OUR INSTRUCTORS
At OYS, we believe our instructors are the heart & soul of this family. Without them, we wouldn't be here. Take some time to get to know them, read their bio's and check them out in studio.
TAYLOR MORRICE
300 HR YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2014
OWNER/TEACHER
Giving myself the gift of choosing a career in sharing this practice is one that I will forever be thanking my entire being for. This practice has changed every aspect in my life and continues to do so every day. My wish for you if that this practice brings you the same insight to yourself and your dreams through continuous dedication and commitment.
Our journey to finding inner peace isn’t an easy one but it is one that will bring the outmost contentment in your everyday lives. Our Yoga Space was created to allow you to feel at ‘home’, comfortable, supported and loved so you can move through this journey to self. This community is such a powerful antidote to whatever you may be going through. I hope you find a little slice of ‘home’ in OUR space.
Sweet big things that light up my soul:
Yoga, Coffee, sipping delicious wine with my husband and friends, laughing and playing (and sometimes being annoyed by) my two kiddos: Benji & Busy, our two wild and crazy french bulldogs: Sophie and Hamlet, the coziest of nights at home by the fireplace, coffee dates, anything and everything Oreo, Maui beaches and the salty ocean, all the plants I can get my hands on and of course.. the cherry on top of it all – Our Yoga Space + the community within the walls of this special place.
Lets meet soon and practice together.
TESSA MURRAY
500HR YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2010
I love being inspired and sponge up any opportunity to learn. In 2017 I embarked on an intensive journey to accomplish my 300hr advanced teacher training with Clara Roberts-Oss. This course was just what I needed to push my practice and offering as a teacher to the next level. I hope by living these teachings I can help elevate my life and the life of others. Everything I have learned I try to bring that across to students in a safe, creative, accessible, and empowering way.
Yoga has brought balance to my life in so many ways, physically, mentally, and energetically. I believe Yoga can give us the tools we need to get the most out of life and be comfortable with discomfort of all sorts. Some of my other loves in this life include spending time adventuring local lakes on my SUP, solo camping; there is something so peaceful and soul igniting about being in the quite outdoors with just you, your dog and the stars above. Horseback riding, something I’ve loved for as long as I can remember. Owning a horse again would be an absolute dream. Wine touring with friends, because who doesn’t love that.
If you are reading this, I am so happy you are interested in bringing Yoga into your life;
I would be honoured to be a part of that process.
ROZ HUBER
500HR YTT; YOGA TEACHER EST. 2014
I am a lifer - you know those humans who create + soak up everything they can in life? Yep, I’m one of those. I was born + raised right here in Kelowna and a few of my favourite things usually include lake jumps in the summer, red wine on the deck with an ice cube, biker gang rides, my hubby and that feeling where your meal is an experience. Also, I’m a hugger. I love a good full body squeeze.
I found yoga back in 2009 when I played varsity basketball at UBCO and fun fact: I actually fell in love with yoga at a studio that was in the very space that is now OYS - talk about full circle! I personal train and lead adventure retreats which has been a real dream to live out alongside teaching yoga - what keeps me coming back to the mat is the people. I love every aspect of community; teachers, students, class vibes & togetherness as a feeling.
I do my best to create little pockets of fun everywhere I go — I’ve been told I have a special ability to make the hard stuff fun which is something that always makes me smile. My style of classes have an element of play & I love to offer up a little something for your mind to ponder, for your heart to savour and for you to be in your body in an empowered way. I can’t wait to see you!
ASPEN PERCIVAL
200hr YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2014
I have always found great joy in exploring athletics, from team sports to mountain sports and many endeavours in-between, I have found the challenge, vigor and exhilaration immensely fulfilling. As I began to explore the world of yoga, I fell in love with the integration of movement, breathe, rhythm and flow. For me, yoga is all about being present, aware and open to learning what my body-mind has to teach me.
