Our Teachers

Christi-an Slomka - Director & Teacher

You’re bound to feel the awesome potential of flowing from the heart in Christi-an’s classes. Her teaching richly embodies the Anusara tradition, to ‘open to grace.’ She cultivates a playful and supportive class where students can stretch, strengthen, restore, and connect deeper within.

Christi-an draws tremendous inspiration from her mentors, Sue Elkind, Naime Jezzeny, Sianna Sherman, Colin Matthews, Michael Siddall and John Friend through their luminous expressions of Anusara Yoga.

Off the mat, Christi-an follows her heart (often by bike) to experience the gifts of the world. Currently she is cultivating the art of skateboarding on the streets of Toronto!

Favourite Posture:
handstand, because it always invites something new to explore.

Colin Matthews - Director

Colin invites an ever-evolving conversation, with one’s self and the community. His teaching is infused with passion for life, self-empowerment, healing and the power of intention. His light-hearted spirit inspires a playful and engaged practice that is deeply rooted in contemporary Hatha Yoga.

Colin draws continued inspiration from his teachers, Naime Jezzeny, Sue Elkind, Sianna Sherman and Douglas Brooks. He has also studied with Bikram Choudhry, Judith Lasater, Ken Nateshvar Scott, and John Friend.

Colin co-teaches Kula’s advance study and teacher training certification program.

Off the mat, he’s known to climb great rock faces, indulge in woodworking, and cherish time with his wife, Anne Marie.

Favourite Yoga Posture:

Uttanasana (Forward bend), because it requires tremendous humility to look inward and honour one's boundaries.

Marinella Nesso - Teacher

Marinella’s passion for life radiates as she creatively weaves asana, alignment and Tantric philosophy through her class. Although a devoted Anusara yogi, her teaching also encompasses Pre-Natel Yoga, Kids Yoga, and Yoga Therapeutics.

She draws great wisdom and inspiration from her teachers Sianna Sherman, Todd Norian, Paul Muller Ortega, Darren Rhodes and John Friend. Marinella’s teaching is intelligent, playful, and charismatic – her smile and laugh are contagious! She is an Anusara-Inspired teacher, and well on her way to becoming a fully certified Anusara teacher.

When not on her yoga mat, Marinella can be found enjoying city landscapes, riding her bicycle through Kensington Market or climbing walls!

Favourite Yoga Posture:

Vrksasana (Tree), because she hopes to be a Yoga Master one day on the Wii Fit!

Cynthia Cooperstone - Anusara-Inspired Teacher

Cynthia’s passion for Anusara Yoga is evident in every class. It is her greatest intention to guide her students safely through practices that are as invigorating and fun as they are meaningful and balanced. With creativity and enthusiasm, she encourages her students to realize their best vision of themselves on - and off - their mats.

Cynthia recognizes, with gratitude, the support she has received from her primary teacher, Michael Siddall, and the inspiration she has received from John Friend, Todd Norian, Anne Greene, Tiffany Fraser, Paul Muller-Ortega and other teachers. She is also indebted to her students for their ongoing dedication and trust as they join her on this vibrant path.

Cynthia delights in wearing a number of different hats: yoga teacher, writer and editor, avid reader, movie-goer, theatre buff and, best of all, mother of two.

Favourite Yoga Posture:
Full Vasisthasana, because when you get there, it feels like flying!

Sonja Patterson - Teacher

Sonja’s class awakens the teacher within, as she weaves alignment principles with universal wisdom. Her passion and curiosity to deepen her knowledge enriches all who are around her.

Sonja teaches a dynamic hot flow class which blends Anusara and Moksha Yoga. She draws on the inspiring teaching of Naime Jezzeny, Sue Elkind, John Friend, Colin Matthews, and Christi-an Slomka.

Off the mat, Sonja has a soft spot for furry friends! She dedicates much time to loving animals, her own and those in need.

Favourite Yoga Posture:

Anjaneye Asana (Back Bending Lunge), a wonderful manifestation of strength and openness

Ana-Maria Alvarado - Teacher

Ana-Maria's yoga journey has been a never-ending discovery of mind, spirit, and body. She brings joy and light heartedness to her classes, challenging and balancing her students, and ultimately leaving them energized and tranquil long after they have left the mat.

Ana-Maria discovered the joys of yoga through Bikram as well as Ashtanga, and continues to be inspired by the heart-oriented teachings of Anusara and her passion for teaching kids yoga. She is deeply thankful for the guidance of her teachers, including Michael Siddall, Erica Blitz, Christi-an Slomka, Cynthia Cooperstone.

Off the mat, Ana-Maria cultivates a deeper sense of place by exploring the city on her bike and day dreaming of her next world travels.

Favourite Yoga Posture: Adho Mukha Vrksasana - handstand, because it inspires, challenges and demands courage!

Aaron Slade - Teacher

Aaron's classes affirm that life is about living to the fullest, and is all about taking it to the next level. Weaving together his understanding of tantric philosophy, asana, and drawing on his life experiences, his classes motivate you to bust a move and play a little more hardcore than you thought you could.

Currently studying with Michael Siddall locally, and with John Friend internationally, Aaron goes the distance to learn, to better understand, and to live his practice. The light we create on the mat needs to be taken out into the world to make the day brighter for everyone else in our lives.

Off the mat, he continues to embody the nerdy teenager within, throwing dice, playing cards, and organizing boardgames well into the night.

Favorite Yoga Posture : Eka Pada Koundinyasana I, because falling on your face teaches you humility, and to fall on your face less.

Jennifer Slade - Anusara-Inspired Teacher

Jen believes that yoga is about deepening our capacity to Love. With enthusiasm and loving-kindness, she enables her students to courageously and boldly reach their full potential, while also connect with the playful side of their practice.

