Jennifer Clarke BA, ERYT, MMQ, EMF 
Movement Educator, Yoga Teacher, Qigong Teacher 

Jennifer Clarke

BA ERYT MMQ Lead Teacher - Asana, Anatomy, Teaching Methodologies, Somatics, Body Mind

Jennifer Clarke started practising yoga in 1995 encouraged by her yogini auntie.   Since then it has been the single most powerful tool in her life.  It has supported her in completely healing an eating disorder, effectively working through trauma, grief, loss, and continues to help her thrive in her life and follow through and manifest goals and dreams.  Yoga has supported her in finding her inner authority which she goes to in her own practise, and which she encourages her students to uncover as well. 

Jennifer studied Dance and Literature in University.  She has danced for many years professionally.  Her work has been shown in Western Canada at various theatres, in Italy and Montreal.  She has been awarded by the Mayor of Vancouver, and BC Hydro for her work as a choreographer.  She had received numerous grants from Canada Council for the Arts as well as  BC Arts Council.  

She has been studying movement and yoga actively since 1995.  She took her first 100-hour teacher training with David Swenson in 2003, then a 100-hour Teaching Methodologies with Fiona Stang in 2004.  Her next teacher training was with Catherine Munro, a 200-hour Yoga Works in 2006. Then another Yoga Works training with Catherine Munro in 2007 also a 200-hour.  She has taken 1000s of hours of workshops over her years of teaching.   Some are listed HERE.  She has also completed 1000 hours of training in Qigong with Empty Mountain Institute.  She has logged countless hours in practise of both yoga, dance and qigong as well as meditation and Buddhist study.   She was enrolled for two years in the Foundation Program of the Kadampa Meditation Centre where she studied The Joyful Path to Good Fortune and The Eight Steps to Happiness with Gen Kelsang Delek and Kelsang Yonten.  

She has been teaching yoga on a weekly basis since 2004.  And in the last 5 years, she has fully immersed herself in teaching full-time as she is on a sabbatical from her dance career.  She has been teaching Qigong since 2012 when she completed her first year of training in Medical Qigong.  She combines her training of Qigong and the Organ System from the perspective of Chinese Medicine, the building and balancing of Qi, (chee) or Prana in yoga. as taught in Medical Qigong to inform both her own practise and her teaching.  

It is her work to support individuals in finding their truth and helping them tap into their inner authority and the inner inherent sense of well-being.

Farah Nazarali

BA MA ERYT Lead Teacher - Philosophy, The Yoga of Communication, Conflict Resolution through The Heart of Conflict

 Farah began her yoga journey in her teens with the ABCs of Yoga and returned to yoga in her mid-thirties looking for flexibility and meditation.  On a whim, she attended a teacher training information session and signed up not realizing she was embarking on a life-long path. Since 2005, she has taught 3,000 classes and taken over 1,000 hours of Training. Inspired to explore yoga as a way of living, in 2005, Farah started Drishti Point Yoga Radio producing weekly podcasts about yoga and the spiritual life. In her 10 years as producer and Host of Drishti Point, Farah dedicated over 2,000 volunteer hours, interviewed over 300 teachers, and produced half a dozen fundraising events.

In 2008, she met her Beloved Guru- Vishwaguru Sri Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda who initiated her with a Guru mantra and opened her heart to the practice of yoga as a means to awaken consciousness, align us with our highest truth and open our hearts to love and service. She continues to study each year with Guruji and has attended yoga immersion Retreats in India, Hungary, Czech Republic, Fiji. Since 2008, Farah’s primary yoga practice is mantra and she continues to find inspiration in mantra as a tool to interrupt thought habits and replace them with patterns of harmony.

After a Drishti Point interview with Geshe Michael Roach, Farah was inspired to study Tibetan Buddhism and began the rigorous course of study to earn a Geshe degree. She has completed 9 Asian Classics Institute Courses and is well versed in the classical texts of Tibetan Buddhism- the Diamond Sutra, the Heart Sutra, and Master Shantidev’s Guide to the Boddhissattva way of Life.

In 2011, Farah completed Compassionate Communication Level I based on Non-Violent Communication and in 2016, she began the Certificate program in Conflict Resolution at the Justice Institute.  She has developed a Workshop Series called Heart of Conflict that is based on conflict resolution skills, non-violent communication and rooted in yogic wisdom and practice.

In 2015, Farah taught her first yoga Retreat at Hollyhock Retreat Centre and continues to offer bi-annual Retreats at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, Hollyhock, and Xenia Sanctuary.

