Meet Our Guides
Discover the incredible teachers, healers, and facilitators bringing their wisdom to City of Om 2026.
Adam Bracken
Adam has spent over 19 years in the fitness and health industry and is the Founder & CEO of The Fitness LAB, a strength and performance-driven training brand established in 2016. What began as a single location has grown into four facilities across the Ottawa area, known for delivering high-quality coaching, community-driven culture, and results-based programming. With a background in Fitness and Health Promotion, along with certifications including CSEP-CPT and FRC, Adam has coached a wide range of clients, from everyday individuals to elite athletes competing in the CFL, OHL, NCAA, ECHL, AHL, and NHL. A lululemon Legacy Ambassador and respected leader in the fitness community, he continues to expand The Fitness LAB while helping clients and teams perform at their highest level.
Allison Tomotsugu
Allison is a seasoned movement educator with over 20 years of teaching experience in yoga and Pilates. Allison is known for her attention to detail, making the familiar feel novel and complex concepts approachable and relevant for all levels of experience. Teaching full-time in Ottawa, you can find Allison teaching Yoga, Lagree, Reformer and Mat Pilates. She facilitates annual training programs for yoga teachers, Pilates Reformer instructors, and movement educators seeking advanced anatomy knowledge.
Ashley Keller
Ashley is an instructor that loves a long jog + and even longer weight track. Expect some throwbacks, latin beats and fun girly pop vibes! Let’s ride (:
Ashley Shewchuk
Ashley is known for her Sunday Ritual class at Pure Yoga, where a strong community of regulars show up for more than just movement. She has a way of commanding the room, pushing you to your edge while tapping into a kind of resilience you didn’t know you had. There’s depth to it, something felt, not forced, where the practice carries a quiet kind of wisdom. She pulls you in as she taps into her own flow state.
Bo Aganaba
Bo Aganaba is the Founder and Principal at GoodBeing, bringing together his background in urban and environmental planning with a long-standing mindfulness and movement practice. As a yoga teacher and former nonprofit leader, he supports people facing burnout, anxiety, and eco‑grief by helping them reconnect with their bodies and build functional, joyful movement habits. His playful approach to strength, mobility, and well‑being invites students to meet challenges with curiosity, creativity, and ease.
Brittany Bryden
Brittany Bryden is a music‑infused movement teacher who helps students find presence, play, and deeper connection through yoga. A mompreneur with a big love for community and co‑creation, Britt brings fun, creativity, and rhythm into every class — always guided by the beat that moves her.
Brynn O'Dwyer
Brynn is a Pilates instructor and former varsity athlete who is passionate about intentional, well-informed movement. She discovered Pilates as a way to complement strength training and deepen body awareness beyond performance alone. Her classes focus on creating a focused, supportive environment where participants can move with confidence and purpose.
Cat Doyle
Cat is passionate about helping people feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally, weaving her extensive experience with a deep love of health, healing, and wellness. A yoga teacher since 2011, she leads classes, retreats, and trainings with a focus on connection, continued learning, and the magic of community.
Cat Labelle
Kelly and Cat are two friends driven to help people discover strength beyond what they thought possible, blending high-energy, form-focused training with plenty of fun. They’ve created an inclusive, community-rooted space where everyone feels welcome to push limits, connect, and show up as they are. Their goal is simple: leave every person feeling stronger, sweatier, and just cheeky enough to come back for more.
Chanel Sosnoski
Chanel is an instructor at SPINCO Orleans with a passion for cycling, high-energy playlists, and creating a welcoming space where riders can let loose and have fun. Her classes are fueled by a mix of EDM, dubstep, remixed throwbacks, and of course a sing-along anthem guaranteed to keep the energy high. Whether you’re brand new to spin or a seasoned rider, there’s a place for you in Chanel’s class. See you on the bike!
Charlene Dygos
Charlene is a personal trainer, fitness coach, and lagree certified instructor. Her sessions are built to push limits—combining power, endurance, and grit in a way that challenges both body and mind. Expect structured, athletic programming with a strong focus on effort and execution. Whether you’re chasing performance or stepping into something new, Charlene creates an environment that demands your best and proves you’re capable of more. Driven by intensity and curiosity, she brings a “show up and work” mindset to every class—no shortcuts, just results.
Devinder Kaur
Devinder is a knowledgeable and uplifting 500‑Hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher in the Hatha and Kundalini traditions, known for over 20 years of teaching with humour, sensitivity, and a deeply personal approach. As the founder of PranaShanti Yoga Centre and PranaShanti Education Centre, she has grown a thriving local and international community and is a sought‑after presenter and trainer at conferences and Yoga Teacher Trainings worldwide.
