyasa and Yin Yoga. Ainsley is also a practitioner of Ayurvedic, Thai and Yoga massage. She currently lives in Vancouver where she teaches all levels of classes in Hatha, Power and Yin Yoga.

Pranayama Instructors

Mark Divakar Raetzen, BA LLB LLM, has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since 1976. He is President of the Dharma Sara Satsang Society and one of the founding members of the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga. Divakar completed Yoga Teacher Training at MMC in 1981 and teaches pranayama and meditation at the annual SSC Yoga Retreats and the Yoga Teacher Training at MMC.

Anuradha Ens is the manager of the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga and a founding member of the Centre. She has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga since 1974 and completed Yoga teacher training at MMC in 1981. Anuradha teaches ongoing meditation classes and retreats at the Centre, and specializes in Bhakti (devotional) Yoga and inspirational chanting in Sanskrit and English.

Ayurveda and Shath Karma Instructor

Girija Emery has completed two Teacher Training programs in Sivananda Yoga and classical Ashtanga Yoga at MMC. She holds two diplomas in Herbal Medicine from the Dominion Herbal College and the Utah School of Natural Medicine. Girija, a certified Iridologist and Reflexologist, has also studied and practiced the teachings of Ayurveda for over 16 years with several prominent Ayurvedic Physicians and is currently studying under Dr. Sivkumar Varma.

Anatomy Instructor

Bryn Thompson, BScPT, FCAMT began his physical therapy and yoga practices simultaneously in early 2001. He has studied various styles of yoga including Ashtanga, Vijnana, and Iyengar and has incorporated the many gifts of these classical traditions into mainstream western sciences of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and the practice of physiotherapy. Bryn has a passion for working hands on through the body, sharing his knowledge, and inspiring growth in his students and patients. Bryn currently lives in Boulder CO, working part time, supporting his partner’s Masters studies at Naropa, and taking care of his three beautiful boys.

Physiology Instructor

Dr. Janice Hamsa Wright graduated from McGill University in 1991 with a BSc in Anatomy and an MSc in Biology. She received her MD from McMaster University in 1996 and has been practicing holistically as an MD in Vancouver since 1998. In 2001 Janice received acupuncture training through the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute; she has also completed extensive training in palliative care. Janice's interest in holistic medicine and natural healing is longstanding. She believes in integrative medicine - using both conventional medicine and complementary modalities to support and encourage the body's innate capacity towards wholeness. To this end, Janice practices at InspireHealth, Canada's only Integrated Cancer Care Centre. Patients are offered yoga, meditation and other inspirational classes. Janice certified as a yoga instructor in the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga YTT program in 2003 and practices asana, pranayama and meditation regularly.

Adjunct Faculty

Alan Shankar Martin, PhD.
Penny Janaki Polden, RN, CYT
Sharada Filkow, BFA, Education Certificate.
Pamela Chandra Rose, M. Ed.