Meet your Instructors

Katie has been teaching yoga full time since 1997. She likes to joke she was born certified to teach, as her mother went through yoga teacher training when she was pregnant with her! In 2006 she co-founded De La Sol Yoga Studios and continues to oversee her bustling Hamilton location. Katie has trained over 500 yoga teachers and teaches workshops and hosts retreats abroad. Katie co-facilitates an online personal development course called ‘Exalted Life’. She is also the host of ‘Yoga With Katie’, a 30min instructional yoga show which airs six days a week and is seen by 600,000 viewers. Katie is passionate about speaking at conferences, high schools and recovery centers about her history of drug addiction and ongoing journey towards wellness and wholeness. She is currently working on her first book, a memoir.

Emily Marques began her journey through Yoga at age 17 in 2013 while undergoing the early stages of a longterm battle with mental health and chronic illness. Over the last 11 years of practice, and over 8 years of teaching, she has found immense healing, peace, and patience within herself that she hopes to share with her students.

Her classes range from gentle, all levels, to intermediate. Her diverse teaching practice comes from a committed asana practice that lead Emily through her 200hr teacher training with an emphasis on biomechanics. Emily has completed many workshops and trainings that have helped her become a well-rounded teacher.

With an academic background in psychology, Emily’s passion rests in helping students to heal, feel safer within their bodies, and to learn how to better trust themselves. After working in event planning leading yoga festivals and events around the GTA, and managing De La Sol Yoga alongside her teammates, Emily is confident that she has the leadership qualities necessary to help you succeed and to help your practice on and off the mat! In Emily’s classes you can expect a high emphasis on being encouraged to do what’s right for you, inclusive language, and trauma-informed cuing.

Alexa is a Canadian yoga student and asana (pose) instructor who curiously and skeptically attended her first yoga class in January 2014 in her birth province of PEI. She fell in love with the practice immediately and joined in their 30 day challenge at the time, and never stopped! In time it felt only natural to combine her love of teaching with her love for yoga, and so in 2018, began her Yoga Teacher Training journey. Through various trainings, in Europe and online with Yogabody Teacher’s College, and Canada with Downward Dog Yoga Studios, De La Sol Yoga Studios, Andrea Peloso, and the YMCA, she accumulated over 500hrs of training in Vinyasa, Yoga Trapeze, Chair Yoga, Restorative, Science of Stretching, and more. She began her teaching career in Dublin, Ireland, and brought it back with her to Canada, where she now teaches at De La Sol Yoga Studios in Hamilton, Ontario. Amongst numerous workshops, hundreds of classes, and personal practice, yoga has remained a passion of hers, and a deeply meaningful practice that guides her life both on and off her mat. Alexa's classes have developed to be alignment, foundation and breath focused, influenced by her teachers and trainers over the years, as well as her own curiosity and practice. She loves to give a challenge to every student no matter their experience or level, and often incorporates the use of props in her classes. You can find Alexa online under @yogalexa

Steve found his pathway to Yoga as a bodybuilder and personal trainer who was always feeling tight, sore and looking for “more” out of his physical workouts. Steve tried his first class with Hamilton’s Alex Bovkis and immediately fell in love. Within 3 months he was enrolled in his first 200hr Teacher Training with Heather Greaves.Steve was certified through Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT), a style founded by renowned Yoga therapist, Joseph LePage.

Steve found his way to De La Sol where he immediately fell in love with the fluidity, strength and meditative qualities of the Ashtanga Vinyasa practice. Steve is always learning, and combined with his interests in Human Anatomy, Ayruveda and Buddhist Meditation, he continues to deepen his practice. He offers a challenging, invigorating but very quirky and light hearted class, blending the physical with an emphasis on the mental and spiritual facets of the practice.

As a competitive dancer throughout her childhood and teenage years, Alaina first came to yoga to stay fit and flexible as she came into adulthood. Soon after beginning to practice she realized that there was so much more to yoga than the physical postures. She noticed how she was able to cope with stressful situations and felt more balanced in her everyday life. Alaina loves the physical, mental and spiritual connection that yoga marries. She loves to challenge herself physically while working to maintain a calm breath and calm mind in her practice and loves to bring this to her teaching as well. She graduated from De La Sol 200 YTT program and immediately began teaching. She has also been certified in Prenatal and Children’s Yoga. She is so excited to be able to share her passion for the practice with others.

