PranaShanti Yoga Centre

MONDAY WISDOM 🌿

Not every feeling needs an immediate response.

Sometimes, we simply need to pause long enough to listen.

This week’s reminder:

✨ Pause before you react.

Yoga invites us to develop awareness—not only of the body, but of our thoughts, emotions and patterns.

When something challenges us, our first instinct may be to respond, fix, defend or move on.

But what happens when we pause?

Take a breath.
Notice what is happening.
Create a little space between the experience and your response.

That space can change everything.

So as you move through this week, ask yourself:

Where could I pause and listen before I respond?

Maybe it’s in a difficult conversation.
Maybe it’s when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Maybe it’s in the way you speak to yourself.

You don’t always need to have the answer right away.

Sometimes wisdom begins with simply being willing to notice.

Take a breath.
Pause.
Listen.

Monday Wisdom from PranaShanti. 🕉️

🌿 TEACHER FEATURE | VALENTINA

For Valentina, yoga began in Caracas in 2002, when two friends invited her to practise Hatha Yoga with pioneering teachers Juan Carlos Linares and Ximena López.

At the time, yoga was the perfect complement to her active lifestyle—helping to release the muscular load that came with long hours of running, triathlon and climbing.

What began as a complement to movement gradually became something much deeper.

After practising at Yoga Pedregal and Yogashala in Caracas, Valentina moved to Ottawa to complete her Master’s degree at Carleton University. Alongside her academic studies, she completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2008–2009.

In 2009, she returned to Venezuela and began teaching in studios and gyms, while also volunteering with “En los barrios” and “Yoga en la plaza”—NGOs bringing yoga into low-income neighbourhoods and public spaces while reinforcing values of non-violence, tolerance, respect and peace.

After returning to Canada in 2016, Valentina continued sharing yoga throughout Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and Kitchener, teaching Power, Yin and Hatha-inspired practices.

Today, teaching yoga remains a source of inspiration, passion, spiritual guidance and physical strength.

For Valentina, yoga is also about connection—the opportunity to give, receive, learn from others and express gratitude for the blessings of life.

✨ We’re grateful to have Valentina sharing her practice, experience and heart with the PranaShanti community.

✨ SANKALPA: A SOUND MEDITATION & INTENTION SETTING EXPERIENCE

What if you gave yourself an hour to simply stop, listen and reconnect?

Join Doug for a deeply restorative evening combining Yoga Nidra, intention setting and an immersive live sound experience.

As you settle into deep relaxation, you’ll be guided to connect with your Sankalpa—a heartfelt intention rooted in the wisdom of yoga.

Surrounding you will be the resonant sounds of gongs, crystal and metal singing bowls, gentle guitar and Doug’s handcrafted monochords, creating a rich and immersive soundscape designed to support deep rest and inner connection.

🌿 Wednesday, September 9
6:00–7:00 pm
📍 PranaShanti Yoga Centre
Education Centre | 950 Gladstone Ave., 2nd Floor

Suitable for all levels.

Come as you are.
Get comfortable.
Let yourself be guided into rest.

PranaShanti Drop-In Fee, Class Package or Membership: https://ow.ly/e6OL50ZJMei

✨ Bring comfortable clothing, and an eye pillow or anything else that helps you settle in.

🌿 LABOUR DAY WEEKEND AT PRANASHANTI 🌿

The long weekend is here! Whether you’re soaking up the last days of summer, spending time with family and friends, or finding a little space for yourself, we’re here to support your practice.

Here’s our Labour Day Weekend schedule:

🧘‍♀️ Friday, September 4
Regular schedule

🧘 Saturday, September 5
Regular schedule

🌿 Sunday, September 6
Last class begins at 12:30 PM

☀️ Monday, September 7
CLOSED for Labour Day

Make time for a little movement, breath and connection before we transition into September and the fall season.

Have a wonderful long weekend! 💛

🛍️ LABOUR DAY WEEKEND SALE! 🛍️

Our PranaShanti Boutique End-of-Season Sale is here! Shop Friday through Sunday and enjoy 50% OFF select items, including clothing, jewellery and more. ✨

✨ Great finds
🧘‍♀️ Yoga essentials
🎁 A few treasures to take home

Whether you’re looking for something new for your yoga practice, a little something for yourself, or a special gift, come browse the boutique and see what you discover!

📅 Friday–Sunday
📍 In-store shopping only
🏷️ 50% OFF select items
All sales are final.

Come by and check it out—once it’s gone, it’s gone!

🌿 YOGA IS A WORK-IN, NOT JUST A WORK-OUT. 🌿

At PranaShanti, we believe yoga is about so much more than how we move our bodies.

