Scott Petrie
Director
Scott's work as director of Yoga Community Toronto reflects his life-long passion to study and share the yoga tradition with others. Inspired by Toronto's enthusiasm for yoga, he has dedicated his time and energy to help support and develop a vibrant and interactive yoga community. Scott is one of the founding co-directors of the Yoga Festival Toronto, a three day celebration of yoga and community. He is also the founder of the Yoga Darshana Society of Toronto, a forum which provides an open platform to lecture, discuss and debate issues around modern yoga. Recently, Scott developed the Advanced Yoga Philosophy Program - a two year certification course for yoga teachers and advanced students. He recently co-authored Yoga 2.0 with Matthew Remski. He teaches asana, meditation, lectures on the history and philosophy of yoga and has a private yogic therapy practice. Scott holds an M.A. Rel. Studies (UofT), M.T.S. (Dalh.). www.scottpetrieyoga.ca
Jennifer Taillifer
Director, Event Coordinator
Jennifer began practicing yoga in high school, having been inspired by a wonderful English Lit teacher who also taught yoga. What began as an enjoyable physical practice had now become a passion, which touches all aspects of her life. She believes deeply in the value of sharing the practice, and in the power of community to really effect change. Currently Jennifer is the Director of Moksha Yoga Danforth, and of Ananda Yoga and Ayurveda. She is both a Moksha Yoga teacher and an Anusara Inspired teacher of asana. This year she began practicing as an Ayurvedic Health Educator, and continues to study both yoga and ayurveda on an on-going basis. She is full of love and gratitude for all the teachers who have helped guide her along this path, and is looking forward to another shakti filled festival! www.anandashakti.com
Matthew Remski
Program Director
Matthew organizes things: herbs, Ayurvedic course work, his client’s daily lives, books of poetry, strange novels, his kitchen, and festivals. In 1993, he founded the Scream in High Park, a literary festival that has since grown into the 2-week-long crowning event of alternative Canadian literature. But then he threw it all away, and traveled East and everywhere, to live in a series of ashrams and cults. From the Himalayan foothills to the Wisconsin river valley, he spent 10 years plucking the delicate flowers of Yoga and Vidya, finally limping home as they wilted in his hand. After co-founding Yoga Festival Toronto 17 years after the Scream, he knows he’s found good soil and water here in Toronto. Thanks to his teachers, students, clients, friends, and darling Dennison, he’s quite at home with this garden, this YOCOTO plot. You can read about his Ayurvedic educational programming here. www.renaissanceyoga.ca
Heidi Bornstein
Financial Officer
Heidi is a Hatha yoga and meditation teacher, receiving her training at the International Meditation Institute while living in India for many years. She is a certified Hatha yoga teacher, Yoga Ed. Instructor, and MBSR – Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction – Facilitator. Heidi is the creator of the Yoda-Yoga Program for kids, a program specifically designed for use in the 20 minute DPA (Daily Physical Activity) in elementary schools as well as a facilitator for the Learning to BREATHE program, a mindfulness curriculum for adolescents in high schools. Heidi has been part of Yoga Festival Toronto faculty since its inception in 2008. She is believes that the benefits of yoga and meditation can transform the lives of children, teenagers, and adults alike. In order for peace and balance to flourish in the world, it is essential that these principles be part of our education system.
Paul Gangadeen
Volunteer Coordinator
Paul Gangadeen is a Registered Kriya Hatha Yoga Teacher through Babaji’s Kriya Yoga since 2004 and has been a practitioner of Yoga since 1998. His study of various lineages of Yoga has enabled him to understand and address the many issues one encounters on the yogic path. His positive experience using ayurveda to heal himself from a motor vehicle accident inspired him to study this science to empower others to regain control of their health. The result of his journey culminated in the birth of Pure Life Ayu Yoga (PLAY) - whose mission is to educate, promote, and encourage total health through the practices of yoga and ayurveda. www.playuyoga.com
Maggie O'Connor
Grants Officer for the Acorn Fund
Maggie is a visionary cultural innovator! She marvels in the magic of weaving a tapestry of her experiences as a social justice activist and entrepreneur, honouring each opportunity, challenge and learning as a dynamic thread therein. As founder of The Union yoga centre, she identifies as a designer and counsellor on issues of community animation and the development of accessible and co-operative business sustainability. In her work to facilitate consciousness, Maggie embraces the role of her attraction to the power of the healing arts in a commitment to shifting paradigms of oppression by modeling her values in action to support and educate others.
Jenna Morrison
Event Coordinator Assistant
Movement and its many forms has been an integral part of Jenna’s life since she was a small child. Her original love and interest was in dance. She trained and performed Classical Ballet, Highland Scottish Dancing and Modern Dance. As she continued to study different movement techniques and how to connect more with her body, her awareness evolved into an interest in yoga and her passion shifted.
Jenna earned her certification from the Vidya Institute in Toronto. She studied under Gitta Berchsgaard where she completed the required 750 hours. The program was strongly based in Ayuvedic Medicine and women’s health, as well as, a large focus on Restorative Yoga. In addition, Jenna is a Thai Massage Therapist, having been certified at The Spirit Wind Internal Arts Centre.
In 2005 Jenna co-founded and was co-owner of Pure Intent Healing Arts Center in Kensington Market, Toronto. In 2008 after the birth of her son she left the demands of the business & brought her focus back solely to her teaching. In addition to the many adult classes and privates Jenna has been teaching to-date, she also enjoys teaching children’s yoga, both at the Pure Intent location and at Esther Myers location.
Because Jenna sees yoga as a life long pursuit she is continuing with her studies. Currently she is studying Ayurveda at Renaissance Yoga with Matthew Remski, Toronto. She is also completing an Ayurvedic Health Practitioner course through the Institute of Vedic Studies in New Mexico with David Frawley.
