Our Team: PYC Oakville

Kinndli McCollum

Co-Founder/Director of Power Yoga

There is a saying in the yoga world that you are only as old as the number of years since you started practicing yoga....so that would make me about 7 years old. Fitting really, as yoga keeps me feeling young. One of my most favorite things about owning a yoga studio and being a yoga teacher is that I get to be in the fullest expression of myself each and every day.... it's my job! I am truly living my dream!

I first was introduced to yoga while living in NYC on the Upper East Side at a studio called "Some Like it Hot Yoga" and Paige Elenson (now my dear friend and founder of the Africa Yoga Project) was my first Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Teacher. I would leave class feeling rinsed and more awake and alive than I did going in. Paige had a light about her and I wanted to shine like that too. She sent me to Baron Baptiste for a Level 1 Journey into Power Teacher Training Bootcamp.

Well..... after that my life pretty much snow balled into a ball of yoga insanity! Everything seemed to open up for me, it was like life was waiting for me to arrive and I was finally ready to participate and co-create in a fantastic life together! So I moved back to Canada to set some roots after traveling abroad for many years and living in NYC for 6 years. I completed the highest level of training with Baron Baptiste and I am Canada’s only Certified Master Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga Teacher. Since 2005 I have been apprenticing with Baron Baptiste around the world on over 40 Journey Into Power Teacher Training's and Personal Revolution Bootcamps. 

I am passionate about transformation and I see yoga as an opportunity to connect with my spirit and to challenge myself to look inside and delve deep into the fire within. As I become more authentic with myself and begin to live from my truth, then I can hold a powerful space for others to shine light on their inauthenticities and ultimately shine too. 

I am an ambassador for Lululemon Oakville and an ambassador of the Africa Yoga Project, both organizations and communities that are dear to my heart.

Pauline Caballero

Co-Founder/Director of Power Living

As a former member of the Canadian National Synchronized skating team, Registered Holistic Nutritionist and Professional Skating Coach I have been on the wellness journey all my life. I stumbled upon yoga five years ago after the birth of my son. Suffering from low back pain, a result of child birth, running and stress, I found yoga helped me work through my discomfort and allowed me to become more active, energized and improved my overall health.

After a couple of years of attending Kinndli’s classes, who was my teacher, my inspiration and now business partner and dear friend, I wanted to know where she got her shine and decided to go straight to the source. So I headed off to one of Baron Baptiste’s bootcamps, and have attended three in the last two years. Well that was the beginning of me shaking my life up. I have been empowered to wake up from the script I was playing out, I have been able to improve my relationships with my loved ones and let go of things that do not add any value to my life. Most importantly, after a full corporate career, years of schooling and wondering if I would ever find my place, my seat, my perfect job.....I have finally found what I want to do when I grow up. It’s quite simple, I want to help others through the practice, through the meditation, through the lifestyle step to their personal edge.

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing". - Helen Keller

 Rocco

I am a yoga Jedi Master and I have taught Kinndli how to be a Warrior of the Light. I can be seen chillin' at Power Yoga Canada or chasing squirrels.

 

 

 

 

 

Pino Rizzi

Be the Change you wish to see in the world”  This is one of my favorite quotes from Mahatma Gandhi that has enlightened me and inspired my yoga practice and my life.

Before I began teaching Yoga I was a professional dancer. I was living a dream! I loved the intensity of the work and the freedom of performing. Dance training taught me self expression, discipline, focus and a sense of honor and gratitude for my body. During my time as a dancer Yoga was a part of my physical work. I was blessed to have teachers who were so fired up when they lead a class and I left feeling like I can achieve anything. I thought that if I can pass that feeling on to one other person then I would be up to something great in my life.

I began teaching Dance, Pilates, Yoga, other fitness classes and became a Personal Trainer. That was 14 years ago and my life has completely opened up since then, I created a company: D C F – (decide, commit, follow through) and a workout DVD: Xtreme Power Strength Endurance. Also I work with people struggling with body image and eating disorders. This is an issue that has touched me personally, Yoga has been a big part of my recovery and I hope to empower others to create positive changes in their lives as well.