It’s about how we meet ourselves.

How we breathe through challenge.
How we become more aware.
How we open the heart.
How we create space for change.
How we reconnect with who we truly are.

When Devinder started PranaShanti in 2008, her vision was to create a space for yoga and healing arts that would uplift and support all.

"Yoga had transformed my own personal and professional life, and I felt called to share that experience with others." - Devinder

Today, PranaShanti is more than a yoga studio. It is a place to pause, reconnect, learn, heal and grow—an oasis in the heart of Ottawa where community and connection are at the heart of what we do.

Our teachers bring decades of experience, ongoing study and a genuine commitment to serving their students. Each brings their own perspective, experience and wisdom to the practice.

Whether you’re stepping onto a mat for the first time or have been practising for years, there is always an opportunity to go deeper.

Not just into the practice.

Into yourself. ✨

Come discover where yoga, healing and community meet.

🍂 HELLO, SEPTEMBER! 🍂

A new season. A fresh rhythm. And a whole new schedule to explore.

Our Fall Class Schedule is here, running from September through December—and we’ve made a few changes based on the feedback, requests and comments we’ve heard from you.

Because your practice matters to us.

We’re here to listen, adapt and create a schedule that supports you—wherever you are in your life, your practice and your wellness journey.

✨ Updated class times
✨ Familiar favourites
✨ Exciting NEW workshops & specialty classes
✨ More opportunities to move, breathe, rest, learn and reconnect

And this fall we’re bringing back some PranaShanti favourites you’ve been asking for! 💛

🎬 Movie Night
👨‍👩‍👧 Family Yoga
🌿 Tai Chi
✨ Plus so much more!

Whether you’re returning to your mat after a summer away, looking to establish a new routine, or ready to deepen your practice, fall is a beautiful time to begin again.

And there’s lots happening at PranaShanti over the coming months—from regular classes and workshops to teacher trainings, special events and opportunities to gather with our community.

September 1 is a new beginning.

Come practice with us.
Come learn with us.
Come connect with us.

We’re excited for what’s ahead—and we’re so glad you’re part of it. 🍁

Explore the Fall Schedule → September–December 2026

MONDAY WISDOM 🌿

A new week doesn’t always need a new goal.

Sometimes it needs a new perspective.

Each Monday, we’re going to share a little piece of yoga wisdom—something to pause with, practise with or carry into your week.

Not another thing to add to your to-do list.

Just a moment to breathe, reflect and reconnect.

This week’s reminder:

✨ You don’t have to do everything today.

Yoga teaches us that practice is not about constantly pushing forward. It is also about awareness—knowing when to act, when to pause and when to simply be present with what is.

So as you step into this week, ask yourself:

Where could I create a little more ease?

Maybe it’s in your schedule.
Maybe it’s in your body.
Maybe it’s in a conversation.
Maybe it’s in the expectations you’re placing on yourself.

Take a breath.

Let the week unfold one moment at a time.

Monday Wisdom from PranaShanti. 🕉️

Teacher Feature ✨ Meet Stephanie

Some yoga journeys begin with a calling. Others begin with simply walking into a class—and discovering something that changes everything.

For Stephanie, that moment came in the fall of 2004, when she attended her first Hatha yoga class at her local community centre. What began as curiosity quickly became a love affair with yoga that continues to this day. 🧘‍♀️

Over the years, Stephanie explored Bikram, Hot, Power, Ashtanga and Yin Yoga, eventually finding her own teaching voice: grounded, knowledgeable, playful and always connected to the breath.

With 2,000+ hours of teaching experience, Stephanie is an E-RYT 200 / RYT 500 and YACEP with Yoga Alliance and has been teaching in Ottawa since 2008.

Her classes bring together asana, philosophy, humour and a steady breath—whether you're moving through a dynamic Power practice, settling into Yin, exploring Flow or finding ease in a Gentle class.

Her continuing education has included trainings and master classes with respected teachers including Richard Freeman, Seane Corn, Ray Long, Bryan Kest, Ana Forrest and Sadie Nardini.

Stephanie's connection to PranaShanti has also grown over the years. From serving as a Teaching Assistant in our 2017 200-Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training and 2018 Restorative Yoga Training, she now teaches at both the 200- and 300-hour levels and serves as Program Coordinator for our 300-Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program.

We’re grateful to have Stephanie sharing her experience, wisdom and sense of humour with our teacher training community. 💛

Thinking about taking your yoga practice deeper—or stepping into teaching? Stephanie is one of the wonderful teachers who will support you along the way.

📩 Questions about our 300-Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program?
Connect with Stephanie at [email protected]