Jen is a certified Moksha Yoga Teacher, and has completed Kids Yoga, and Prenatal teacher trainings. Since 2005, she has studied Anusara and offers her sincere and heartfelt gratitude to her teachers, especially Behnje Masson, Michael Siddall and John Friend.

Off the mat, Jen is a musician, and loves enjoying life's yumminess - including her hubby Aaron Slade, who is also a yoga teacher.

Favourite Yoga Posture: Krounchasana, because of the grounding and rooting combined with the expansion of boundaries.

Lindseed Toner-Camulsky - Teacher

Linseed facilitates a class that welcomes playfulness though storytelling, humour and life’s daily lessons. She seeks to hold a space where students feel empowered to combine challenge with patience.

Linseed was introduced to yoga at a young age through her dad. She has studied Iyengar-inspired Hatha flow through the Yandara Institute. She introduces lessons of Shiatsu (Shiatsu School of Canada) and Thai Yoga massage (Lotus Palm) into her practice. She continuously feels inspired by and grateful to the teachers at Kula as she deepens her Anusara yoga studies and practice.

Outside of Kula, Linseed can be found around town hula hooping, working at farmers markets, harvesting wild edibles, playing the balalaika, and fixing bicycles.

Favourite Yoga Posture: Vrksasana to backbend, as it is a beautiful expression of the idea that from a solid foundation, one can soften and lead from the heart!

Geneviève Vallerand – Teacher

Geneviève’s teaching combines humour, sensitivity and kindness to a foster greater connection within, and to the world around. Fueled by a strong intention and Anusara’s principles of alignment, she invites you to tune into the remarkable and unique journeys we undertake each time we step onto our mats.

A traveler and seeker at heart, Gen is continually awed by Anusara’s powerful teaching of “yoga, from the inside out.” She is thankful for the guidance of her teachers Barrie Risman and Robin Golt in Montréal, and Christi-An Slomka; Marinella Nesso, and Josie Houpt in Toronto.

When she is not at Kula, Gen works in Communications, and keeps herself busy enjoying the outdoors, friends and planning future travel expeditions!

Favourite Yoga Posture:
Wild thing: partially for its awesome name, but also for its ability to make you root down and soar!

Chrys Muszka - Teacher

Chrys treats every class as if it were a painting, attuning himself to his students and then creating a class that is a pure expression from his heart. His classes are dynamic fusing his background in Ashtanga, Hatha and Anusara, that offers a focus on alignment and safety through a flow, while asking his students to explore their body-mind-spirit connection. He puts the same love and passion into his restorative yoga classes, and is a firm believer that the practice of stillness, relaxation and self-awareness presents a life that unfolds with an abundance of love, and positivity.

Chrys is constantly on his mat exploring his own personal practice, as well as taking trainings to always build his ability as a teacher. He is grateful for all his teachers who constantly inspire him; Karen Cove, Paula Tursi, Sachne Kilner, Hali Schwartz, Barrie Risman, Robin Golt, Tara Judelle, Noah Maze and Darren Rhodes.

When Chrys is not teaching or on his mat practicing, he is most likely long boarding around the city, planning his next backpacking trip somewhere in the world to fulfill his passion of photography where he snaps images of nature and local cityscapes/life.

Favorite Yoga Pose: Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana, it allows you to smile up to the beaming sun, opens your hips, lengthens your hamstrings, and gives you a good twist. There is nothing better!

Donna Wilding - Teacher

Donna teaches a heart opening, soulful class that will open your body and your mind. You'll discover healing alignment priciples to ensure your safety and stability in all poses. You can expect to be challenged via a medley of stress relieving postures that require presence. You’ll be sweating with a smile.

Donna is a student of yoga for 9+ years, and a student of life for 32. She loves to turn the world upside down with handstands and back bends, giving a new perspective to the moment. She believes the benefits of community to be irreplaceable!

When the burning desire to step away from my desk and into a yoga pose known as “Warrior” became too strong to ignore, Donna left her previous career to follow my heart and teach yoga. Now she no survives in Toronto no longer by having a job, but instead by sharing her passion: to inspire people to heal themselves. When you love what you do, it shows!

Favorite asana? Handstand because it offers new challenges and rediscovery every time it's practiced.

Charlene Yeh - Teacher

Charlene took her first yoga class in 2003, prompted by an achy back caused by hours of playing a musical instrument. Having has a mostly inactive childhood, moving and breathing was a revelation! At first it started in the hot rooms of Bikram, then she moved onto Ashtanga Vinyasa, and then she found her home at Jivamukti. That kind of physical practice, combined with yoga philosophy, activism and meditation, got her totally hooked. Charlene became a certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher in 2007.

She teaches classes that she would want to take: creative, fluid sequencing combined with detailed alignment instruction, steady breathwork, a little sweat and lots of heartfelt intention.

Charlene holds an 800-hr Jivamukti certification, an Advanced Teaching Certificate from Kula Yoga Project NYC with Schuyler Grant, an Anusara yoga therapy training with John Friend and numerous hours of Anusara studies. Charlene is currently studying the sacred geometry of the asanas with Iyengar teacher François Raoult at Open Sky Yoga in Rochester, NY.

She offers gratitude to all of her teachers, especially David Life, Sharon Gannon, Jeannine Woodall and Yumee Chung (Jivamukti Yoga), Schuyler Grant (Kula Freestyle Yoga), John Friend (Anusara Yoga), Darren Rhodes, and Juliana Gambrell and Lauren Zander (Handel Group). And last but not least, many thanks go out to the all of the students that walk through the door- you are the ones who make it all possible.