I was taking Kinndli’s classes for about a year when she mentioned a Bootcamp with Baron Baptiste that was coming up. It’s funny because I remember that on my way to class that night I was going to ask Kinndli about any trainings with Baron because I was in love with this practice and there it happened - she announced it in her class - I didn’t even have to ask her! This was clearly a sign for me to take action and DO IT! I took my first Baptiste Bootcamp in October 2009 and will be doing two more in 2010 to complete my full certification. My life has been transformed by this practice.

I have been awakened to the potential that lies within me and the power that can shine. As Marianne Williamson says: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”

My intention in every class is to challenge my students and allow their spirits to shine. It is an opportunity for us to respect our bodies, find joy in our hearts and cultivate peace in our souls. I am a better instructor, and a better human being because of the many students who come time and time again to join in my class and the many teachers who have an imprint on my life. We work, laugh, sweat, and become transformed. 

See you on your mat. Namaste

 

Denise Desrochers

 

I would have to say that I really didn’t ‘find’ yoga but rather it found me. I started doing Power Yoga because a friend had suggested that it would really help my back. I had been struggling with this injury for quite some time, going to physiotherapy three times a week, countless massages, you name it.  My days as a gymnast, a professional dancer and teacher were taking its toll and nothing seemed to be working. So I took the class and came out saying “What just happened?!” Little did I know how life altering that class would be. This class shook me up. I loved it but I wasn’t sure what do to next. All I knew is that I wanted and needed more. I soon discovered that my practice was not only about the physicality and how amazing my body felt but rather the total rinsing and clearing of my mind and spirit. I was learning to deal with difficult circumstances with peace and acceptance and letting go of relationships that were not beneficial in my life. That was the care that I truly needed.  

Power Yoga has given me so much more than just a ‘healed’ back. It has placed a mirror in front of my face and has led me to make positive changes in every aspect of my life. I got a small taste of this while attending Baron Baptiste’s Level 1 Bootcamp. I realised that I have been ignoring my gut, my intuition for years and that my fear has led me to play it safe. I came back with a sense of urgency and commitment greater than before. I immediately started assisting and am now teaching and it is completely unreal to me….I don’t know how I got here!! What I do know is that I want to share this passion, this love, this fire with as many people as I can so that they too can awake from their sleep. I am thrilled to be teaching at PYC and am so grateful to be a part of this positive community.  

"Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure.”  

Marianne Williamson

 

 Sam Newton

I teach yoga because I absolutely LOVE sharing this practice that has revolutionized (I’d even venture to say ‘saved’) my life!

I was drawn to yoga in 2004, at a time when my physical and emotional health were both at a serious low.  I was looking for a way to take better care of my body, get a bit more toned, maybe gain a bit more energy.  I found all that - and so, so much more.

Yoga has given me a “true north” in my life; a place I can go to where I know myself and I know what’s true.   Coming to my mat washes away opinions, expectations, confusions, doubt.... (all the things that hold me back) and replaces the space they held with just pure possibility.  No matter what is happening in my life, yoga practice impacts it positively by helping me to see it clearly.

After earning my 200 hour ashtanga certification in 2006, I obtained further certifications in pilates, group exercise, and personal training.  In 2009 I began studying directly with Baron Baptiste, and have now completed Foundations in Action, Level I & Level II teacher trainings. 

I am so lucky, grateful, and joyful that my life is about sharing this yoga!

 

Jen Dwyer

 

 

My love affair with yoga began with a slow and steady courtship. I had done a few classes here and there as a compliment to my dance training, but never adopted a regular practice. I felt that I had other ways of getting my body moving with dance and the gym…yoga was just something I would do if I was feeling tired and wanted a good stretch.

Then, at 20 years old, my physical and mental health hit rock bottom. I found myself moving home from university, quitting dance, battling mono and being treated for depression. My doctor suggested I try taking some yoga classes as a gentle way to keep myself physically active and hey, it might even help with my depression and anxiety. To this – I rolled my eyes. Did this lady really think hitting a mat and doing some poses and some stretches was going to save my life?

Luckily, some part of me actually listened. I started attending a class at my gym once a week and slowly but surely, I was hooked. After finally completing my university degree and moving back home I discovered PYC. This practice and this place became my sanctuary. It brought me to the realization that I am in control of my own emotions, thoughts and reactions. I spent the first twenty years of my life in a dark fog—dwelling on the past, worrying about the future and being completely unaware of the present moment. Every time I hit my mat I learn more about myself. It is a constant reminder that the only place I have to look to find my authentic self is deep inside.

