Yoga Association of Alberta

What began with a simple question on the radio became part of Alberta’s yoga history.

When Dr. Mohan Singh arrived at the University of Alberta in 1966, yoga was not yet part of the university landscape. Then, during Canada’s Centennial year, a radio reporter asked: “What is your Centennial project?”

Dr. Singh found himself asking: “Why not do yoga here at the university like you did in India?”

That idea would eventually lead to university yoga courses, research into the physiological effects of yoga, the work of Hubert Dhanaraj, and ultimately the formation of the Yoga Association of Alberta.

In this Pioneer Interview, Dr. Singh reflects on the many unexpected ways yoga found its way into his life and career — from India and the United States to the University of Alberta, from research and teaching to the early days of the YAA.

He also shares a perspective that has remained remarkably simple after more than half a century of practice:

“All you need is your body and your determination and your willingness.”

As we celebrate 50 years of the Yoga Association of Alberta, we’re grateful to hear directly from those who helped plant the seeds of yoga in this province.

🎙️ YAA Pioneer Interview #4 — Dr. Mohan Singh

🔗 Read/listen to the full interview and explore more of the YAA’s 50-year history: https://yoga.ca/pioneers/

How did yoga take root in Alberta? 🧘‍♀️

In the late 1960s, yoga was still relatively unfamiliar in Alberta. A small group of teachers and practitioners began sharing what they had learned, travelling between Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer despite long distances and winter roads.

Their efforts helped lay the groundwork for the Yoga Association of Alberta, established in 1976.

In “How Yoga Caught on in Square Alberta,” Marcia Langenberg looks back at those early years — from the pioneers who introduced yoga to Alberta, to university research, teacher training, and the many traditions that helped shape the province’s growing yoga community.

Originally published in Alberta Views in 2002, the article has been republished in the YAA’s 50th Anniversary edition of Yoga Bridge as we look back on five decades of yoga in Alberta.

Read the full article in the 50th Anniversary issue of Yoga Bridge:
🔗 https://yoga.ca/yoga-bridge/

Core Curriculum is back! 🧘‍♀️

After the summer break, YAA’s 2026 Core Curriculum Classes resume this September.

Join Teddy Hyndman on September 26 for Shoulder & Arm Focus — an opportunity to deepen your practice, refine your understanding, and continue developing your teaching skills.

📅 Saturday, September 26, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM–4:00 PM
📍 Percy Page Centre, Edmonton OR livestream via Zoom

These classes count toward all YAA Training Programs, and you can choose to attend in person or online.

Registration is open — register early as classes may fill up.

🔗 Learn more & register: https://yoga.ca/event/2026-core-curriculum-classes-teaching-skills-workshops-12/2026-09-26/

📣 YAA Outreach Yoga Teachers Needed Across Alberta!

We’re looking for YAA Certified Teachers to offer grant-funded outreach classes with multicultural, Indigenous, women-serving, newcomer, and other community organizations across Alberta.

Classes are beginner-friendly and trauma-informed, focusing on gentle movement, breathwork, and relaxation. Some opportunities require chair yoga experience.

These classes are part of YAA’s Community Connections and Community Well-Being Yoga Tours, bringing accessible yoga directly into trusted community spaces and reducing financial, social, cultural, and transportation barriers to participation.

🧘 Requirements: YAA Certification + $2M liability insurance 🌱 Priority to BIPOC teachers and those with trauma-informed training💰 Rate: $60/class + $10 travel allowance

Interested? See the job posting at yoga.ca/jobs. Email [email protected] with your qualifications, availability, and areas you’re willing to travel.

Know a non-profit group that could benefit from a free “Try It” yoga class? We’d love an introduction!

Find out more at yoga.ca/outreach

What stays with us after a retreat? Sometimes, it’s a new way of seeing ourselves.

For Lynnda Sharp, one of the most meaningful takeaways from the Tranquillity and Insight in Each Breath retreat was the reminder that “I am not my thoughts.” Through Kavindu’s teachings, she explored the possibility of witnessing thoughts without being defined by them — and finding greater awareness, calm, joy, ease, steadiness and freedom.

