Mindful Moments: Meditation & Yoga

Jordan is a graduate of the MA in Creative Writing program at U of T, and a current student at OISE's MEd in Counselling and Psychotherapy. Their passion resides at the intersection of arts and wellness. They have hosted creative writing and mindfulness workshops for Student Life over the past two years, creating sessions that unite the benefits of artistic self-reflection and traditional meditation.

Lauren is the Meditation, Mindfulness & Yoga Program Coordinator for Student Life and is pursuing a PhD in Curriculum & Pedagogy at OISE, where she is studying student wellbeing in higher education. She was introduced to mindfulness to manage performance anxiety as a teen athlete and has practised yoga for over 20 years. Lauren has taught yoga and mindfulness in healthcare, public schools, with elite athletes, executives and in higher education. She holds a B.Ed. & M.Ed. in Adult Education, is an Applied Mindfulness Meditation Certificate program graduate and is a registered yoga instructor.

Lisa is a yoga instructor, mindfulness educator and sacred activist. She is currently pursuing her Master’s of Social Work at U of T. During her undergraduate degree, while living abroad in the Netherlands, Lisa was introduced to the art of yoga and meditation. For Lisa, the practice felt like an invitation to come home to the body and she has since spent her years practicing, absorbing and sharing yoga, meditation and mindfulness practices. Lisa is thankful to call Toronto her home and deeply enjoys feeling a connection to nature through running, walking and playing outside.

Lynn Nguyen is a Master of Social Work candidate and an aspiring therapist. She has received mindfulness training in university and therapeutic settings, and completed the MindFIT Student Facilitator program at U of T. Lynn's classes are beginner friendly, adaptable and involve practices such as relaxation, breathing, and seated or lying down mindfulness meditations. She hopes to learn with and from those joining mindful moments to integrate mindfulness practices and principles and foster awareness and compassion in daily life.

Melissa is an experienced yoga teacher & therapist and Buteyko Breathing Educator. She has completed Foundations of Applied Mindfulness Meditation at U of T’s School of Continuing Studies. She encourages you to personalize yoga and meditation and bring their teachings into daily life. Melissa's classes involve a reflection topic/intention, gentle yoga practice, relaxation, breathing practice and seated/lying down mindfulness meditation. All of her classes are beginner friendly with modifications available.

Niamh is a PhD student in the Department of Forestry. She has been practicing yoga and mindfulness for over 10 years and is passionate about incorporating nature into her practice and facilitation. Niamh has trained in the Vipassana technique and is a certified yoga teacher. She hopes to provide an inclusive space to engage with the practice of mindfulness and to be together in community. All are welcome to join at any point in her sessions. Time for discussion and questions will be accommodated.

Ravi completed his BSc at the University of Toronto (2009) and his PhD at Stanford University (2014). His research is in affective neuroscience with a current focus on questions relating to self-perception, emotion and psychological well-being. At UTSC, he teaches Introduction to Social Psychology, the Psychology of Happiness and Meaning and seminars in Current Topics in Neuroscience.

Savannah works at the Mastercard Foundation as an information management analyst where she supports colleagues in Canada and Africa with their work on youth employment for Indigenous women in Canada and young people in Africa. Prior to the Foundation, she worked at the Ministry of the Attorney General where she supported counsels and law students with legal research. Savannah was introduced to mindfulness from Search Inside Yourself, an evidence-based mindfulness and leadership program developed at Google. She speaks Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and is picking up French.

Smriti is a grad student in UX Design at U of T’s School of Information. She is passionate about health and wellness and hopes to create design technology to support it. She is a 500-hour certified Hatha yoga instructor and completed her training in Bangalore/Mysore, India. Yoga has always been part of her upbringing, but practicing as an adult allowed her to connect with herself and her culture, manage her physical and mental health, and develop more gratitude and compassion.

Dr. Banerjee is a family doctor who has been meditating for many years. She has focused on mindfulness in healthcare for the last several years due to the growing research on its potential impact on stress management, mental health, pain and many other conditions. Her sessions are a great way to practice as a community whether you are a beginner or a seasoned meditator. Each session involves a short introduction, meditation and a short follow-up discussion.