by Eman Bare
Yoga has become increasingly popular in Canada in recent years. This year alone, Regina has added two new yoga studios.
For yoga practitioner Emily Lewis, these are exciting times.
“We are increasingly getting more teachers from out of province and even out of the country. I feel like the yoga community is really close and strong. It’s definitely growing and it can go a long way,” she said.
This past summer, Lewis was one of the thousands of yogis that attended Wanderlust Festival in Whistler, B.C-a yoga music festival that attracts big name yogis and musicians such as, Eoin Finn, the founder of Blissology Yoga.
Yoga and retreats like Wanderlust often come with a hefty price tag that is too costly for some. Lori Lee, director of Regina’s Yoga Haven, is trying to combat this by offering workshops at her studio.
On October 21, Yoga Haven held a workshop that brought Eoin Finn to Saskatchewan and introduced a new style of yoga to many practitioners.
“What I love about Eoin Finn is that he is just so fun. I really wanted that accessibility for people, rather than for people to travel to go see him,” Lee said.
Students who attended the workshop were asked to pay $65, a price that that was well worth it, according to Lewis.
“He is an amazing teacher and I think Regina needs those renowned teachers here. People who are working full-time or students don’t necessarily have the means to go to Wanderlust because it’s expensive and a time commitment”.
The workshop was highly anticipated and well attended; all spots were filled and there was also a waiting list.
Brenna Donnelly a local yoga teacher, has practiced with Finn at both Wanderlust and Yoga Haven, and preferred the Regina experience.
She said, “I went to Eoin’s workshop last year at Wanderlust and there were about 150 people there. I have to say, I actually enjoyed the workshop at Yoga Haven much more, with about 40 people. We were able to establish that sense of community a lot better with that space.”
As yoga continues to grow in Regina, Lee hopes it will be accessible to more people. In addition to offering inexpensive workshops to students, Yoga Haven also offers Karma classes that are free, with a voluntary monthly donation.