DJ Greeze
DJ Greeze is an Ottawa-based DJ and the owner of Crossfade DJs, known for creating high-energy dance floors that feel effortless, fun, and unforgettable. With nearly two decades in the music and nightlife scene across Ottawa, his style blends house, disco, throwbacks, hip-hop, and crowd favourites into sets built to match the energy of the room — whether that means getting people moving and grooving or simply complementing the vibe.
DJ Rise Ashen
Ottawa-based Rise Ashen has devoted his life to the study of sound and movement. From his early years as a B-Boy in Montreal in the 80s to his studies at Fanshawe College (North America's Oldest Recording School) and the Banff Centre for the Arts, to his evolution as a Global Grooves and House Music DJ, his focus has been on applying hi-fi knowhow to underground music. His record collection spans the 4 corners of the world with house and club music of all tempos as his primary focus. As a DJ and live looper/finger drummer, he blends it all in a worldy mash and is always the sweaty and dynamic life of the party. He has performed in clubs and festivals in the US, Scandinavia, Europe and Asia and his music regularly gets support from A-list DJs worldwide. His study of Yoga has led him to combine his musical journey with his Yoga journey and he has been DJing extensively for yoga classes, festivals and events since 2012. A long-time househead who has trained with many pioneering NYC dancers, since 2008 he has also been co-leading Capital Sessions Community House Dance Practices with his partner Tangent and teaching house dance at Ottawa’s Flava Factory Urban Dance school. He has collaborated and sharing the stage with countless artists including Montreal (Juno award winner) Miguel Graca, Jojo Flores, Fred Everything, Toronto based (Multi- Juno nominated) Ammoye, (Juno Award winner) Dubmatix, Version XCursion, LAL, (Juno Award Winner) Eccodek, (Juno Award Winner) Kobotown, King Sunshine, UK’s Sean Escofferey, Berlin’s Steph Lefrancois, New York’s Angel Moraes and Nickodemus, Kasm and Seed Organisation,Ottawa’s Bhavantu Collective, Ottawa’s Juno-award winner Kellylee Evans, Algonquin Singer Flying Down Thunder with whom he received a Juno nomination in 2012 for their debut album: One Nation, as well as a Native American Music Awards nomination in 2014 for their sophomore album: North Wind. He made 3 records with Silla, an Inuit throat-singing duet, they performed and toured for 6 years as Silla and Rise with Rise playing electronic percussion. They were nominated for a Juno Award for Best Indigenous Recording, a Juno for World Music Album of the Year, and they won the Mundial Stingray Award in 2018 as well as the SSIMA for best Inuit ensemble and Best Artistic music video in 2021. He is currently working on music with Trevor “lifeboogie” Walker and Toronto multi-media artist Shaemara. He believes music and dance are essential to human culture and he aspires to embody the wise words of Fela Kuti: "when the higher forces give you the gift of musicianship …it must be well used for the good of humanity".
Doriana Taccardi
Doriana (she/her) holds an MSc and BSc in Clinical Psychology and is currently completing her PhD at Queen’s University, where she studies circadian rhythms in Chronic Pain and Multiple Sclerosis while witnessing firsthand the powerful impact of yoga on body and mind. A former competitive roller hockey player and RYT, she teaches hot yoga in Kingston and continues to deepen her practice through arm balances, inversions, Vipassana meditation, and a love of philosophy, breathwork, and mindfulness.
Emma Pollon-MacLeod
Dr. Emma Pollon‑MacLeod, ND, is a Menopause Society Certified Practitioner and women’s hormone health advocate who specializes in guiding women through perimenopause and menopause with evidence‑based, whole‑person care. As CEO of NutriChem, she empowers women with education, choice, and personalized support to understand their hormonal changes and move through midlife with clarity, confidence, and long‑term vitality.
Gilles Roisan
Gilles Roisan is a multidisciplinary artist: art director, graphic designer, filmmaker, and musician. A graduate of the ETPA art school in France, he became a graphic designer and entrepreneur while also performing in numerous bands since his college years (rock, electro, trip-hop). Moving to Montreal in 2007, he became a freelance musician and art director, while also developing his alternative electro rock project, TANUKi Project. Since 2023 he founded the Flow Yoga & Sound Festival with his partner Nady, in which he writes and performs the music for the Yoga sessions, handles all the visual production, and creates the festival’s visual identity.
Giselle Fernandez
Giselle is a dancer, kids yoga instructor, mindfulness coach, and the heart behind YogiBeatz. With over five years of experience teaching kids' yoga, she blends movement, music, and mindfulness to create fun, engaging classes that spark joy and connection.
