South Okanagan Yoga Academy (SOYA)

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South Okanagan Yoga Academy (SOYA)

SOYA offers 200hr and 300hr yoga teacher trainings rooted in yoga's rich philosophical wisdom. We connect yogis together through hosting workshops, retreats.

The South Okanagan Yoga Academy's (SOYA) Yoga Teacher Training Program began in 1995 and is a Registered Yoga School with Yoga Alliance. yoga classes, our Teachers Directory, a monthly E-newsletter and especially through our amazingly fun Annual Yoga Retreat held in Sorrento BC!

25/09/2026

Living in the present moment doesn’t always mean feeling calm, peaceful, or perfectly focused.

Sometimes presence is simply noticing where you are, how you feel, and what is happening right now with a little more compassion.

It may look like taking one conscious breath before speaking. Feeling your feet on the ground. Listening fully to someone you love. Savouring a warm cup of tea. Stepping outside and noticing the sky. Letting yourself pause instead of rushing into the next thing.

Presence is an art because it asks us to return again and again.

Not with judgment, not with pressure, but with awareness, patience, and kindness.

Each moment offers a doorway back to yourself.

22/09/2026

So much of modern life teaches us to push through.
Pain-aware yoga offers another way.

It invites the body into a relationship rather than control. It makes space for sensation, feedback, boundaries, and choice and most of all, it reminds students that their experience matters.

When the body feels heard, the practice becomes less about performance and more about presence.

For more inspiration on yoga for pain care, visit our website, read the blog, or follow along on YouTube.

15/09/2026

Pain in yoga is not a character flaw, a weakness, or a sign that someone is “doing it wrong.”

Pain is information; it’s your body relaying information.

As functional yoga teachers, our role is not to force every body into a pose. Our role is to observe, listen, offer options, and help students build a more compassionate relationship with their own bodies.

Pain-aware teaching means using language that supports autonomy, respecting nervous system sensitivity, and knowing when something may be outside our scope of practice.

This month, SOYA is focusing on Pain Awareness - including injury prevention, nerve impingement, yoga for pain relief, and compassionate teaching tools.

If you’re ready to deepen your understanding, join the Pain Care Aware – Guided Foundations Course.

https://us.list-manage.com/4pBU7M9i5Gq?e=45ff0cd7b0&c2id=d933f54e189de5035313fd736696a16d

Regular price: $895. Special SOYA rate: $595.

Register today and strengthen your confidence as a pain-aware yoga teacher.

15/09/2026

Pain in yoga is not a character flaw, a weakness, or a sign that someone is “doing it wrong.”

Pain is information; it’s your body relaying information.

As functional yoga teachers, our role is not to force every body into a pose. Our role is to observe, listen, offer options, and help students build a more compassionate relationship with their own bodies.

Pain-aware teaching means using language that supports autonomy, respecting nervous system sensitivity, and knowing when something may be outside our scope of practice.

This month, SOYA is focusing on Pain Awareness - including injury prevention, nerve impingement, yoga for pain relief, and compassionate teaching tools.

If you’re ready to deepen your understanding, join the Pain Care Aware – Guided Foundations Course.

Regular price: $895. Special SOYA rate: $595.

Register today and strengthen your confidence as a pain-aware yoga teacher.

15/09/2026

Join Us for Tea & Chat: Pain Awareness & Compassionate Teaching - https://mailchi.mp/1262e4abbfac/soyas-upcoming-events-and-a-note-of-gratitude-14071019

14/09/2026

What does it mean to teach yoga with care when pain is present?

In this month’s SOYA Tea & Chat, we’ll open a conversation around Trauma‑Aware & Compassionate Teaching, focusing on pain awareness, injury sensitivity, scope of practice, and language that empowers students.

This is for teachers, trainees, and yoga students who care about creating practice spaces rooted in safety, clarity, autonomy, and compassion.

We’ll also share details about the Pain Care Aware – Foundations Course, including live weekly office hours, online modules, replays, and continuing education options.

September 15th, 4 PM PST
Bring your tea, your questions, and your presence.

Register today to save your spot. Link in bio!

13/09/2026

Pain changes how we practice. Compassion changes how we teach.

Join us for our next SOYA Tea & Chat: Trauma‑Aware & Compassionate Teaching in SOYA, where we’ll explore Pain Awareness & Compassionate Teaching.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84032664406?pwd=qsKRhOcld3nN8dGWDCdbjjKRTEfdkj.1

Together, we’ll discuss how trainees learn to work with pain and injury, support student autonomy, recognize red flags, understand scope of practice, and teach with greater clarity and care.

We’ll also introduce the Pain Care Aware – Foundations Course, with online modules, weekly live sessions with Neil and Lisa, replays, and guided support from November 5–December 10.

Join us: September 15th, 4 PM PST Online

Register now and join the conversation. Link in comments too!

02/09/2026

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐌𝐮𝐠𝐬!
SOYA is delighted to celebrate 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧 “𝐌𝐮𝐠𝐬” 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥, who has been chosen as a keynote speaker for the 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚’𝐬 𝟓𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 Workshop Series.

This is a beautiful honour, and one so deeply deserved.

The Yoga Association of Alberta is a highly respected nonprofit and registered charity that has been supporting and sharing yoga across Alberta for 50 years. To be invited to contribute to this milestone celebration is something truly special.

On 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐒𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟏𝟎:𝟎𝟎–𝟏𝟏:𝟑𝟎 𝐀𝐌, Mugs will lead a free online session:

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚, 𝐒𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐠𝐚
An exploration into the use of mantra to guide us into meditation.

During this workshop, Mugs will share mantras from her book, Letters from the Yoga Masters, explore the Mahavakyas, and guide participants into the sacred practice of mantra as a pathway toward meditation, clarity, and inner stillness.

The best part? You don’t need to be from Alberta or even be a yoga teacher to get a YAA membership. The class is free for members, and your first year of membership is also free and comes with lots of great perks.

Mugs, we are so proud of you and grateful for the wisdom, devotion, and lineage you continue to share with the yoga community.

Please join us in congratulating Mugs in the comments.

Register through the Yoga Association of Alberta.

31/08/2026

Alignment is not about forcing the body into a perfect shape. It’s about learning to see clearly, listen deeply, and support the body with care.
When we understand anatomy through observation, adaptability, and experience, our teaching becomes less about correction and more about relationship.

We begin to ask:
Where is there stability? Where is there strain? Where does this body need support? Where can breath create more ease?

Every body is different, every practice is different and sustainable alignment honours that.

These 7 habits are reminders for teachers and practitioners alike: study the body, respect its structure, build strength alongside mobility, and keep refining through experience.

When alignment is rooted in care, yoga becomes a practice for longevity, not performance.

Which habit feels most important in your practice or teaching right now?

30/08/2026

Yoga is a journey, and each style offers a unique path to balance, strength, and inner peace.

Whether you're seeking flexibility, discipline, relaxation, or spiritual growth, there's a yoga practice that aligns with your needs. Explore the possibilities, connect with your body and breath, and discover the style that resonates with your soul.

Which type of yoga calls to you? Share your favourite in the comments!

Address

36 Kendall Crescent
AB
T4P3S5

Telephone

+14037104294

Website

https://soyayoga.com/

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