Farah continues to dedicate time every year to being in Retreat , being in silence, and studying with her beloved teachers- Vishwaguru Sri Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda (Sri Alahk Puriji Parampara) and Swami Muktibodhananda (Swami Satyananda Saraswati).  

In all her classes and courses, Drishti Point interviews, and yoga retreats and workshops, she has recognized a single thread that comes through all teachings and all teachers- that our highest happiness comes when we connect with a higher purpose, higher Being or higher consciousness, and through that connection love and serve all those around us.

Kristen McCarthy

BFA, ERYT - Yoga Nidra

Kristen McCarthy is a yoga teacher, energy healing practitioner, and full mesa carrier in the shamanic tradition. 

She first found her love of movement and the union with spirit through classical ballet. As a young adult, she walked through the door of her first yoga classroom, and was asked to sit in front of a candle flame. In that moment, she saw the suffering of her mind, and the invitation to walk through a transformational journey. The gift has been in what she was able to strip away. 

Today, Kristen loves to guide others through the healing practice of yoga.  

Through the years, her personal practice and course of study brought her in contact with several significant teachers in yoga, shamanism and transpersonal psychology. What each has in common is the perennial wisdom of the ancient traditions, the emphasis on direct experience, and the placement of the spirit at the centre of our being. 

She is technically trained in classical hatha yoga, yin yoga, restorative yoga,  yoga nidra meditation, and energy medicine. Her qualities as a teacher developed from intuitive perception, quiet receptivity and an ability to hold space for others. These are the Feminine strengths that are not often acknowledged or celebrated in our culture, and to become a good teacher she had to accept them within herself first. 

Kristen was drawn to Yoga Nidra meditation through Swami Satyananda Saraswati's book on the subject, and has found it to be a powerful way to connect others to the healing intelligence that lives within them. She believes that yoga is an invitation to cultivate the qualities of consciousness that have lasting value in our lives. www.kristenannmccarthy.com

Nicole Marcia

MA, C-IAYT, ERYT-500, YACEP Guest Teacher - Trauma Informed Yoga

Nicole Marcia,  is founder and director of Fine Balance Yoga. She conducts therapeutic yoga classes and individual yoga and EMDR sessions to trauma survivors. She also trains Yoga and health care professionals in trauma informed yoga theory and techniques.

In 2009, Nicole was awarded a master’s degree with a specialization in Yoga therapy from Lesley University in Boston, MA. From 2008-2017 she served as the Director of Therapeutic Yoga Programming for the Provincial Health Services Authority at their Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions.

In April 2017 she will have completed over 300 hours of training and supervision through the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute in Brookline, MA.

Nicole is a teacher trainer at Yoga Outreach, a not-for-profit organization providing volunteer yoga teachers to marginalized populations. She is a faculty member at Ajna Yoga and the Vancouver School of Yoga  and a project coordinator and instructor at Langara College Continuing Studies  in addition to being a Yoga therapist at Onsite, the treatment arm of North America’s first safe injection site in Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

Nicole is proud to be a member of Bridge for Health and the Breathe Network which connects survivors of sexual violence with healing arts practitioners.

Veronica Vukusic

BA, ERYT

I have been actively teaching since 1998. After completing my degree in art history at the University of British Columbia and certification in T.E.S.L. at the ESL International Training Centre in Vancouver, I began my path as a teacher. I started practicing hatha yoga in 1999 with an interest in deepening my understanding of meditation, spirituality, and the body-mind connection. In 2006, I completed my yoga teacher training at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in New York and have been teaching weekly classes ever since. I furthered my studies in 2012 with the Yoga Outreach Society in Vancouver as well as the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram in India. From 2013 - 2017, I facilitated workshops in the 200 Hour Rizze Yoga Training Immersion. And in February 2019, I will complete my 500 hour teacher training in Kerala, India. My teaching aims to be inclusive as I guide students of all backgrounds to explore movement from an authentic and compassionate place. In my classes, I emphasize the role of the breath in steadying the mind, calming the nervous system, and creating space in the body. I encourage students to slow down and observe sensations while integrating invigorating and calming postures and relating essential yogic principles to everyday living. It is my intention to foster introspection and stillness through a physical practice that considers pace, strength, and balance. Currently, I teach at Open Door Yoga and Simon Fraser University while co-leading bi-annual yoga retreats at the Salt Spring Centre of Yoga on Salt Spring Island and the Xenia Centre on Bowen Island. I enjoy guiding students to connect to their place of peace. I enjoy guiding new teachers to find their voice and embody yogic philosophy in their daily life and practice. I am a dedicated student, learner, and teacher, and I love to share my knowledge and interest in yoga with others.