meet your teachers
Joy Morrell
Joy’s warmth & candour encourages students to their personal best.
Seeking the most productive experience for every student, Joy emphasizes a deepened relationship between mind & breath, and the tremendous benefits this brings.
Expect a strong focus on functional anatomy in Joy’s classes, which combine deep stretch, powerful strengthening exercises & focused breath work.
Guiding students to tap into their full potential both on and off the mat, Joy teaches her wildly popular Rebalancing classes four times a week. She puts great ‘technique spin’ into her equally popular ‘Infrared Warm Flow’ classes in Shanti’s Infrared Studio downstairs. And her beloved ‘Firelight Yin’ classes in our breathtaking upstairs studio are not to miss.
Fostering a strong sense of community has been a tremendous delight for Joy, as she shares ‘all that is Shanti Yoga’ over her 20 years as Studio Owner & Director.
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays ‘Rebalancing Yoga’ 10:00am
Mondays & Friday 8:30 am ‘Infrared Warm Flow’
Thursday 7:00 pm ‘Firelight Yin’ in Fall & Winter seasons
Sarah Story
A strong, seasoned Yoga teacher. Students gain stamina & balance students in Sarah’s fitness style Yoga classes, both keys to progressing any Yoga practice. Her technical skill is matched by her lovely personality. Students feel welcomed & encouraged from the moment they arrive, right through class.
Sarah has completed numerous advanced Trainings here at Shanti, after graduating from our esteemed 200 Hour Teachers course 12 years ago.
A veteran instructor with great diversity, Sarah teaches fantastic Power Yoga & Warm Flow, as well as soulful Yin classes. She is also a Training & Workshop lead here at Shanti.
Monday evenings Warm Flow 5:30 - 6:45 pm Infrared Heat
Thursday evenings ‘Power Flow’ 5:30 - 6:45 pm Infrared heat
Monday evening ‘Firelight Yin’ 7:00 - 8:15 pm In our spacious upstairs studio… by candlelight and Firelight...
MARC RAMIS
Originally from England, Marc has spent his career in the Health and Fitness industry. Coupling a strong work ethic with an in depth understanding of exercise for health & performance, Marc is proud of his loyal and continually developing client base, and plays an instrumental role in developing fellow Trainers & helping Coaches improve their practical skills in an extremely competitive field.
Moving to Canada in 2013, Marc began to practice Yoga to gain flexibility & increase mobility. Yoga showed him movement flaws and weaknesses in a way that a traditional gymnasium environment never could. Marc credits Yoga for helping him heal physical injuries & provide comfort and mental clarity, and insists that Yoga has also humbled him many times!
As a person who places a high value on physical strength and aesthetics, Yoga has proven invaluable in his quest to be well-balanced. When not relaxing and enjoying delicious food, Marc appreciates spending time in nature, hiking and paddle-boarding, cross-country skiing and snow shoeing. Marc feels extremely grateful to have found a home in beautiful Nelson, and we’re as happy as he is that he’s here!
Marc is kind and thoughtful, with an outstanding sense of humour. Driven to provide the best possible results for every student in every class, Marc is a great role model, and an exceptional Teacher.
Classes with Marc:
Fridays 5:30 pm coming up in September
AMBER walpole
Amber is wonderful. A kind, lovely person…qualities that translate beautifully into her teaching. Her Flow classes are thorough & elegantly curated. Her soothing voice is grounding & calming and her classes are really special.
Settling in Nelson from London, England Amber is a delightful addition to our spectacular Teaching Staff here at Shanti.
Classes with Amber:
Wednesdays 8:30 am & 5:30 pm ‘Infrared Warm Flow’ *
ali wong
Ali has taught Yoga across Canada, in China, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka and Bali. Describing herself as an ‘effervescent nomad’, Ali is truly a global citizen. Wildly accomplished, she remains humble & kind & devoted to the greatest good.
A graduate of Brown University, where she played competitive collegiate Hockey, Ali teaches Yoga with enthusiasm and superb technical skill. Her sequences are imaginative & exciting, and her knowledge of joint alignment and bio mechanics produces a deeply enriching experience.
Students flow and harmonize with body, mind & breath in the supportive & accessible environment Ali creates with her playful poise and spectacular personality.
We are delighted to have her on staff here at Shanti.
Watch for Ali’s return following her travels
MONIQUE GOTTLIEB
Monique has practiced yoga for 20 years to complement her active lifestyle, build strength, recover from sports injuries, and connect more deeply with herself. She graduated with top Honours from Shanti Yoga’s Teacher Training program, deepening her long-standing love of yoga & her connection to mindful movement.
Her classes are flowing & energetic, emphasizing strength, moving with intention & alignment, and blending presence, playfulness & powerful movement to create an experience both grounding & expansive.
Outside the studio, Monique works with socially minded organizations on brand strategy and graphic design, helping them align with their purpose and connect from the heart. Whether through movement or creative work, she is passionate about helping people reconnect to themselves, their bodies, and their inner spark.
Classes with Monique:
Tuesdays 5:30 pm Warm Flow, beginning in August
Avalon funk
Avalon holds numerous Advanced Degrees from ISSA as a Personal Trainer, degrees in Nutrition for Athletes, and multiple 200 & 500 Hour Yoga Teachers Training Certifications. She has taught Yoga full time for 16 years, logged 30,000 hours teaching classes & 12,000 hours as a Lead Teacher Training Instructor.
An accomplished dancer, Avalon embodies grace, balance & strength. Encouraging an approach to Yoga with enthusiasm & lightness, students discover ease in even the most advanced poses & transitions…and the arrival of effortlessness in the Practice.
Born & raised on the Island of Kauai, Avalon teaches at her beautiful Studio thriveyogakauai.com in Kilauea Town on Kauai’s North Shore.
Traveling to Nelson each year to contribute her skills to our Advanced Training Programs, she treats local students here to her fitness based Yoga Sculpt & Barre Intensives, as well as Vinyasa Master classes.
Watch the website for Avalon’s Graduate Training Module coming up in October 2025:
Graduate Level Group Fitness: HIIT, Sculpt, Mat Pilates, Barre
Sharon Pol
25 years as a Paramedic with BC Emergency Health Services, helping others has always been in front. Continuing her career as a Paramedic, Sharon has added her love of teaching Yoga to the long list of things she does for others.
Sharon has a deep love for family, community and the beauty of the Kootenays. Born and raised in Nelson, and raising her kids here too, Sharon’s a Kootenay girl with a Heart of gold.
Her personal practice is stunning, and the warmth with which she shares Yoga with students is lovely.
With a smile on her face, Sharon’s teaching style is technical & deeply alignment based.
‘New to Yoga’ Mini-Series for Beginners: this great course for beginners runs every Fall
“Ignite the Core’ Workshop Series: co-teaching these progressive, fun Workshops
