Team Members Archive - PranaShanti

Amelia, RMT

I am an experienced massage therapist with a compassionate and calming presence who uses both comprehensive formal training and skill to provide the most appropriate and supportive service for each client. I graduated from the international academy of massage in 2014 with honors and the award for Excellence in Clinical Technique. I continue to strive for clinical excellence in my day to day practice of massage therapy, offering customized treatment suited to your needs, whether it be injury recovery, chronic pain management or stress relief. I have specialized training from the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Nassau Bahamas, in Thai Yoga Massage and Ayurvedic Massage. As well, I have recently completed training in Table Thai Massage at Lotus Palm school of Thai Massage, which adapts the dynamic approach of Thai Yoga to the comforts of the massage table....

Mark, RMT, R.Ac.

Mark is a Registered Massage Therapist and Registered Acupuncturist, offering his two skills combined in a massage treatment. Mark is a graduate from the International Academy of Applied Health, from the Massage Therapy and the Traditional Chinese Acupuncture programs. He has 10+ years of experience as an energy healing practitioner, as well as being a life-long lover and learner of holistic health and healing practices. Book in with Mark to benefit your healing journey from the years of knowledge and skill combined in his sessions!...

Ashley

I recently moved to Ottawa and I am very grateful to have this opportunity to grow within my new community. Leaving a blossomed practice as a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) to reconnect with my own healing journey, would land me here in Ottawa just over a year and a half ago, nearer to my family. Although I am no longer actively registered I will be offering all my tools that I have acquired throughout my years as an RMT here, in Holistic Massage, as well as Reflexology, Indie Head Massages and Reiki Energy practice. Whether you need to relax, unwind or work through something therapeutically, I am happy to offer you my accumulated skills and wealth of knowledge to help you achieve your goals....

Eric

Eric's wellness journey began at a young age, when at his first Karate classes he learned about the benefits of meditation and physical exercise. This later led him to explore the practice of Yoga and in 2005 he completed his first Yoga Teacher Training. In 2009, he graduated with distinction from La Cite Collegiale as a Physical and Occupational Therapy Assistant and began to explore how Yoga and Mindfulness might be used in Rehabilitation. He travelled to India and has been classically trained in Rishikesh, the world capital of Yoga, under the tutelage of his present-day Guru. He went on to complete further levels of training, including two 500-hour Yoga Master Programs and received the title of Yoga Acharya, Master of Yoga, M.Y. from the International Sivanada Yoga Vedanta Centre. He has taught and travelled extensively abroad from India to Thailand, the Maldives, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Vancouver and Hong Kong, leading numerous yoga teacher trainings, workshops, and retreats. During his travels he...

Jerene, RMT

Jerene is a registered massage therapist with a wide ranging curiosity for life and health. In addition to her RMT accreditation, she also holds a BA in Anthropology. She is passionate about massage therapy and its benefits especially when coupled with a healthy lifestyle. Jerene loves to be active with various sports such as gymnastics, yoga, boxing, strength training, hiking and cross-country skiing. She is also a follower of MovNat which is a mind–body approach to fitness and life. With a passion for travel she loves to immerse in different cultures around the world. So far that includes traveling to Africa and climbing Kilamanjaro, teaching massage therapy in Australia but her personal favorite was a 10 day silent meditation retreat in the California desert....

Max

Max Strom is a global speaker, trainer, and author known for inspiring and impacting the lives of people from all walks of life, teaching leadership, breathing patterns, emotional healing and personal transformation worldwide for over 27 years. His Breathe to Heal method is focused on alleviating anxiety, PTSD, and sleep disorders. It produces immediate results that are transformational to both the student and the people close to them. Max has given three TEDx Talks, his most recent one named “Breathe to Heal” reaching over 3.5 million views on YouTube and counting. Max presents keynote addresses worldwide and he is the author of "There is No App for Happiness”, addressing the challenge of finding meaning in the digital age, and “A Life Worth Breathing," published in five languages. He is currently working on his third book, and his fourth TEDx Talk will take place in October 2023. Besides in-person events Max also offers many ways to benefit from his teachings online through several in depth video courses, video and...

Saba

Professor Saba Alvi is an award-winning professor and anti-racism educator. Her courses explore issues around anti-racism and anti-oppression pedagogy, marginalized youth and BIPOC youth subcultures. She also serves as an Anti-Racism Consultant for schools with large BIPOC student populations. She completed her PhD in Education at the University of Ottawa. Her doctoral research explored how Muslim youth subcultures perform identity through clothing, such as the hijab. 5+ years of experience in teaching and research at the post-secondary level. Areas of interest include: Anti-racism, Cultural Studies, Youth Subcultures, Society and Schooling, Women/Gender studies, Public Pedagogy and Identity/Subjectivity...

Shannon

Shannon is our 200-Hour Program and 800-Hour Program Training Co-ordinator. With a profound commitment to the practice of yoga, Shannon brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that enriches the training journey for every student who embarks on this transformative path. Shannon's journey as a lifelong learner of yoga has been nothing short of inspiring. Having not only completed two 200-Hour Yoga Trainings, but also having immersed herself in a multitude of specialized courses and advanced trainings, Shannon has cultivated a deep understanding of the holistic principles that underpin the yogic tradition. Her intention is to help each student grow their yogic understanding of their body, mind and spirit, enabling them to learn to be their own teacher. Shannon can be contacted at shannon@pranashanti.com for any program questions. ...

Jason

Originally trained as a family physician, Jason first encountered mindfulness in 2009 as a way to deal with stress more effectively. He is currently undergoing training in mindfulness-based psychotherapy through the US-based Nalanda Institute. In 2021, he took his MBSR teacher training at the Centre for Mindfulness in Toronto. He is also a member of the Ottawa Insight Meditation community....

Nadya

Nadya Pohran grew up in Ottawa and started meditating at a very young age—though she did not know it was called “meditating”, at the time. In 2008 she was introduced to a form of Christian contemplative meditation (St. Ignatius) and in 2010 she travelled to South East Asia to learn more about Buddhism. It was in India, in 2012, when studying Jainism (a religion renown for its emphasis on non-violence) that she began to dive more deeply into spiritual and contemplative practices. Her current spiritual practices draw deeply from a variety of religious traditions, and also spiritual traditions outside of religious institutions, such as a love for thought-provoking poetry and the wisdom of nature. She eventually went on to pursue a PhD in religious studies at the University of Cambridge, during which she was fortunate enough to live in an ashram in India for about a year and speak with others about their spiritual practices. After finishing her PhD project on...