Our Faculty

Meet our faculty at Trinity Yoga

 Mary-Jo Fetterly.

Yoga Therapist, yoga teacher, yoga pioneer, mother, entrepeneur and devoted student of the tradition of Yoga.

Mary-Jo began her formal training in Iyengar yoga in the mid 80’s, while raising children and studying psychology. In 1995, she received a  “Body Centered Therapy”certificate in massage and Somatic based bodywork. She went on to train with Dr. Carolyn Myss who is now one of the leading educators in the field of energy anatomy and intuitive medicine; then David Swenson, Tim Millar & Ana Forest in the early rise of Ashtanga or hot yoga. Subsequently, she opened “Shanti Yoga Works”, the first yoga studio to be established in Nelson, BC. During the first operational years of the Shanti Yoga studio, Mary-Jo developed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program, and formed the company “Trinity Yoga”, which has trained hundreds of teachers since its inception. 

On January 25 2004, Mary-Jo had a skiing accident that crushed her C4, C5 and C6 vertebrae and left her paralyzed from the neck down. She was diagnosed with Quadriplegia-complete, a “worst case diagnosis” predicted by doctors. Her journey back to health and coping with her current situation – defied odds, is a miraculous recovery due to hard work, faith, knowledge, insight, determination, and strong willed optimism. Mary-Jo has continued her studies in Somatic Psychotherapy, Yoga therapy and advanced teacher training.  She has been a long time student of Yogarupa Rod Stryker the esteemed North American Tantra master, with whom she is currently working on her master teacher training with.

The devastation, difficulties and challenges of the spinal cord injury haven’t held her back as Mary-Jo continues to mother, teach and inspire others to engage in their own personal journeys of healing and transformation.

Jane Bigmore

Jane has being working in the discipline of nursing and healthcare for 10 years in different roles and facilities throught the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, BC, including her own business – Hospital Helpers.

As on who has been assisting persons with all abilities, she recently has taken her love of healing and exercise to the people who need it the most – people whose recovery from ailments and operations range from complete paralysis to post-op.

She has been assisting persons at ICORD under the direction of Mary-Jo and Trinity Health.

Brenda Cartier

I started my journey with yoga 19 years ago after the birth of my second child. It became my passion. I credit yoga with helping me balance my life and my health as well ad giving me a better understanding of how the body works and heals on all levels.

After practicing different styles of yoga for 9 years, I took a year long course called Inner Scape, with Lynn Walker a psyche and yoga teacher from Calgary. After I finished I realized I wanted to share my passion and become a yoga teacher. I attended  Trinity Yoga teachers’ training with Mary Jo Fetterly. But my influences are wide and vast as I have studied under Master teachers throughout the US, Canada and Asia giving me over 400 hours of additional training.

After all of my work and studying I realized it was the area of Yoga Therapy that won my heart  and healed my body more then anything I had worked with before. I thoroughly enjoy passing this knowledge on to my students in my studio in Cranbrook in what I feel is a caring and thoughtful manner. I endeavor to give each of them special attention and adaptations for their individual needs as well as gently challenging them but never moving them beyond what their bodies can accomplish.

I love to learn and continue educating myself on all levels. I recently worked with Carolynn Myss in a workshop on how to heal. Although my students have told me that they miss me while I’m away, they know that I will always try to bring back something wonderful to share.

I have had several serious car accidents and surgeries; which have given me experience with my own body movements, dealing with trauma and emotions, I  empathy towards those living and dealing with pain on all levels. In some ways I am grateful for these injuries, (lessons) as I feel it makes me a more effective and compassionate teacher who understands what her students are going through. But my real learning comes through the eyes and bodies of my students with whom I have developed a relationship of friendship and healing together.

As owner and primary facilitator of Exhale Yoga Studio, a Yoga Alliance and Canadian Alliance studio, I teach up to 9 classes a week and lead retreats and workshops. I also give private and corporate group lessons.

Keshia Clancy

Keshia’s passion for learning about health, spirituality, and the human body began at an early age. She studied the eastern sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda, which enabled her to incorporate their understanding of the body and nutrition into her daily life and practice.

Her asana yoga practice took the form of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system taught by Pattabhi Jois. Keshia’s dedication to this practice took her to India to study with senior teachers and to further understand the context from which these practices were stemming. In India she began to learn more about Ayruveda, which is known as the sister science to Yoga and the medical system of India. Ayurveda helped her to fill in her understanding of the yogic lifestyle and way of thinking about the body, health and dis-harmony. She graduated from Utopia Academy in Vancouver, BC where she found an avenue that allowed her to use both her eastern experiences and a western approach to health and the body to aid others in their paths to wellness.

Keshia approaches her work holistically, and believes in people’s capacity to take responsibility for their personal health, happiness, and success. She knows that complete wellness is based in working with the whole individual rather than a single symptom. Health and recovery begins with proper knowledge as well the ability to listen and respond to one’s own needs.

Sophie Dufresne

It was love at first stretch.

The very first time I held trikonasana something special happened. It was me, my hamstrings, my breath, my gaze – both inward and outward – and I felt completely at home in my body, possibly for the first time in my life. I knew that Yoga & I were meant to be together forever. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to practice Yoga with many amazing teachers. The variety & exposure to different sources have informed me and lead me to refine my practice & my offerings as a teacher, leaning towards a smart alignment based practice, infused with wisdom & philosophy.

I started teaching Yoga in June of 2006, after starting my Teacher Training with Trinity Yoga. I completed my training in December of that same year and have been teaching full-time ever since. I’m an eager learner and find joy in my ongoing study of Yoga. I have studied and taught prenatal & postnatal yoga, Yoga4Kids, Yoga Thrive (Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer Survivors), the science & application of Ayurveda in every day living; and am currently studying Adaptive & Restorative Yoga Therapy.

I am continually amazed at the myriad ways Yoga can be used and adapted to accommodate our needs over the course of a life-time: as we change, so does the practice. I am so grateful for the vastness of knowledge & wisdom at my disposal. I’m never bored – always seeking, learning and sharing Yoga from the heart.

Mariah Moser

As a somatic trauma therapist in private practice, Mariah has years of expertise in the  psychophysiology of trauma and trauma resolution. Mariah feels passionate about developing and facilitating classes that explore the Yoga of embodiment and playfulness to build resilience in the face of adversity.

For more information, please visit her website at www.openinggrace.com.

Danielle Schroeder

Danielle works as both a registered clinical counsellor and yoga teacher. 

In her counselling work, Danielle has worked extensively in the areas of cancer care, palliative care, and grief and loss. At present, she works with Callanish Society in Vancouver (www.callanish.org) which is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the emotional and spiritual health of individuals and families affected by cancer through weeklong retreats and ongoing support programs. She also has a part-time private practice in North Vancouver. Danielle incorporates a holistic, integrated approach to counselling and psychotherapy which can include talking therapy, body-centered practices, as well as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).

Danielle has also been practicing yoga since 1999 and started teaching in 2005 (after completing her 200hr teaching training program with Mary-Jo Fetterley at Trinity Yoga). Although she initially focused her teaching on public Hatha style classes, she gradually specialized her teaching into her work with people living with cancer.

Over the years she has seen the benefits that yoga can provide for people living with so much uncertainty in their lives. The practice can become an outlet that helps people face all aspects of themselves (body, heart, and mind) moment to moment, exactly as they are, with more honesty, clarity, and compassion.

Danielle feels privileged to be involved with the Art of Yoga Teacher Training program.