the passion

Skyler started her journey with movement through competitive dance training 9 years ago. Specializing in Jazz and Contemporary, Skyler enjoyed learning, analyzing and teaching movement through Dance. Eventually realizing how much dancing had broken her body, and many of the dancers around her, she began to move more into the direction of Yoga and Pilates.

Skyler completed her 500 Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training with Prana Yoga Teacher College Vancouver, in November of 2008. During her training with Prana, Skyler completed curriculum in;

Teaching method, Asana practice, Pranayama, and Yogic Philosophy. These principles led to a curriculum encompassing a wide range of Yogic and Eastern systems and philosophies. Particularly extensive subjects included;

Tibetan culture with regards to Birth and Death, advanced Asana practice, Ayurvedic Medical systems and techniques, Laughter Yoga Training, Parapsychology and Yoga Nidra, Restorative and Yin Yoga training, Tantric philosophies, and Joint health as it pertains to Yoga and Movement.

Gaining experience working with car accident victims, sciatic conditions, athletes, coaches and knee injuries were among Skyler’s experiences. She held “Yoga for Dancers” classes at various locations around Vancouver, in order to cater to the specific physical and mental needs of a dancer’s body. Eventually, she began and extensive self-study of Vinyasa Yoga and began teaching popular Vinyasa Flows after reaping her own physical and mental benefits from the practice.

Skyler began to gain interest in a wider range of health and fitness and began to expand her knowledge and experience into Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Pilates, Interval training, Kickboxing, and Weight training. During this time, Skyler began to notice how the terms “health” and “fitness” were being confused for one another. She began to gain an awareness of the stigmas and common misconceptions surrounding what it means to maintain health, fitness, and well-being, and how empty and mindless many of our current “fitness routines” are today.

Drawing from inspirations such as; Joseph Pilates, Baron Baptiste, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn and her own students and clients, Skyler completed her Pilates Mat Training with The PhysicalMind Institute of Canada with Marta Hernandez, in April, 2010. She embraced the philosophies and ideas of Pilates, and continues to witness the benefits in herself and her clients.

Skyler’s goal is to redefine the current idea of “health”; fitness does not equal wellness

Skyler has learned through working with certain groups of clients and students, that being fit, does not necessarily equal being healthy. Many of her athlete clients are the ones with excess toxicity due to breaks, sprains, overuse, arthritis, over muscle development, reduced range of motion, and in many cases, reduced mobility due to chronic sciatic and back pain, in conjunction with fallen arches and poor posture.

“Skyler stresses the importance of eliminating “mindless exercise” from current fitness repertoire”

For example: running on a treadmill while reading a magazine, day after day. She teaches you to understand and relate to your body in a way that facilitates a healthy attitude towards activity and movement. She creates routines and classes that are based on her student’s interests, needs and goals.Exercise and activity are something that you should never do in a form of something you dread doing. Creating the understanding that overly developed superficial muscles ie) “washboard abs”, may look impressive however, they create a diversion from natural movement away from the center of the body. Connecting back into the deep, stabilizing muscles are what creates the streamlined, healthy, and  dynamic bodies, that are able to sustain life long fitness and health.

Sincerely, the act of being fit is something that should give you joy, energy, and motivation. She has seen too many times, people who push themselves through grueling, boring, angst filled workout routines. And while they may lose weight initially, they become agitated, grumpy, compulsive, and spend much of their days dreading the time when they have to lace up and get moving. (Much of the time, these are the individuals trying to push themselves through “low carb” diets) These clients do not experience consistent health, but rather go in and out of their goals do to their hatred and dread of their program!

“Skyler works to engage her students’ minds and suggest a sense of Gratitude for the ability to move”

She uses a strong base in “Structural Fitness” of the bones and connective tissues in order to successfully support a routine encompassing; Vinyasa Strength flows with joy and focus, sea wall endurance and interval training in the sun on the beach, Integrative Pilates with props and variations, along with a wide variety of other disciplines. Skyler facilitates a sense of accomplishment and lowered stress levels through challenge sensitive techniques.

Currently, Skyler works towards her Personal Trainer status, with the added challenge of carrying forward, her unconventional integrative training style as she continues to take on the gym world. As well, she is currently working towards her Bachelors of Science Degree in Human Kinetics and Nutrition, and continues to study into the art of Partner Yoga, and various massage and Yogic philosophies. Personal growth and education are of upmost importance to Skyler, and lay at the base of her integrity as a teacher, trainer, and practitioner.