Grace Bracken
Grace is a former competitive hockey player who learned early how powerful nutrition can be, a lesson that deepened after two major hip surgeries pushed her to rebuild her health from the inside out. Now a mom, coach, and founder of The Body Sculpt, she’s dedicated to helping people restore their metabolism, build lean muscle, and pursue fat loss without burnout or restriction. She leads a team of functional nutritionists and coaches who share her mission of making sustainable, strength‑focused transformation feel clear, achievable, and deeply supportive.
Imad Khaddaj
Imad Khaddaj is a holistic healer and teacher whose work weaves Yin Yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Reiki, Tui Na massage, and meditation with the wisdom of Daoist philosophy, Tantric Buddhist practices, and energetic mysticism. With a grounded and compassionate approach, he creates spaces where body, mind, and spirit return to balance, guiding others to reconnect with their inner wisdom, release what no longer serves, and awaken the life they are meant to live.
Jason Nowlan
Ciara Jean Beaton (yoga, pilates & acroyoga teacher) and Jason Nowlan (personal trainer) have been offering partner yoga and acroyoga together now for over a year in the Ottawa area. Together, they offer an uplifting experience by creating an engaging and inclusive practice environment that is always filled with laughter. They both love to bring people together by offering a practice that is lighthearted, dynamic and inspiring.
Jenn Dumoulin
A former varsity track and field and cross country athlete, Jenn is a spin instructor at SPINCO Orléans who dabbles in Hyrox and powerlifting. Her passion is connecting sport and fitness to personal growth - we learn amazing things about ourselves by challenging ourselves physically and mentally through physical activity.
Jenn Stow
Jenn Stow is a movement educator with over 20 years of teaching experience, known for her creative sequencing, dynamic flow, and intelligent approach to movement. Her classes combine fluid transitions, strong energetic pacing, and humour to create practices that feel both challenging and approachable. Jenn’s teaching style encourages students to explore movement with curiosity, connection, and authenticity.
Jenn Taing
Jenn Taing returns to the mat with a renewed devotion to celebrating the evolving power of the maternal body, inspired by her own journey into motherhood. Her pre‑ and post‑natal classes blend athletic fire with deep tenderness, creating space for mamas to feel strong, supported, and fully themselves. She’s here to spark a community where resilience, softness, and motherhood rise together in true festival spirit.
Jill Wright
Jill Wright is a Time Management Expert and founder of Energy + Hours, where she helps high‑achieving moms, creatives, and entrepreneurs align their hours and energy through practical tools, rest, intuition, and a neuro‑affirming lens. Her work—featured on 80+ podcasts and in organizations across North America—supports real people in creating sustainable, meaningful success without burnout.
John King
Monkey Rock Music is a fun, participatory music program for young children and their adult caregivers. We have been running in Ottawa since 2008, offering classes, daycare programs, elementary school shows, and even full blown rock concerts for toddlers and young kids.
Jonathan Rose
Jonathan Rose is a 104th Grey Cup Champion, East Division CFL All‑Star, and Ottawa Redblacks All‑Decade cornerback with a deep passion for football and mental health advocacy. He now channels that experience into storytelling and connection as a dedicated CFL enthusiast and podcaster.
Julie Lefebvre
Julie discovered yoga as a path to recovery while navigating a severe wrist injury, an eating disorder, and the stress of caring for a critically ill child, finding profound healing through Ashtanga. Over the past two decades, she has trained with world‑renowned teachers and now blends technical expertise with a compassionate approach to support others on their own journeys to wellness.
Julie Parker
Julie has been coaching at The Rig Boxing for three years, where her challenging, attentive, and engaging style reflects her deep curiosity and growing love for the sport. A certified barre instructor and studio manager at The Rig’s Southpaw location, she believes in the power of group fitness to bring people together—and her classes do exactly that.
Katherine Markhauser
Katherine Markhauser is a trainer, mat pilates instructor and the co-founder of Chelsea Athletica Gym. Shes passionate about creating spaces where women can move their bodies - whether through strength training or on their mats. Her work at Chelsea Athletica centers around building a community and creating spaces where people can come together to move & meet like-minded people.
Kenny Caceros
Kenny Caceros is a lululemon Bayshore ambassador, hybrid‑training coach, and multi‑sport powerhouse who brings unstoppable energy to every room he enters. A HYROX 2025 World Championship qualifier and DEKA Fit AG World Champion, he leads The Strength Collective and The Hybrid Training Popup with the same fire that fueled his professional soccer career.