Yoga was the missing piece in my life and I am so grateful that it came to me when I needed it most. I am thrilled to be in a place to share a practice that has brought countless physical and most importantly, mental benefits to me both on and off my mat.

Heather Coates

 

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go. ~Dr. Suess

Years ago, when I graduated high school, I packed my bags and decided to travel; to see what was out there in the world for me to discover. From teaching in Jamaica, to managing a kitchen in a French Chateau, all the way to Thailand to catch some sun on the beach, I found so much. I found amazing cultures, incredible and inspiring people but I never found myself. After a few years of being on the road I came home feeling a bit lost and confused about why I found myself back where I started, at ‘the beginning.’

It was about this time when I found the love of my life, Steve, and flash forward a few years….went back to school, moved into the city & then back out to Oakville, got married, bought our first house and got me a ‘grown up’ job!

It was during these few years that my yogic journey began. It was a physical practice to begin and I just felt like I needed to ‘blow off steam’. I quickly enrolled in my first 40 Days to Personal Revolution, guided by Kinndli, and my eyes and my heart were opened up for the first time in ages but due to some back problems, and playing it safe….again, I rolled up my mat and stopped practicing. A few months later I discovered PYC and it felt like I had come home. The energy was palpable and the community was so warm and welcoming. That was it; I was back on my mat and ready to go!!

Yoga has changed my life; literally shook it up and turned it upside down. It has made me realize that I have been playing it safe since I had arrived back from travelling years earlier, that I began going through the motions of what I was supposed to do rather than what I wanted to do with my life. With the support of my community I was able to acknowledge this and make the changes necessary to shine bigger and brighter!! I know now that Dr. Suess really was right – that I always have a choice and that I am the master of my own fate! I feel lighter now and so happy that sometimes I need a pinch to remind myself that I am not dreaming, that this really is my life!

 

 

Monica Mallo

My spiritual journey started many years before I started the physical practice of yoga, until then I knew there was always something missing. There was a shift I needed to create and I wasn’t doing anything to change. On May 10^th 2006, that first shift happened; I gave birth to my two beautiful daughters. Becoming a mother changed my life, more then I could have imagined. And it wasn’t the sleepless nights or the handing over of my body and my time to these two babies, it was my necessity to be the best person I could be, to love them the purest I could and I could only do this by loving myself authentically. That same year, new challenges forced me to look outside of what I knew, in order to heal and most importantly to find self love. 

As soon as I took my first yoga class, it felt like I had made it home. That last piece of the puzzle had been found. After only one class I knew that my practice of yoga was that piece that I needed to align my mind, body and spirit. Soon after I knew that I wanted to share this joy, this peace.

In 2008, I began a teacher training with Kinndli and I could honestly say that is the moment I started to transform my mind, my body and my life. Things I have always depended on have started to dissolve and I am finding my real ‘self’, I am beginning to heal and I look forward to do the same for others through my teaching. 

The huge transformations in my life have been as a result of coming on my mat day in and out and being around Kinndli and the Power Yoga community. I am challenged every time I am at the studio and I am challenged everyday as a mother but most importantly I am inspired to find my inner power and strength and inspired to do the same for others by teaching. 

 

 Darlene Berg

I attended my first yoga class in 2002, shortly after the birth of my second child. I was highly stressed, and looking to get some “me” time outside the house. By the second class, I was completely hooked on yoga as I felt the immediate release of tension in my body.

By 2007, I decided I wanted to know more about yoga, I knew I was only scratching the surface in my practice. I registered in my first 200 hour yoga teacher training in Hatha yoga.  Afterwards, I started to teach Hatha yoga at Yoga by Sarah in St Catharines.

In February 2009, Kinndli came to teach weekend workshops at my home studio, introducing me to Baptiste Power Vinyasa. My mind was blown away. I had never been more connected to myself or my mat, and I knew I wanted to have the lightness I saw in Kinndli, and I wanted to bring that energy to my students in my classes. Needless to say, I signed up for a level 1, Baptiste Power Vinyasa teacher training in August 2009, completed Level 2 in May 2010 and I am currently an associate Baptiste teacher and working on my certification.  

