INSTRUCTORS
David Whitty
Dr. David Whitty has been practising Chiropractic here in downtown Charlottetown for 20 years with a focus on soft tissue therapies to the muscles and fascia along with manually adjusting the spine. He is a graduate of St. F.X.U. with a science degree, the Canadian Chiropractic College in Toronto (Doctor of Chiropractic) and also has Masters of Education and Leadership from UPEI. He is the President of the PEI Chiropractic Association, and one of the Opinion Leaders with the Canadian Chiropractic Guidelines Initiative.David’s yoga journey was as a student in the Iyengar tradition for 10 years, spending time in studios in PEI, Toronto, New York and Boston. After reconstructive knee surgery he used the movement of Hatha along with the precision of Iyengar as part of his rehab. David became a Certified as Yoga Instructor through the Maritime Yoga College, and has continued with training in Hands on Assists and Yin Yoga.David’s Yoga class offerings include Hatha, Yoga for Back Pain and Beginner Yoga. He brings his knowledge of anatomy as a chiropractor to his teaching on the mat, focusing on joint alignment and activating the musculature to protect the joints while improving range of motion, strength and body awareness.David brought CrossFit to PEI, opening CrossFit PEI in 2008. He has more than 3000 hrs of CrossFit coaching experience, and is one of the only Level 4 CrossFit Coaches in Canada. He coaches competitive Weightlifting to athletes from teen years to adults.
Erika Killam
Erika's interest in yoga and meditation began at an early age when she used to make her friends sit and meditate while listening to the sounds of Enigma!
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Her formal studies began in 2004 with Alan Finger and the 200hr ISHTA Yoga Teacher Training program in New York. Upon completion of this program she began teaching regularly for Elements Yoga and Wellness Centre in Darien, CT. Erika managed the studio during her 5 years with the Elements Yoga family and had the amazing opportunity to deepen her yoga studies. She completed 308hrs with Ross Rayburn and Bernadette Birney in Anusara Yoga.
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In 2009 Erika arrived on Prince Edward Island where she assisted Dynamic Fitness in launching their Hot Yoga division. She was invited on as Lead Trainer with Maritime Yoga College and has been instructing aspiring yoga instructors since 2013. In 2018, for the first time, Erika ventured out on her own to develop 3eYoga: Engage, Enliven, Empower. Through this independent yoga venture she has been able to share her teachings throughout various studios across the island.
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Her mission as a yoga instructor is to inspire new "a-ha" moments for the seasoned practitioner and crush any misconceptions a new yoga student might have about yoga being "boring"!
Kate Forget
Kate was born and raised in Southern Ontario. During her youth, she figure skated competitively for many years. After moving to Northern Ontario she came back to figure skating as a Coach for 3 years. During this time, yoga was becoming increasingly important to maintain both her physical health and well being.
Her and her husband's new life journey brought them to The Gentle Island in 2017. Kate soon started Yoga Teacher Training with the Maritime Yoga College and graduated in May of 2018. Since then, she's worked at Now n Zen Yoga Studio as well as volunteering at the Vernon River Consolidated School. She looks forward to seeing you at the Charlottetown Yoga Space!
Charlie Kennedy
Charlie took up yoga nearly 10 years ago. He had recently released from the military with several chronic physical injuries and mental health issues that were causing him a bit of a struggle. Charlie found yoga accessible, strengthening and relaxing. Over time he noticed a marked improvement in his physical capabilities as well as a development of inner peace and a quieting mind.
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In 2020 Charlie enrolled into the Maritime Yoga College Teacher Training program. His initial intention was to deepen his practice and learn more of the many aspects of yoga. During the training Charlie found that he had a knack for teaching the material and enjoyed sharing peace, quiet and accessibility with others.
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Charlie will guide you through basic yoga sequences with emphasis on alignment and accessibility. Through movement with breath, he encourages effort while maintaining a sense of ease.
Ouma Cuniah
​Ouma is a RYT 200 Certified yoga teacher with the Maritime Yoga Teacher College. She was brought up under Hindu traditions and has been formally studying Hindu philosophy over the past few years. She obtained training as a Buddhist meditation facilitator under Lama Catherine Rathbun at Friends of the Hearts in Toronto. She is currently focusing her studies on Sanskrit and the Yoga Sutras.
Gabrielle Roddy
Gabrielle’s primary focus as a teacher and personal trainer is to keep everyone moving well throughout their lifespan. She has taught in Montreal and Toronto over the last thirty years and her great joy is working with people to restore lost mobility and helping people
maintain and optimize their strength and range of motion. She uses a dynamic multidisciplinary approach in all her classes to motivate participants of all ages, fitness levels, body shapes and sizes. Gabrielle completed 750 hours of yoga training with Naada Yoga Montreal and Yogafit Canada and many hours with her mom in the 70’s in front of
the TV! She also holds a doctorate from the Department of Kinesiology, University of Montreal, in the Science of Physical Activity. She completed certifications as an Exercise Physiologist from the Health and Fitness Federation of Canada and as a Fitness Instructor
from the YMCA. Helping people move is her passion!
Deirdre Kessler
Deirdre Kessler studied Iyengar yoga from 2006 to 2016 with Pam Stewart in Charlottetown. In 2016-2017 she completed yoga teacher certification with Ruth Richman; also in 2017, she completed a 45-hour yin yoga teacher certification with Samantha Sambrooke of the Maritime Yoga College. Deirdre (pronounced DARE-dree) has worked with a number of Iyengar teachers, including Jawahar Banjera, Carol Faulkner, Lisa Lelliott, and by Zoom from India with Abhijata Iyengar and Rajiv and Swati Chanchani. Currently Deirdre studies Iyengar yoga with Charles Sanderson at Yoga Grove in Warren Grove.
Michael Phillips
Yoga was Michael’s introduction into the world of movement in 2009.
They have since taken a 500 hour yoga teacher training at Naada yoga in Montrèal. Yoga has consistently been the foundation of his movement practice as a way to ground and continually learn about his body and himself. Their love of dance began on the dance floors of underground, house and queer parties in Halifax in the 2010s. He found it to be a celebration of expression, freedom and joy. More recently he spent 3 months living in Tel Aviv researching the gaga movement language and a year exploring the movement and dance scene in Vancouver, where he immersed himself in contact improvisation. They are excited to have returned to Prince Edward Island, share their practice and to continue learning with you at Charlottetown Yoga Space.
Cindy Gallant
Cindy Gallant (she/her) is a certified trauma-informed yoga, meditation, and breathwork instructor and founder of Luna Yoga PEI. With experience teaching diverse yoga styles and self-care practices worldwide, she blends her education in life sciences with her ongoing studies of various healing modalities to create unique and meaningful experiences on and off the mat. She is passionate about providing inclusive and supportive environments for individuals to deepen their connection to themselves, and is committed to promoting holistic wellness in all areas of life, recognizing that well-being involves a balance of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual factors. Drawing on the wisdom of mindfulness and a deep appreciation for the natural world, Cindy emphasizes the transformative power of nature and community through her most recent project, Outside on PEI. This collection of fun and informative outdoor activities brings people together through shared experiences and exploration. With her heartfelt approach to yoga and, rooted in reverence for its origins, she empowers others to move through life with presence and self-compassion.