My greatest gift as a yoga teacher, has been to hold space for others to cultivate more presence, harmony and deep gratitude while on and off the mat. My passion to support others in creating new levels of health and vitality led me to
complete my Naturopathic medical degree in 2020, and embark on the entrepreneurial journey I am on today. I’m jazzed by the confluence of yoga, thepelvic floor and how we can foster a deeper connection with our wild feminine to
blossom into our most radiant selves. I am passionate about learning, growing and connecting with others and am always happy to discuss the latest art and science of health, yoga, food as medicine, and more!
I hold deep reverence for the beauty of nature, and make it a priority to spend ample time in the mountains, forests, lakes and rivers, soaking up all our precious Earth has to teach me. I am so honoured to be a part of your journey at OYS, and look forward to personally meeting each of you!
JILL MOLINARO
700+ YTT, Yoga Teacher Est. 2012
Hi there! My name is Jill, I am honored to be part of the teaching community here at Our Yoga Space. Since 2004, amongst raising my three children and experiencing this crazy, beautiful life, I have held quite a strong yoga practice and also found some time to dive into several Yoga Teacher Trainings. In January of 2012 I began my teacher training journey with Moksha Yoga, in Brazil. I have since continued my education, studying Yoga Therapy with Susie Hatley, Restorative Yoga with Judith Lassiter, Vinyasa Flow with Seane Corn, PowerFlow (Baptiste Yoga) with Pam Radar, teacher training with Nicki Doane (Maya Yoga), and most recently, Ashtangha Vinyasa Flow training with Geoff Mackenzie from First Light Yoga, Vancouver.
Every class & training I have taken has been an integral part of creating the teacher I am today, however; no teacher, training or book has prepared me more to stand before you more than this human experience of living life! Each class I walk into knowing that it has the capacity to be a transformational journey for each individual; the simple fact that I have the opportunity to help facilitate such an experience is an honour. Any opportunity I have to stand before you in the practice room, I am standing WITH you, with great compassion, love, and deep respect for your personal experience.
I look forward to practicing with and guiding each and every human who walks through these doors.
JULIANA LAVELL
700+ YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2011
I discovered yoga as a teenager from the influence of my Mom who is a Kundalini Yogi. Yoga, for me has been a way to find reconnect with myself and embody my connection to the infinite, nature and the cosmos. I love to teach and practice with my whole heart, with playfulness, kindness and integrity.
I encourage students to move with intuition and fullness of breath. My mat has always been my safe space to ground and return to love. I enjoy the study of Ayurveda, yoga philosophy, anatomy and the connection between science and spirituality. Often you will see me upside down in acro or aerial Yoga, drinking out of mason jars, laughing too loudly, painting, making music and spending time with my daughter. I look forward to seeing you in class!
ANYA BROOKER
250HR YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2016
Hi! I am Anya, a Registered Yoga Teacher (250 hours).
I found yoga as a stressed out University student over twelve years ago, and it continues to offer me countless benefits. I have been teaching since 2019 and feel privileged to share this practice with the Kelowna community. My goal in each class is to help my students discover new ways of approaching life's challenges, because how we show up on the mat can translate to how we show up off the mat too. Outside of my yoga life, I am a Certified Clinical Counsellor with a specialization in Grief and Trauma, I strongly believe in the healing benefits of yoga when we can connect mind and body. I have a passion for travel and adventure which has brought me all over the world: I spent five years in the high Arctic, completed my graduate studies in Australia, and in 2019 I took Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga Teacher Training in Malta. Students will find my classes offer compassionate space for quiet reflection, strength-building postures, and the invitation to try something new. I can't wait to hold space for you at Our Yoga Space.
MICHELLE LAING
200hr YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2016
My Yoga journey began while playing college volleyball for five years in Lloydminster, Alberta. When I began practicing yoga it was strictly for the physical benefits, but it didn’t take long before realizing that yoga goes beyond the physical realm. I began to experience the magic that lies in the breath and I was fascinated by the capabilities of the human body. As the layers of the practice continued to unfold, I started to fall in love. In 2016 I decided to attend the Yandara Yoga Institute for Teacher Training. Since then I have also become a certified yoga nidra guide and an embodied yin teacher.
