Instructors

Owner and Senior Instructor Kellie Dearman is a Still Point certified Yoga Instructor (200+hour), practicing for over 25 years. She began teaching in 2005 and currently teaches 9+ sessions a week. Kellie’s practice is always deepening as she endeavours to always incorporate new ways to adapt this comprehensive spiritual practice into her teaching and her life. Yoga has allowed her to find a deep sense of spiritual connection and inner peace that she knows she can draw on at any time.

Kellie loves teaching gentle hatha yoga, yin, chair yoga and meditation at her home studio in Stirling. She also teaches mindfulness/trauma sensitive yoga practices for individuals dealing with PTSD and other stress-related conditions, specializing in anxiety, trauma and mobility issues.

In the fall of 2023, Aware Yoga welcomed teacher Colleen Thompson to the studio. Colleen is a graduate of the Akasha Yoga Academy‘s Hatha Yoga Teacher Training (500-hr) which included 100 hrs of  Yin Yoga training, and she has also completed Trauma Sensitive Yoga training. Colleen teaches a similar style to Kellie and is running classes Tuesday evenings and drop-in  alternate Saturday mornings. See class schedule for dates.

In the fall of 2025, we welcomed Andrea McHattie-Christensen to the studio. Andrea is a graduate of Your Yoga Flow (200-hour) and has also completed Trauma Sensitive Yoga training. She brings a gentle, adaptive approach to her classes, believing that yoga is for everybody. Andrea also uses her skills to teach 1-to-1 yoga at a clinic in Trenton, supporting military veterans, first responders and their families.  Andrea will be teaching Chair Yoga at 1pm on Mondays.

All three teachers are skilled at creating a class environment that is highly adaptive and inclusive. We look forward to seeing you on the mat, or on the chair!

Kellie's Training

Yoga Teacher Training

STILLPOINT YOGA

200+ yoga teacher training with Glenn Mifsud of Stillpoint Yoga (now retired) and Dr. Gerry Lin. This intensive training took place over a one-year period, and followed closely in the Sivananda style and tradition.

Further trainings and self-study have lead me to follow more closely with the Krishna-macharya school and it’s many teachers.

TRAUMA-SENSITIVE YTT

Completed two 30-hour workshops. The first was Trauma-Informed Yoga with Caroline Owen of Wavelengths Yoga, and Sarah Schlote of The Refuge. The second was Trauma Sensitive Yoga Teacher Training with Brendon Abram and Dr. Bob King.

Continuing Education

FURTHER TRAINING and WORKSHOPS

Holy Fire Karuna Reiki Master Teacher
Teachers: Kimeiko Dover, William Lee Rand, Completed 2019

Slow Yinyasa
Teacher: Coby Kolowski

Yin Enhancements
Teacher: Marta Erickson

Bandha Yoga
Teacher: Dr. Ray Long

iRest Yoga Nidra
Teacher: RIchard Miller

The Anatomy and Physiology of Meditation
Teacher: Leslie Kaminoff

 

Breaking the Heart Wide Open
Teacher: Kelly McGonigal

Ways of Seeing
Teacher: Natasha Rizopolous

Freedom Yoga
Teacher: Erich Schiffman
Kripalu Retreat Centre

The Basics of Yin Yoga
Teacher: Bernie Clark

Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
Teacher: Andrea Pelosa

Wisdom Warriors
Teacher: Desiree Rumbaugh

Embodied Anatomy: Proprioception is a Teachable Skill
Teacher: Jill MIller

Trauma Sensitive YTT

Trauma Sensitive Yoga
hosted by Vidya Yoga
Thornton Ontario
October, 2018

Trauma Sensitive Yoga
hosted by Get Yoga/Aware Yoga
Trenton Ontario
November 2018

Trauma Sensitve Yoga
hosted by Upward Dog
Ottawa, Ontaio
April, 201

Trauma Sensitive Yoga
hosted by Upward Dog
Ottawa, Ontario
September 2018

Trauma Sensitive Yoga
hosted by SOS
London, Ontario
May, 2018

Trauma Sensitive Yoga
hosted by Get Yoga/Aware Yoga
Trenton Ontario
November 2017

Trauma Sensitive Yoga Training
SOS, June 2017, London, Ontario

Trauma Sensitive YTT
(30 hours)
Rama Lotus Yoga Centre
Feb 2016

Trauma Sensitive Yoga
hosted by Living in the Self
Lakefield Ontario
September 2015,
July/Sep 2016

Trauma Sensitive Yoga
hosted by Get Yoga
Trenton Ontario
November 2015

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