Welcome.

I'm Gen, and I'm so glad you're here. Let me share a little about myself and my journey.

I was born in Chelsea, Quebec, and lived there until I was two years old, after which my family spent four transformative years sailing the Caribbean. The power of the ocean and nature continues to inspire my practice and teaching.

My first yoga class was far from usual. I had been suffering from my own battles with mental health and was at a breaking point. During this period, I recalled walking through an Ashram in the Bahamas as a child. The serene energy of this environment was palpable and somehow I knew I needed to travel there for my healing process to begin. I had never taken a yoga class before, but that decision profoundly changed the trajectory of my life and ,in many ways, saved me. As a high-level competitive athlete, the physical demands of four hours of meditation, breathwork (pranayama), and physical yoga asana practice allowed me to access a feeling of bliss I had never experienced before. I knew than that this practice was going to change my life forever.

Over the following years, I became increasingly fascinated with Buddhist and yogic philosophy and their teachings on our human conditioning and psyche. I complimented my studies with managing a Hot yoga studio in Montreal. After graduating with a BA in Psychology from McGill, I decided to travel to India, where I completed my first 200-hour Ashtanga-Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training in 2013. I had bought a one-way ticket and planned to travel around the country, but the head of the school asked me to stay and teach at his satellite shala. It was a modest 500 rupees a day with accommodation attached to the shala, but the true exchange was the opportunity to continue my studies at the school, repeating my 200-hour training multiple times. I started teaching the day after my graduation at a small tourist beach shala in the south of Goa. I would return to India in the following years to assist and eventually teach in the trainings. After some time, the call to return home and build a community grew stronger, and I made my way back to Ottawa to reconnect with my family and friends. I will always hold that enriching time in India dear to my heart.

In yoga philosophy, there's a profound concept known as dharma, or life’s purpose. It is believed that the universe or creator has given each of us a unique path and purpose to share our innate gifts within this life-time. I am eternally grateful that I have discovered my dharma and to share it with you. I believe the potent power of this practice resides within the safe and sacred space we collectively create to foster healing and growth. It is an energy, aligned with divine, offering you a place to explore all dimensions of your being through breath, movement, mindfulness and a little bit of magic.

I continue to learn, evolve and grow while still respecting and honouring the roots of the tradition. As an E-RYT 500 and a YACEP continuing educator, I've had the privilege of facilitating yoga teacher trainings, workshops, and retreats both in my hometown of Ottawa, Canada, and internationally. I recently co-founded Sacred Space Yoga School, where I passionately share my knowledge of the ancient traditions of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Chinese Medicine and explore how to incorporate their wisdom into our contemporary lives.

To complement my teaching, I offer a blend of Thai Yoga Massage and Reiki, integrating holistic bodywork with energetic healing. I believe touch is a powerful tool for regulating our nervous systems and reconnecting us to our hearts.

I am forever grateful to the incredible teachers, such as Bernie Clark, Janet Stone, Ryan Leir, and Tara Brach, who have guided and nurtured my inner journey and growth. It is truly an honor and a privilege to connect and share this sacred space with you.

“You are not a single drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a single drop.”

— Rumi

  • “Gen is one of the teachers who inspired me to commit more deeply to my own practice, because she helped me to see how letting go is a way of diving deep. Much of the progress I’ve made in my own journey through yoga is attributable to her. What’s especially impressive about this ability is that Gen’s teaching is not formulaic: her sequences are always varied and creative, and I always look forward to another yoga session with her at the helm. Gen’s remarkable sensitivity towards others, her attention to each individual, and her generosity of spirit are all in abundant evidence whenever she is leading a class (and whenever she’s not!). Her practical experience and knowledge of anatomy allow her to adapt to students’ varying needs, so that each person in the room can work at a personally appropriate level. She always remembers to make alternative poses and modifications available. At the same time, she helps foster that sense of community and collective energy that students in a class—however randomly assorted—inevitably build between each other. Her classes are simultaneously non-judgmental and inspiring. I know they’ve helped me (and many others) get closer the goals most students share: strength, flexibility, health, and even peace. So, it’s safe to say that spending time under Gen’s guidance will help you safely push the limits of what you think you can do. When she’s teaching a flow, she never loses the rhythm. She is hands-on, but very respectful: she won’t touch you without your consent, but her watchful eye is always prepared to modulate itself into an offer of physical support, gentle manipulation, or caring correction. Whether you’re a novice yogi or an experienced practitioner, I can’t recommend Gen’s highly effective teaching highly enough. She’s a guide whose compassionate nature you can trust.

    ”

    — BORA P, TORONTO ON

  • “Genevieve is warm and knowledgeable yoga teacher who makes her students feel capable and welcomed. As an older yoga practitioner with many injuries, Genevieve guided me to practice to my level and gave me many practical tips on learning how to listen to my body and approach the postures through a loving demeanor.

    After having her teach me for a summer, I was so encouraged by her gentle approach to yoga that I decided to become a yoga teacher myself. I travelled back to India to study with her and am currently enjoying teaching and sharing the gift of yoga back in Australia.”

    — LOUISE O, NEWCASTLE AUSTRALIA

  • “In my YTT, Gen’s classes were by far my favourite lectures. Gen consistently provided a safe space for us. I am amazed at her level of knowledge. A very authentic, engaging and passionate teacher. So gifted and, without a doubt, in her element as a teacher and educator.”

  • “​I trained with Gen (on my 200 hour TTC) in December 2014. She has all the attributes I look for in a teacher: - a deep and multi-faceted knowledge base of yoga asana, philosophy and the human body; - a creative approach to teaching that inspires her students; and most importantly, a hugely compassionate soul that means that no question asked is too small or too silly. Gen makes students feel totally comfortable to be themselves and try different things, and that, on a personal level, I felt fully supported on my teacher training. I have taken a number of further teacher trainings and immersions with internationally renowned teachers since my 200 hour training and can honestly say I still look back on my training with Gen as one of the most transformative, enlightentening experiences of my life- with a true teacher.

    ”

    — NAMITA SHARMA, LONDON UK

  • “Gen’s training was both the most exiting and challenging part of this YTT. I came to teacher training with a good understanding of asana and a very limited knowledge of everything else. Gen’s curriculum provided me with the opportunity to expand my understanding of yoga, honour the origins of this practice and gain the tools I need to continue to evolve and grow. Gen was kind and incredibly resolute, she encouraged us all to challenge how we see yoga and how we see ourselves. I particularly enjoyed the diversity of her teaching days- we listened, we took notes, we had discussions, we acted things out and we even danced like no one was watching. I saw the effort she put into making training valuable beyond just meeting a requirement, and I appreciate that.”

    — CHARLENE, TORONTO ON

  • “I loved learning from Gen! I felt that this is where the growth really happened for me, and I want to thank her for holding the space so well and taking all of our insecurities and helping us sit them them and face them throughout this journey. Gen you have helped me change the way I view the world and myself and I’m forever grateful

    ”

    — CHEYANNE, OTTAWA ON