I like to think of yoga and meditation as some of my dearest friends. They have my back no matter what. The practice reminds me of an unwavering support I have within. When I step on the mat I feel brave to explore the complexities of being human. It reminds me to hold myself with compassion as I dismantle the armour around my heart. Ultimately for myself it’s a practice of coming home.
Yoga is a big part of who I am, but I also love the little joys in life like playing board games and cards, the comfort of a coffee, sitting by the water, a glass of red wine (doesn’t it feel like a warm hug?), laughing, spending time with friends and family, trying new recipes, getting into a new tv series, drinking tea with my mom, washing my car with my dad and watching my niece and nephews grow.
I’m so grateful to be a part of this community and my hope is that I can create a space where you can show up and feel brave to explore yourself too.
KELLY DAY
800HR YTT, YOGA TEACHERS EST. 2014
I first found Yoga in a time that felt clouded with dark. It was the medicine that pulled me from anxiety and depression and led me into purpose. Upon moving to Kelowna in 2013, I was introduced to my teacher Meghan Currie, who I studied with in 2014 and 2016, where I gained over 500 hours of experience in Vinyasa and Anusara yoga.
Yoga has been such a transformative + healing gift to my life. It's been a practice that has gifted me with mental clarity and access to my intuition, while empowering me to become my own guide and teacher in this life. Movement has allowed me a vehicle for expression + an ability to connect to myself in a deeper, more holistic way. Through the power of practice, yoga has guided me on a journey of self discovery—aligning me to my deepest truths + inspiring me to be a more compassionate, conscious human.
Other fun facts about me: I love nerding out on books, thrifting, writing words, getting into nature, sippin' oat milk lattes, music, dancing and hanging with my pup Diego. I'm so excited to be on this wild journey with you. I feel honoured to teach and share, and look forward to connecting with you in class!
RACHELLE TAYLOR
300 YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST.2013
Yoga is the longest relationship I’ve ever had. It’s been seventeen years since I found this space to land, to feel, and to heal, and now I truly couldn't imagine my life without it.
I first came to the mat—as many of us do—in the midst of tumultuous change; I was 22 years old, my dad had just died, and I had just dropped out of university from my final year of an economics degree. I had no idea how to live without him or what I was going to do next.
The space yoga created in my body and heart helped to pull me out of the depths of my grief and breathe life back into me. Yoga became my favorite travel companion and joined me on adventures around the world, opening me up to communities of amazing folks, insights from incredible teachers, and spaces to show up for myself.
While completing my degree in Creative Communications in my hometown of Winnipeg, Manitoba, yoga inspired my final project, a print magazine called Prairie Yogi. After graduation, PY evolved into a digital publication and retreats & events company. Over seven years, we hosted 13 world-class wellness festivals and several retreats, holding space for thousands of curious humans to move, breathe, learn, and grow together.
Somewhere along the way, I felt called to hold space for others as my teachers had done for me. After seven years of being a devoted student, I became a certified instructor in 2013 and have since been helping curious humans breathe more joy and fulfillment into their lives by devoting themselves to their inner work.
It is my life’s work to hold space for others to grieve, heal, and grow. It started with yoga and deepened into meditation, breathwork, the enneagram, energy work, and astrology.
I've learned that you don't move on after life's losses, but if you dare move inward, again and again and again, you can learn to live with grief and, in time, build a joyful life despite it.
My greatest teachers are Mother Nature and my daughter Sky. They inspire me to continue to dedicate my energy to the study of ancient healing wisdom that lies outside mainstream schools of thought, just as my father had done (a professional man who moonlit as an astrologer).
I look forward to connecting with you soon.
JAYLENE RAE
200 YTT7, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2017
From the first savasana I was hooked on the way yoga not only helped my physical body become stronger but also my mind. To just come to your mat and clear your mind there's something there..
An interest in movement, muscles and the mind body connection led me to become an RMT. I really love the connection between yoga and massage and how incorporating breath into either can change the experience. I'm a big fan of sharing the love and energy through lots of hands on assists and shoulder squeezes.
