The Yoga Shala Calgary: Ashtanga Yoga Instruction & Practice

Carmen Stockton

The path led me to Yoga is full of tales that are best told over a large glass of Red Wine. When you walk around the world with a hair-doo like the one I’m sporting in that picture, you KNOW the story has to be a good one! But in short, a few years ago I went through a period of loss that helped me realize that while I had done some really remarkable things with my life, I hadn’t taken that oh so important journey inward. It was 4 years ago that I walked into the Yoga Shala, unrolled a rental mat and heard the words ‘focus on your Drishti’ and ‘ find your breath’… and I felt like I was home.

I’ve spent the last 15 years pursuing a career in Comedy, which will always be a part of who I am and what I do, but I knew I wanted to find a way to take what I had experienced on my Yoga mat and encourage others to take that journey as well. So in the fall 2010 I enrolled in Kim Wiebe’s Strength and Soul Teacher Training Development program (which was an extraordinary adventure from beginning to end!) and I am so thrilled to have received my certification from her.

The only form of I exercise I’d do in my twenties, was to reach out with one arm to set down my slice of pizza, while using my other arm to set the remote control down, then I’d use my legs to lift my butt off of the sofa and walk me to the fridge to grab myself a can of Coke. I am so grateful that I chose a different path. I love that the Asana practice has not only brought strength and mobility to my body, but it has also given me the gift of stillness. That’s really what the true essence and brilliance of Yoga is all about. So wherever you are, whoever you are, regardless of your age or your body size or your perception of your body size, whether you’re flexible or as stiff as a board (like I was!) I encourage you, whole-heartedly, to be brave, step onto a mat ‘focus on your Drishti’ and ‘find your breath.’

Namaste