Becky fell in love with yoga in 2017 when she was looking for something to get her moving during the winter months. Even though she could barely hold a down dog in her first class, she was hooked on the heat, creativity, and release that yoga provided. She quickly learned that yoga is not just exercise; it is an avenue into mindfulness and expression. Becky loves to combine these elements of yoga for her students. 

Becky completed her 200 and 300 hour at De La Sol studios, and she has also studied pranayama and meditation online. 

Becky brings a fierceness to her flow and encourages her students to challenge themselves. She offers inclusive cueing and creates a space where students are safe to ask questions and honour their bodies. She also loves getting to know her students and helping them reach their goals in a fun and meaningful way.

Amber has been teaching yoga since 2018 and is an E-RYT 200, RYT 500. She completed her advanced training with Ron Reid, Marla Meenakshi Joy, and Pat Harada Linfoot at Downward Dog Yoga Centre in Toronto. She considers herself a "forever student" and also has completed additional training in mindfulness meditation, advanced sequencing, and mat pilates. 

Ever since stepping on the mat, Amber has not stopped falling in love with yoga as a way to build mental, emotional, and physical strength. Amber is very thoughtful and intentional in her sequencing. In her classes, students can expect an energizing practice that combines breath and movement, coupled with playful and creative flows that challenge them to explore their potential.   

Stella embraces yoga for more than just its physical benefits.  On and off the mat, it brings calm, balance and compassion to all areas of her life: as a realtor, mother and wife.

Her practice began when she received a prenatal yoga video to help her through a challenging pregnancy. After many years of  personal practice, she embarked on her first yoga teacher training in Bali and have since completed another 200 hr and 300 hr YTT.

Stella is a registered Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 hr yoga teacher and leads both group and private classes in Power Yoga, Deep Flow, Vinyasa, Yin and Ying/Yang classes. She believes yoga and meditation enhances the capacity to heal the body, mind and spirit. Her hope is that students will feel empowered to live their best lives-on and off the mat. You can follow her on IG @bewellbystella.

Stephanie DeBou, now a full time Yoga and Meditation Teacher, is a former Advertising Executive and Entrepreneur of 15+ years. Her own personal Yoga journey spans a much larger time frame over decades and several countries, but it wasn't until 2017 that she finally gave up her corporate high heels, board rooms and ergonomic chairs in favour of bare feet, yoga mats and meditative cushions. Stephanie has received 500 hours of formal training in Yoga and Meditation, and hundreds more as she pursued her studies that led her into additional training. Stephanie is an experienced yoga and meditation teacher who weaves together her varied background, personal healing journey, and knowledge of the physical, subtle and mental bodies in classes, courses and workshops that aim to heal. Her diverse blend of experiences with stillness, movement, and healing modalities all weave together in classes that are thoughtfully crafted, elegantly and compassionately delivered, and profoundly transformative. 

Jodie is a RYT-200, working towards her RYT-500 with Yoga Medicine (slowly but surely)! She has been teaching yoga since 2020, but her practice started long before that. Jodie, who is classically trained in ballet, first stepped into a yoga class in New York City at the notorious dance school “Steps on Broadway”. After class, she remembers feeling as if she discovered a secret room in the house she grew up in. After retiring from dance, Jodie became a commercial pilot. Yoga carried her through her training - helping her maintain physical, mental and spiritual health. One of Jodie’s favourite things to do while on a layover is to find somewhere to take a local yoga class. In Jodie’s yoga classes today, her past as a dancer and present in a high stress career can both been seen. She focuses on powerful flows, stress relief and deep stretching. Expect a challenge, with a side of rest.