On my days off you will find me somewhere outside with my dog or puttering around my garden.
ANGELA WALSH
200HR YTT; YOGA TEACHER EST. 2019
I fell in love with yoga about five years ago during a very stressful season of life, when I realized that my mat had become a place of comfort and solace in the storm.
I was a total beginner, and I found that moving my body connected me more deeply to myself and helped me to move through the emotional heaviness. And somehow the things I learned on my mat were coming out the door with me and helping me find more ease physically and emotionally in the day to day. Now as a teacher, getting to hold such a space for others wherever they are at brings me so much joy. One of my favourite offerings is Yoga Nidra, a beautiful meditation technique where I guide students into progressively deeper levels of relaxation and connection to themselves.
Off the mat you can find me trying to keep up with my 6 year old son (oh the energy!), lost in my thoughts, riding my bike, or exploring a deliciously deep topic of conversation with a dear friend/near stranger. Join me for a practice, a chat, or both :)
AJ COOPER
200HR YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2017
I am a yoga educator and healing arts master who has been following the path to enlightenment for over 14 years. My biggest journey began many years ago in the sacred community of the Sivananda Vedanta Centre. There, yoga taught me to ascend above my mental, emotional, and physical battles. I was able to make peace with my inner demons and consciously overcome addiction. My spiritual journey has made me unbreakable! Today, I share my heart, my strength, my ever-growing knowledge & my light-hearted energy through various modalities.
Yoga is a gift and I teach to share that gift - to heal, awaken & empower
SUZIE DORATTI
500hr YTT EST. 2011
I found yoga somewhat "late" in life- I was already in my 30's! I realized from my first class as a student that my relationship with my mat would be a life long love, commitment and learning path.
I come from a place of extreme patience in my practice, knowing that my matt is my refuge, my solace, and occasionally my sanity. I've realized that we all heal and grow by the smallest degrees; one breath at a time.
Yoga has always there for me when I've needed it, emotionally, physically or spiritually - and this knowledge is what constantly reaffirms my desire to seek within to find those places to inquire, play and explore.
I try to bring these places into my classes : to provide a safe space for each student to seek and find there own connections with mind and body, and to help themselves heal and grow. I never cease to be amazed by my students, take inspiration from other teachers or learn from my own weaknesses, injuries, joys or successes :) As a busy small business owner, manager, realtor and mom, I truly value every moment spent in our studio-so you hopefully see me here on my mat as much as possible:)
I am excited to be at OYS - to show up to support our favourite charities, our teachers and to always lead from a place of sharing and care. The lifelong quest to be a student of yoga is what keeps me coming back to teaching, to never stop learning and to always be grateful for this practice and our beautiful community of yogis!
PATRICIA “TRISHY” OLIVEIRA
800 HR YTT , Yoga Teacher Est. 2016
Born and raised in Toronto, I made the move to Kelowna to study at UBCO and graduated with a major in anthropology/minor in psychology. What initially drew me to the practice of yoga was the power of the breath and the strength in the postures. Since then it has grown into a desire to get to know oneself more intimately. For me the practice is a space of self inquiry, a quest for truth and a journey of peeling back the layers of programming imprinted on each of us throughout our lives. It is a practice of remembering and returning to our true nature ~ our highest selves. Whether it’s the inner workings of the mind, the physicality of the body, or the history and culture that is deeply embedded in each of us, I am drawn to exploring the landscape of our being.
Ultimately, I am a 'wow! look at the moon' & a 'omg, look at the sky' kinda gal, if I were a type of cereal I would be cinnamon toast crunch, and I pride myself on my ability to remember song lyrics from the 90's. Some of my favourite things include: swimming in the rain, pink skies in the morning, red skies at night, dance parties (solo or with friends), long hugs, sweating + smiling, doing things that scare me, road trips, and bluebird days. You will often find me enjoying an oat milk cappuccino while petting cute pups at coffee shops, taking frequent lake dips, and smiling really wide while riding my bikes all around.