Reflecting on the retreat, Lynnda shared:

“I can empathize with someone else's experience, but I will never know what they are going through. It is my ego that wants to say, ‘Yes, I know!’”

She also described Kavindu as a down-to-earth teacher who makes meditation accessible and experiential, while Anita’s work helped participants release tension and renew strength in preparation for sitting practice — a pairing she called “loving energy.”

And perhaps her final reflection says it best:

“What you tell yourself is powerful… What the YAA tells others is powerful.”

Thank you, Lynnda, for sharing your experience with us. 🌿

“You might have 20 people in front of you, but you’ve got 20 different yogas.”

For more than 50 years, Mary LeBlanc has taught yoga, trained teachers, and contributed to the growth of yoga in Alberta.

A founding member of YAA and one of the teachers recognized by the association in its early years, Mary’s journey began in Edmonton in the early 1970s. From studying with Friedel Khattab to completing advanced teacher training through the British Wheel of Yoga, her teaching has been shaped by a deep commitment to meeting students where they are.

For Mary, teaching yoga means being ready for the person who walks through the door — adapting movement, understanding individual needs, and helping each student find their own way into the practice.

In this YAA Pioneer Interview, Mary reflects on the early days of yoga in Alberta, the formation of YAA, her experiences training teachers, and how yoga has evolved over more than five decades.

We’re grateful to Mary for sharing her stories and helping us remember the people and experiences that shaped Alberta’s yoga community.

Yoga on the Field 🧘‍♀️🏈

Join the Edmonton Elks and YogaLife Studios for a special community yoga event at Commonwealth Stadium on Friday, September 11!

Taking place outdoors on Play Alberta Field, this all-ages, all-abilities yoga session is a chance to move, breathe, connect, and enjoy yoga in a unique setting. A social gathering will follow the session.

Best of all, net proceeds will support the Edmonton Elks Endowment Fund for Ovarian Cancer Research. 💜

For Owen Brown, an Edmonton Elks Account Executive, the event is personal:

“My mother has practiced yoga for as long as I can remember, so it was always around growing up. It really became meaningful to me at 18, when I was going through a tough stretch with panic attacks. Yoga was the one thing that helped me get through it, especially the breathing techniques, which had a real impact on how I manage things day to day.”

Owen hopes this event can become an annual tradition that brings more people into the stadium to experience some of the benefits that yoga has brought to his own life.

YAA is happy to share this opportunity with our community. Come join us on the field!

📅 Friday, September 11
📍 Commonwealth Stadium – Play Alberta Field
🎟️ $15 yoga only | $35 yoga + game ticket

Register at https://www.gofevo.com/event/2026YogaEE

Iris Kumpula — Member Musing

What makes an association valuable over time?

After many years as a member, Dr. Iris Kumpula reflects on what has made YAA valuable to her — and on the ways connection, learning, and community have enriched her experience of yoga.

As we celebrate 50 years of the Yoga Association of Alberta, we’re grateful to hear from members who have helped shape, support, and sustain our yoga community over the years.

What has YAA meant to you?

Still enjoying the last stretch of summer? Your feet might be ready for a little more space. ☀️

Yoga Sandals® are designed with toe separators that help spread the toes while supporting the feet — encouraging mobility, balance and alignment from the ground up. They help strengthen the feet and arches, improve foot mobility and flexibility, and support circulation.

And they’re not just for summer. Wear them around the house, while running errands, or as a comfortable companion for your yoga practice. The unique design helps keep the sandals securely in place while giving your toes room to move.

YAA carries Yoga Sandals® Originals in black, available in sizes S, M, L and XL.

Find your pair online at yoga.ca or visit the YAA office to learn more.

Thinking about becoming a yoga teacher? Start here.

The YAA 200-Hour Teacher Training Program is a flexible, mentorship-based pathway designed to support you as you build your knowledge, practice and teaching skills.

The Core Curriculum resumes this September, with courses offered throughout the year. You can begin when you’re ready and progress at your own pace, with guidance from a Senior YAA Teacher along the way.

Curious to learn more? Visit yoga.ca/teacher-training-program to explore the program and see where your journey could begin.