I’ll be honest- I had gone to dozens of different types of practitioners looking for answers to “fix” what was “wrong” with me.  I was looking for the easy answer or quick fix, but what I really needed to do was to connect with myself. I realized my problem - I was looking for answers from the outside world when the answers were always inside me. Through my trainings I have learned to let go of past experiences that I was letting shape my life. I now know I am responsible for where I am in my life and where I am going. Hitting my mat everyday keeps this connection alive so I can let the past dissolve and live in the present moment.

I feel empowered and want to share the lightness I have found within, to those who come to my class. Anything is possible in your life, the sky is the limit! Go big with your dreams and your life! Carpe Diem

Andrea McGee

 My yoga journey started in 2002 by a chance meeting with a friend at Yoga By Sarah in St. Catharines.  My 3 month membership became a year membership.  I was intrigued mentally and relieved physically after years of back pain.  The tears in savasana didn’t deter me even though I had no idea why they fell. With the encouragement of my yoga teacher Sarah Giovannone, I completed a yoga teacher training program at Yoga Space in Toronto in 2005 and have been teaching since then.  I attended conferences and workshops and fine tuned my teaching but still felt incomplete off my mat.

Another chance meeting lead me to Kinndli McCollum, Master Baptiste Certified teacher, whose energy and shine fascinated me.  By a friends’ example and encouragement I attended Baron Baptiste’s Journey Into Power Level 1 in Mexico in December 2009 and Level 2 in May 2010.  On a personal level, I discovered how to get out of my own way and create healthy relationships and be authentic.  Now when I teach, I connect with students beyond the physical practice of yoga and share myself spiritually and mentally.  I believe in holding space for you to release your fears, expectations and masks on your mat so you can live in freedom and authenticity off your mat. 

I have felt more complete on and off my mat since training with Baron.  I understand the root of my tears in savasana and honour what I am experiencing on my mat.  When I realized my fear was preventing me from moving forward, I turned my “I want” statements into “I am” statements.   I embraced the expression, “If not now, when?”  and left my job in social services to teach yoga full time.

Since September 2010, I am teaching yoga full time, have become a Certified Baptiste Teacher. Oh yeah, and living my life with love and authenticity!

 

Jen Gress

 

I found power yoga in Charlotte, North Carolina five years ago and have been hooked ever since! I was trying to find my way as a new mom and excavate my pre-baby body. The first practice was a struggle, but the way the teacher spoke to mind, body and spirit hit me like a ton of bricks. I also saw the incredible strength and felt the energy of the other students in the class- this was something special. Although a regular yoga practice has given me greater physical strength and abilities, the most significant gift from yoga is more personal. In the quiet moments of practice and savasana I began to glimpse greater wholeness as a person; peace and joy from within.  There was also an unsettling feeling that I was stumbling onto greater truths about myself. I started to doubt my beliefs that I was weak and not able to handle confrontation- it was creating fear to do anything! Acknowledging this limiting belief was hard to admit, but once I owned it- I realized that it wasn’t true and there was no reason to keep living it.

 

I am passionate about the power of yoga to create awareness, vitality and freedom in the body and more importantly in the mind. I know that the combination of a rigorous physical practice and an open inquiry can take us to new heights on and off the mat. I strive to share what has resonated for me in yoga and in my life with students. I have immense gratitude for my teachers Kinndli McCollum, Baron Baptiste and David Robson.  

 Eva Bruni

I first became exposed to yoga back in university when I consumed myself with lab work, studying and volunteering. With such a hectic life, I was desperately seeking stillness while still wanting to get a challenging workout. Yoga has been a sanctuary for me to get to get out of my head, and into my body, my spirit and the present moment.  After a few intense years of teaching high school, in 2009, I made a lifetime dream come true by taking a 6-month spiritual, emotional and physically challenging journey.  Gruelling hiking in Nepal’s Himalaya and experiencing yoga and the daily life in India was enough to turn my world upside down and open up my soul like never before.  Upon a joyful return, I decided to do the 200hr yoga teacher training at PYC.  I was inspired and hungry for some sort of change.  I wanted to show up bigger in my life, and I realized that I really wanted to guide others on the yoga path of truth, love, empowerment and overall wellness.  I truly believe in the power of prana, the breath and life force within us, and I love that yoga provides us the opportunity to connect to something bigger.  Yoga has encouraged me to push boundaries, to grow, to show up authentically and be aware of my masks, and most of all, I have learned to take the lessons learned from the mat out into the world!  Through yoga, I hope you also become transformed to lead healthy, meaningful lives and to tap into the power and light from within.