ANDREA FINAMORE
200HR YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2017
I came into yoga later in life, at a time that was filled with stress and disease. I finally found something that helped with coping and could also ground and energize myself. I was drawn to yoga initially for the emotional release; to ease pain and discomfort. I was able to give myself strength and trust where I was going, on and off the mat. Yoga helped me through the toughest of times in life and I fell in love with the practice. I was able to find a new physical and mental strength and I wanted to help others in their day to day knowing how it’s helped me.
I have a love for travelling and experiencing life as the locals do. I’ve taken yoga with me through Thailand and Bali, as well as Vietnam and Mexico. When I’m not practicing, I’m with my family playing games, camping, or kayaking.
I invite all levels of yogis to practice with me, as we were all beginners once. I want to assist everyone that comes to yoga to find their own practice and help them feel confident and ease within themselves. I am super excited to get to know each and every one of you a little bit better! :)
JAMIE THRASHER
500HR YTT, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2016
Being introduced to yoga was the most beautiful gift I could have ever received. It has guided me into a deeper awareness of my soul and my truth. Yoga to me is this magical medicine that can guide us to where we need to be, and to bring in teachings of that which we need to learn, whether that is on or off the mat. I began teaching in 2016 and received my 500 hour training in 2019.
My heart lies within the energetic and spiritual teachings of yoga but also, if you have taken my class, you'll probably know I also love getting creative with my sequencing and trying new things. Teaching in this way feels like an art and I love being able to find new ways to express and move and to share that in my class!
But, besides yoga I do enjoy other things!
You can catch me with my daily dose of caffeine or enjoying a cool cider in the sunshine ;)
I pretty much enjoy anything that is outdoors- hiking, beaches, biking, gardening, camping, snowboarding (yes, I am one of the ones that actually enjoys the snow!).
I love learning about plants (I definitely have my hands full at home with those) and I also love learning about astrology, tarot, and crystals...basically any metaphysical type arts. I often also spend my time in the park doing acro yoga or spend time at home practicing guitar. Besides that, just a girl that enjoys her time with friends and family!
Hope to see you on the mat.
DAWN PETRIN
800+YTT HR, YOGA TEACHER EST. 2013
Like most yoga teachers, the practice completely changed my life.
And I try my best to live every day – on and off the mat – in a state of continual practice (which doesn't mean I'm always successful).
There's nothing I love more than bringing my students back to their center and helping their nervous systems soften and ground. I believe that the best way to approach yoga is through compassion and personal inquiry and I encourage my students to balance serious practice with a spirit of lightheartedness. If you're taking yourself super seriously, I'm likely to do almost anything I can to get you to lighten up and laugh.
I'm inspired by poetry, mountains, mantra, meditation, the ocean, the lake, my loved ones, regenerative farming practices and the beautiful, inclusive Okanagan yoga community.
When I'm not on my mat, I'm likely to be found hanging off the sides of mountains, falling off plastic holds at the climbing gym, or crushing marketing campaigns on my laptop at whichever local cafe has the best wifi and cappuccino’s.
JACOB PASTERFIELD
I am a lifelong learner. I have always found if you look a little deeper, you can find intricate beauty in everything around you. This practice of curiosity led me to yoga and sound healing. When I first started doing yoga, I really enjoyed the way yoga lets you see yourself from the inside out. I started learning about different kinds of yoga, and different practices. As someone who grew up as a musician, I was very drawn to chanting, mantra, and the ways that music and sound can depend and enrich those practices. I went to school in San Francisco to study Sound Healing with the many masters at the Globe Sound Institute to take my understanding and practices to a deeper level. Since then I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned and helping people learn how to use sound and their voices to create inner peace and connection.
I love to play music. I spend most of my days writing, practicing, or teaching music to my private students. I take my dog Koomba for walks around the stunningly beautiful backdrop of the Okanagan. I love calm mornings with home made coffee, a great book, and learning something new.
I am so excited to be a part of the OYS team, and to have a chance to learn and grow alongside my community.