Martha has been practicing and teaching yoga since 2000. Martha’s unique teaching style has been influenced and inspired by many Teachers on her yoga journey. Martha received her first 300-hour yoga certification with The American Yoga Academy in the year 2000. In 2001 Martha received her yoga certification from The Yoga and Healing Center in New Jersey with Wendy Grosse, who specialized in Soul Sweat Yoga. In 2003, Martha was certified in Prenatal Yoga with Janice Clarfield at Kripalu Yoga, and in 2008, her Yoga Ed Certification in Ontario.

Martha has been inspired by David Life and Sharon Gannon, the founders of Jivamukti yoga, and has attended several intensive training and summer camps with them. Martha also spent a weeklong intensive with Bikram Choudrey at Kripalu Yoga and is very familiar with the benefits of the sequence of yoga that he has created. Martha has completed her Baron Baptiste Level 1, 2 and 3 certifications, Martha has also completed her Yoga With Weights Certification with Danielle Diamond, the Founder of Xen Strength Yoga.

Martha is a certified Life Coach through Heroic Coaching with Brian Johnson which you will hear nuggets of as you flow throughout her Yoga Classes.

In 2008, Linda went to an Iyengar yoga class with a friend and it changed her life. After years of trying yoga on again off again, Linda finally found a style that she could connect with. Since that day she has continued her yoga journey. Completing her yoga teacher training at Del La Sol, Linda continues to connect with her Iyengar teacher to ensure she keeps her personal growth as a yogi a top priority. Learning along side Katie McClelland through the teacher training program, she was encouraged to teach upon graduation. And since Yoga is truly the only form of exercise that has ever stuck with Linda, she wanted to share that connection with others. Yoga connects mind and body bringing a level of strength and awareness she is so blessed to have found. That was 6 years ago and Linda can not be more excited to be part of the De La Sol team. Being ableto teach what she has learned and still learns is an honour. She would love to help you build your yoga foundation from beginner to experienced. Come and fall in love with your practice.

With a BFA in Dance and a background in competitive and expressive Dance, Aislin’s love of exploring movement is what first led her to yoga over a decade ago. What began as a search for something new quickly turned into a meaningful personal journey and a lifelong practice. Through yoga, Aislin found tools that supported her mental health and emotional wellbeing. Moving through a flow on her mat gave her the strength and an embodied understanding to move through the ebbs and flows of life experiences. She appreciates the dualism in yoga, connecting effort and ease, flow and stillness, as this helps her to find these balances off of her mat and in her daily life.

Aislin completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training with De La Sol and has also completed a 60-hour certification training program in Integrative Somatic Healing with The Embodylab, using movement and breathwork to heal, transform and regulate the nervous system. She has also completed multiple Meditation courses.

Aislin believes there is something in yoga for everyone. She guides her students in creative and empowering ways that explore a combination of traditional yoga poses, breathwork, somatic movement, and elements of expressive movement for a holistic experience. Aislin aims to lead an inclusive yoga practice where students feel supported to listen to their bodies and move towards their personal wellness goals.

Samantha Carpino is a certified, registered and experienced yoga teacher, and Reiki practitioner. She is the director of her own Yoga Alliance recognized yoga school, a continuing education provider, online course creator and virtual yoga studio owner.

Samantha believes that movement is medicine! She invites and empowers you to connect with your inner self and the physical body, inviting the potential for change and transformation from the inside-out, throughout your yoga journey.

Samantha looks forward to meeting you on the mat and sharing her love and passion for yoga, meditation, movement and connection with Self.

Off that mat, Samantha also studies astrology, which is at times weaved into her classes. She is a Certified Astrologer and also holds a certification as an essential oil specialist. She is an avid rock and crystal collector and is in love with her green thumb.

Alexandra's passion for yoga evolved from a love of movement and a desire to share the joy and reward of practice with others. A lifelong athlete with a background in competitive dance and bodybuilding, Alexandra's teaching encourages personal growth and exploration of the authentic self through challenge, but with a playful twist. By crafting powerful, creative sequences alongside intentional music and mindset shifts, Alexandra aspires to provide students with an uplifting, energetic experience that ignites the mind, body, and soul- allowing students to reach for and embrace their full potential on and off the mat. 