Kethy Sosso-Kolle
Kethy (she/her) is a Cameroonian‑Canadian 200-hr certified yoga teacher who enjoys leading yin and slow-paced flow classes to gentle tunes. She is the co‑founder of the BIPOC Yogis of Ottawa project, a photo‑journalism and fundraising initiative amplifying racial diversity within the Ottawa-Gatineau wellness community. She is also a devoted supporter of the 24‑Hr Yogapalooza project, helping raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research through movement and community care. She enjoys eating sweet treats, playing with her cats and watching Japanese anime.
Kino Carey
Kino Carey is an Ottawa-born musician, based in Tokyo since 2015. In the past year, she has transitioned from being a pop-leaning artist to a dance music producer and DJ. Since then, she has played tech house parties at some of Tokyo's biggest nightclubs. Her sets combine the minimal grooves of tech house with the upbeat melodies of dance pop.
Krista Reid
Krista Reid is a breathwork facilitator and educator with over 20 years of experience in health and wellness, offering somatic, nervous‑system‑informed practices throughout the Ottawa–Wakefield region. She creates healing spaces, mentors facilitators, and supports individuals in reconnecting with their bodies, breath, and inner clarity through deep listening, thoughtful pacing, and embodied guidance.
Laocapone
Laocapone is an Ottawa-bred DJ who moves as easily through crate-dug hip-hop as he does through pulsing electronic beats. With roots in R&B and rap DJ culture, his sets feel both timeless and fresh—whether he’s flipping soul samples or keeping the dancefloor locked with bass-heavy grooves. A true selector at heart, Laocapone built his reputation rocking parties and clubs across the city, known for his flawless blends, sharp ear for new sounds, and ability to move any crowd. Always paying homage to the past while pushing sound forward, he bridges eras with every set.
Lori Dye
Lori Dye is an Ottawa-born yoga teacher, mindfulness coach, and international retreat curator. Her work is rooted in elemental wisdom, breath, and the quiet intelligence of the body.
Lori Rosove
With 25 years as a social worker, 10 as a university writing instructor, and the author of two books, I have been passionate about guiding others in clarifying their thoughts through writing. I designed the trees&breathe journaling method to help you slow down, listen inward, and discover what's ready to be seen.
Louise Anne Neville
Louise Anne Neville is a Mindset & Mindfulness Energy Coach who helps people cultivate positivity, alignment, and abundance in their lives. Through her playful, heart‑centered approach, she guides participants to shift limiting beliefs, harness the power of their minds, and elevate their energy with intention.
Marie-Julie Côté
Marie‑Julie has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 20 years, sharing her love of mindful movement across Québec, Ottawa, and international retreat spaces while drawing from a rich background in hot yoga, vinyasa, pilates, Yin, and embodied flow. A mother of three and longtime lawyer with the Canadian Armed Forces, she brings a grounded, compassionate, real‑life perspective to her classes, creating a supportive and connected space that feels right at home in the festival community.
Nady Marro
Born into a family of yoga teachers, Nady has practiced since age 14, blending Tibetan‑inspired Energy Yoga with her background as a singer and musician. A 200‑hour Vinyasa‑trained teacher and founder of the FLOW Yoga & Sound Festival in the Laurentians, she now shares her passions for yoga, sound, and mindful education through her festival work, community leadership, accompanied by the much inspired musician, DJ and composer Legyl, her partner in life and on stage.
Natalie Fraser
Natalie Fraser is a yoga teacher with families and community at heart. Her classes are inclusive, fun and accessible. Whether you are a first timer, a caregiver yoga'ing with kids, or someone looking for ease - you'll find what you need here.
Nikki Richard
Nikki is a social justice activist, yoga teacher, and certified somatic movement and breathwork coach who brings trauma‑informed practices into activist spaces as tools for regulation, solidarity, and collective care. Her work weaves nervous system awareness with political consciousness, offering an embodied, relational approach that supports resilience without bypassing structural harm.
Peter Lavictoire
Peter Lavictoire brings big, joyful energy to the mat, blending his Baptiste‑inspired vinyasa roots with a lifelong love of movement. As Pure Fit’s lead trainer, he’s all about evolving the practice to build physical power and mental resilience, fueled by handstands, massive cashew‑milk coffees, and the passion he sees when people share what they love. A beach‑born yogi since age twelve, Peter channels that same curiosity and play into every class.
Piaf Des Rosiers
Piaf is a physiotherapist and PhD candidate with a passion for finding fun ways to get kids and teens more physically active. As an advocate for inclusion and accessibility, she hopes that all will feel welcome coming to her lil om'ies class!
