NICKY POOLE

E-RYT~500 YACEP (She/Her) 

I was born in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and now live in Toronto with my two sons and my husband.
 
My embodied movement practice flows through the veins of the Prana Flow lineage created by Shiva Rea whom I have studied with since 2006. For well over two decades I have dedicated my life to my yoga practice and sharing what I continue to learn in modalities ranging from Ashtanga Vinyasa to Pre Natal Yoga to Reformer Pilates. I am a student of Kalarippayat – a martial art of Kerala, India with yearly trips back to study at the feet of my teachers. My breadth of knowledge stretches into the dance world too, and I work collaboratively with several dance organisations in Toronto to train dancers and artists.
 
To better understand ‘modern yoga’, my focus has shifted over the years towards the emerging academic field of yogic studies – specifically studying the tantric and medieval roots of yoga and the evolution of yoga in the 20th century. In 2019 I completed the Yoga Studies Program at the University of London, and went on to graduate in 2022 with a Post Graduate Degree from the Department of Art History and Architecture.  My research focused on the earliest illustrated manuscripts from the Hatha Yoga tradition, Tantric Yogini Temples in Eastern India and the Buddhist-Hindu temples of the Cham Dynasty in Vietnam.
 
I have worn many hats over the past twenty years: as a studio owner in both Vietnam and Canada and  teacher trainer for hundreds of students in teacher training programs. I offer trainings in the Art of Teaching, History of Yoga, Pre-Natal Yoga, Pilates for Yoga Teachers, to name just a few. I also co-created (with Yumee Chung) an expansive digital platform of classes called Leelapod to support my students during the pandemic.
 
Yogaspace is a very special studio where I have happily taught for many years and I am deeply grateful to have such a special space to call my yoga home in Toronto.

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