On a beach in Costa Rica, Alexandra answered the call to become a yoga instructor. She is a graduate of the De La Sol 200h YTT. She has been teaching since 2022. 

Gorica has been practicing yoga for over 20 years. It has helped her gain a sense of balance through various difficult periods in her life. She finally took a leap of faith in 2019 and started her journey of becoming a Yoga Teacher, completing her traning with De La Sol Yoga Studios. She has since completed various specialized trainings including Yin, Restorative, and Thai Yoga Massage. She teaches Yin Yoga at De La Sol with a focus on fascial release. Gorica is excited to share her love of yoga with others, no matter what brought them to the mat. She is passionate about helping people, and brings a warm presence to her class, welcoming students of all experience levels. She hopes to inspire others to fall in love with yoga the way she did. 

Yoga was something that Sonya dabbled in for many years before entering a Moksha/Modo studio in 2009. “The first time I sweat it out in a Modo class, it was as if every pore had cried and provided me a release; my body let go of what it needed to. Yoga allowed me to simply BE for the first time in a long time…without a label, without playing a role. Stillness, nourishment and connectedness are what keep me coming back to the mat.“

Inspired by the peace and inner nurturing she found within this practice, she felt compelled to pursue a certification so that she could extend this practice out to many others. 

She has since gained over 1000 hours of training in various yoga modalities. She started out her yoga profession with her first teacher training in 2011 with Modo Yoga International and since then has continued to expand her knowledge with various trainings in prenatal, yin, restorative, vinyasa, breathwork and meditation. Her most recent training has certified her as a Yoga Tune Up instructor. She is also a personal development coach, a barre instructor, a level 2 reiki and IET practitioner. 

Sonya has had the opportunity to teach in many different environments from yoga studios to schools to addiction treatment centres and enjoys spreading the benefits of mindful movement throughout as many communities as she can connect with. 

Nancy began studying yoga in 1999 while earning a Bachelor of Science in Physiology from McGill University. She was immediately hooked! After returning home to Ontario she attended the Yoga Centre of Burlington where she discovered Ashtanga yoga with Katie. It was a perfect balance to her study of martial arts in which she holds a second-degree black belt in Shorin Ryu Karate and civilian black belt in Krav Maga. As a long time, martial arts instructor, she developed a sport-specific yoga program and began teaching in 2004.

Soon after De La Sol was opened at the Aberdeen location, with an overwhelming response from the community, Katie found she had to bring on more teachers. Nancy happily began teaching there and went on to complete her 200-hour YTT at De La Sol in 2008. In 2011 Nancy completed the first Yoga Tune Up teacher training held in Canada with Jill Miller. This has reinvigorated her teaching with a physiological approach to the practice and she continues to joyfully share her passion with students.

Heather first started taking yoga classes in 2005 while at University of Guelph where she studied History and Theatre.  Her course load included two years of History of South East Asia and Indian Philosophy which gave a further context to her yoga classes.  After a hiatus in her regular practice she came back to her mat for pain management and to build strength after having her first child.  She started Teacher Training at De La Sol in 2019 (RYT 200) and has been teaching more frequently since 2022.  She has also been mentored by Steve Ferrell and more recently taken his workshops on Meditation and Mudras.  Other workshops she has attended include: Introduction to Sanskrit 1-3, Scientific Research of Yoga and Depression, Prenatal and Pelvic Floor Health.

Heather finds joy in laughter, and brings that to her daily life and practice.  She completed Second City Conservatory, Longform Improv Conservatory and performed on many Alumni Longform teams.  She teaches Yin Yang style classes or you may find her laughing at the front desk. 

Heather is currently enrolled in: 100 Hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training RYPT with Om Yoga Flow, and Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training with Shara Turner.

Selene began practicing yoga during the pandemic, taking classes on YouTube, where her mind wandered and her body could not keep still. She showed up on her mat day after day and quickly realized the power of self-care, and eventually community when she began attending De La Sol. Yoga gave Selene the opportunity to sit with various challenges and inspired her to appreciate all aspects of life. 

As a midwifery student and a 200hr-RYT from Kootenay Yoga School, Selene is passionate about nurturing life's cyclical nature through therapeutic movement and mindfulness practices. 