Rachel Hopper
Rachel Hopper is a Pilates and Lagree instructor known for her strength-forward approach and intentionally designed classes. With over three years of teaching experience, she’s passionate about helping people feel stronger, build confidence in their movement, and look forward to coming to class. Her mat classes are beat-based, combining structure and energy for a challenging workout, with options to modify or progress, making them accessible to a wide range of students.
Randy Roffey
Randy is a registered yoga teacher trained in Yin, Restorative, Meditation, and Yoga Nidra, grounding his work in daily practices of breathwork, meditation, vulnerability, and gratitude. As co‑founder of the 24 Hr Yogapalooza fundraiser for CHEO, he’s deeply connected to the Ottawa–Gatineau yoga community and brings a passionate, down‑to‑earth presence to everything he does.
Robert Aranyosi
Rob Aranyosi blends technical movement with creative, challenging sequences that prioritize curiosity over perfection. His classes offer clear cues, smart progressions, and a playful edge, creating a space where effort, exploration, and trying before you feel ready matter more than getting it “right.”
Run Ottawa
Run Ottawa is the National Capital Region’s premiere running organization and the organizers of Canada’s most popular multi-day running event, Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Run Ottawa is committed to building an accessible, inclusive running community that promotes health, belonging, and personal excellence while empowering people to give back. Guided by values of environmental responsibility, community engagement, and operational excellence, they create programs and events that welcome all participants and remove barriers to movement.
Saman Tayari
Saman is a yoga teacher, breathwork facilitator and a percussionist. He integrates his drumming into his yoga and breathwork sessions, believing that drum beats connect us with our inner rhythm and with others, and help us be more present. He also incorporates electronic music to create more immersive experiences. His passion lies in quieting the mind through breathwork and invigorating movement and breath, a practice he is eager to share with others.
Sarah Boyd
Sarah Boyd is a personal trainer, nutrition and lifestyle coach, and author with over a decade of experience helping people build strength that lasts. She blends exercise science with practical behaviour change to support active adults and athletes in training with strategy, resilience, and recovery at the center.
Solange Mattar
Solange has been teaching yoga for nearly a decade across studios, women’s shelters, and retirement homes, weaving movement into spaces that need it most. Her classes blend mindful strength, yin stillness, free movement, and Yoga Nidra to harmonize yin and yang energies and awaken both the masculine and feminine within. A devoted lover of movement and travel, she brings presence, intention, and an empowering, grounded vibe to every festival‑style experience she leads.
Spinco Orleans
SPINCO Orléans is rolling into City of Om with a full day of rhythm‑driven, sweat‑soaked, community‑charged rides — all inside our dedicated SPINCO space. As Orléans’ newest spin studio, they’re bringing their signature immersive, beat‑based experience to the festival, offering multiple 50‑minute classes that blend music, movement, and collective energy.
Stephen Bierbrier
Stephen Bierbrier (@bytownboy) has spent the past decade leading community workouts across Ottawa — from TD Place Stadium to Parliament Hill to the Dominion Arboretum. When he’s not coaching, he’s usually planning his next session, often spotted turning any nearby bench into an opportunity for a perfectly executed Bulgarian squat.
Tarik Hassan
Susan and Tarik are breathwork facilitators who guide participants to reconnect with their innate power, nervous system, and body intelligence. Combining trauma-informed awareness, embodiment, and breath mechanics, they create a container where people can regulate, release, and return to themselves-without force or expectation. Together, they bring complementary perspectives and energy, holding space for individuals to explore their breath, find their rhythm, and leave feeling resourced, grounded, and connected.
Tiffani Harris
Tiffani Harris is a movement teacher with over 18 years of experience, offering classes, workshops, trainings, and retreats across a wide range of styles. She loves connecting with students of all levels, using clear, detailed guidance to help them understand their bodies in a creative, engaging way.
Todd Lavictoire
A lifelong mover, Todd brings equal parts strength, heart, and grounded grit to everything he does. Guided by his mantra — “If you are willing to do only what’s easy, life will be hard…” — he trains, teaches, and lives with purpose, recently stepping into the Fight for the Cure ring to raise money for cancer research and patient care. One of the original Pure Yoga crew, Todd shows up with the kind of resilience and integrity that inspires everyone around him.
Tracy Billows
Tracy Billows is the founder and co-owner of Yogatown, Ottawa's longest-running yoga studio, open since 2008 and now spanning three locations across the city. With 25 years of practice, she considers herself a student first and a teacher second. Yogatown reflects everything Tracy believes in - connection, belonging, and community. Off the mat, her greatest joy is her family - husband Jason, two children, and her dog Pepper. She is also a passionate health enthusiast who loves exploring new ways to thrive, and nothing brings her more joy than inspiring others to do the same.