Her classes are infused with the intention of taking yoga beyond the mat, inspiring authenticity, and developing acceptance with life's ebbs and flows. Selene guides students through classes that connect breath and awareness, honouring their bodies in every phase. Join her on the mat to ground, challenge expectations, and embrace the humbling beauty of the human experience. 

Jenn began her yoga journey in 2009, practicing at a Moksha studio as a means of adding a new and dynamic element to her already active lifestyle. It remained this way for years until she suffered devastating injury and crisis of self which forced her to take stock of her life. Through yoga Jenn discovered not only a means of honouring the body she has been given but also a handbook for mental clarity, reduced anxiety and compassion for others. Jenn obtained her 200hr yoga teaching certificate in May of 2018 and her 50hr restorative teaching certificate in June of 2018 under the tutelage of Yumee Chung, Pat Harada Linfoot and Nicky Poole of Octopus Garden Yoga in Toronto. Jenn believes the lessons learned on the mat are directly applicable to everyday life and strives to make her classes relevant, challenging and above all FUN! She aims to teach a method that is accessible to all ages, levels of fitness and levels of flexibility. She encourages her students to listen to the wisdom of their bodies and to compassionately challenge themselves to reach beyond what they believe they can accomplish. Jenn is also a full time music teacher at Merriam School of Music in Oakville, teaches the up and coming students in the Musical Theatre program at Sheridan College, conducts the Burlington chapter of My Pop Choir and is the music director and owner of My Pop Choir Hamilton. You can find her on the mat on Sunday nights teaching the Restorative class which she needs at least as much as everyone else in that room!

Caitlin started taking yoga classes in November 2022 and was given a challenge to complete 30 classes in 30 days! Caitlin loves to take on a challenge and did just that, and has been hooked ever since. After that deep dive into all sorts of classes and teachers, she also knew very quickly that she wanted to be a teacher herself. 

Yoga became this place that Caitlin could let go, take care of herself, and simply be, just to name a few benefits she discovered, and she wanted to share those feelings and experiences with others. 

Caitlin completed her 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training at De La Sol in November of 2023 and immersed herself in learning as much as she could to be a strong teacher. She began substitute teaching at the studio right after graduating her training, which quickly turned into some of her own classes at the studio! Since then, Caitlin has trained in Yoga Nidra with Taryn Diamond and completed a 40hr Restorative Training with Andrea Peloso. She loves including these types of practices with her flow classes! She continues to grow and learn in yoga and is always seeking out the next thing to learn. She is so grateful for the experiences and learning so far at De La Sol and she cannot wait to see you in her class soon!

Tony Murdock has been practicing meditation and studying yoga philosophy and mysticism since 1972. He has an undergraduate degree in Comparative Religion from York University, with some courses completed at Cal State Fullerton.

Later, he received his Master’s degree from McMaster University in Sanskrit and Hindu Religious History, with a minor in Christian Studies. Tony has been sharing meditation with others since 1998. Since then, he has been facilitating meditation classes and workshops in various parts of Ontario and in Vancouver, BC.

Tony’s personal practice and coursework incorporate a blend of meditations drawn from a variety of religious and spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. He has a unique ability to assist individuals to discover the type of meditation that is best suited to their nature.

Nicole’s yoga journey started back when she was in high school. As a former gymnast, she was always passionate about movement, and after a family member introduced her to her first hot yoga class, she knew she wanted to do more. Nicole continued down this path and started to experiment with different styles of yoga classes, and it quickly grew to be a ritual. She loves the meditative feeling of connecting movement with breath, feeling strong yet flexible, and feeling like she is a part of a community. Her practice has continued to evolve over the past 15 years and now includes both a yogic lifestyle and a love for helping others feel good in both mind and body. Nicole completed my 200hr training with Downward Dog Yoga Studio in Toronto, and her passion for this practice quickly translated to a passion for teaching. To Nicole, yoga is a dance. A form of creative expression that is both mental and physical. She enjoys creative sequencing, connecting movement with breath, and challenging her strength and flexibility in arm balances and inversions.