Team
Our Team
We are an integrated group of trained professionals supporting communities in Calgary, AB.
Click on each therapy type to read about your therapist.
ACUPUNCTURISTS
Dr.Ann Zee
Founder & Director
ABORM Fellow.
The Holistic Institute of Health and Fertility is Ann’s vision for providing a model of collaborative, integrative healthcare to Calgarians.
“Originally, I didn’t set out to work with fertility issues. It scared me as I felt the knowledge required was vast, and I had yet to learn most of it. However, the universe had different plans for me, and my fertility caseload steadily increased. I didn’t advertise that I worked with fertility or have any literature about it. People just kept on showing up on my doorstep.
Over the years, I found our most significant success to be working with other therapies in conjunction with Acupuncture/TCM. Having complementary therapies under one roof made sense, as everyone has different needs.
We quickly grew to include prenatal, postnatal, and now perimenopausal care into our repertoire. We have had the gift of being with our patients throughout their reproductive journeys.
The drive comes simply from my desire to be in service to others when asked why I do this.
If we are not supporting one another, I honestly don’t know why we are here.
Dr.Christa Marx
South Clinic
Christa began her formal education in holistic medicine at the Wild Rose College of Natural Healing IN 1993.
Graduating from the program with a Master Herbalist and Wholistic Therapist diploma. Her interest in women’s health grew when she studied under Susun Weed, author and herbalist in New York.
After graduating with a Diploma in 2004 from the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACATCM). Christa studied Japanese acupuncture and Herbs with Dr. Miki Shima, OMD in San Francisco. Dr. Shima is a well known Japanese acupuncturist, author, and winner of the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine’s AAAOM lifetime achievement award.
In the last few years since starting her own family, Christa has dedicated most of her learning from teachers specializing in pregnancy, women’s health and fertility both professionally and personally integrating a multi-disciplinary approach to health before, during, and after pregnancy. Christa also draws on years of meditation and counselling training which have helped her relate to her patients.
Dr. Ciara McNiff
North Clinic
Ciara’s passion for Chinese Medicine and traditional forms of healing began after university…
while volunteering in South America. Living there, she learned acupuncture, herbal medicine and massage from local healers. After eight months, Ciara returned to Canada to begin four years of study in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Victoria BC. During this time, Ciara worked as a massage therapist at a local spa.In 2006, Ciara moved to Calgary and began working as a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, incorporating both acupuncture and herbal medicine. Ciara has a special focus on women’s health, fertility (both male and female), pregnancy, birth, post- partum care and stress reduction.
As time passes, Ciara’s passion and respect for Chinese Medicine continues to grow. Each patient is unique and Ciara enjoys learning from her patients and creating specialized treatment plans for each individual. Challenges are met with enthusiasm as Ciara is excited to learn new techniques and delve deeper into traditional knowledge.
When Ciara is not working, you can find her with her three kids outside exploring, biking, skating or heading out to the mountains eating a snack that has vegetables snuck into it 
Dr. Courteney Kenning
North Clinic
ABORM Fellow.
Courteney began her education with a degree in Natural Resource Science at TRU in Kamloops BC.
The degree focused largely on plant identification which opened a door to Chinese Herbal Medicine. After receiving a successful acupuncture treatment while living in Taiwan her interest in Asian culture and medicine was ignited. In 2006 she completed the doctor program for Traditional Chinese Medicine at the PCU College of Holistic Medicine in Vancouver British Columbia. She has been a proud member of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine since 2013, this qualification allows her to practice Traditional Chinese Medicine for fertility with a broad understanding of the western treatments for infertility. Courteney has been helping folks achieve their goal of growing their families at The Holistic Institute of Health and Fertility since 2011. She has many years of experience using Chinese Medicine to compliment IUI and IVF treatments.
When she is not practicing Chinese Medicine she enjoys skiing, hiking, and spending time with her amazing family. She is the proud mother of two young boys Hastings and Smith.
Dr. Maya Hayashi
North and South Clinic
ABORM Fellow.
Maya realized her strong desire to help others after working in the dental field for three years.
Feeling limited by how much she was able to personally help patients; she began to search for a better fit. Maya discovered Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture and knew it was her true calling.
She became a registered Acupuncturist through the College and Association of Acupuncturists of Alberta in 2012. Maya’s passion for Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine continues to grow and she is excited to use her knowledge and skill to bring healing to others.
Her goal as your Acupuncturist is to assist you to achieve and maintain a healthy balance and harmony for your body, mind and spirit and eliminate dis-ease. Her approach is gentle and she believes in total patient care. Specializing in women’s health and calming the mind from emotional stress, she will work with you to become more in tune and mindful of your body, moving towards a healthy and centered self.
Maya continues to evolve her understanding of TCM, and is grateful to serve others as an Acupuncturist. Maya has also completed the Meditation Instructor’s Course at the Willpower Institute and enjoys practicing Qi Gong. In her free time she loves hiking, swimming, camping and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Rachel Ferguson
South Clinic
ABORM Fellow Candidate.
Rachel found Traditional Chinese Medicine while attending college in Nova Scotia. Like many, Rachel was on her own health journey and soon realized the power of the medicine. Upon completing her studies in Holistic Nutrition she came back to Alberta to research TCM schools and enrolled in the Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine 4-year program. Pregnancy and postpartum care has always been a special interest to Rachel and this translates into her clinical practice. Rachel has a clinical focus on hormonal health, pre-conception, pregnancy and postpartum care, as well as stress reduction and digestive health. With her education in acupuncture, herbal medicine and moxibustion combined with pre/post natal yoga and nutrition, Rachel is invested in your overall health. When Rachel is not practicing you can find her practicing yoga, hanging out with her two cats and researching for her garden.
MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Allyssa Anderson
North Clinic
Allyssa graduated from Mount Royal University’s 2200hr Massage Therapy program. With a therapeutic background, Allyssa is well versed in working with injuries, complex conditions, and relaxation. She can help support through pregnancy, postpartum, management of injuries or general relaxation through evidence based medicine. Everyone is welcome to her practice.
Allyssa treats with a mind-body approach, and values increasing your longevity and daily living. Mount Royal University gave her a range of therapeutic and relaxation techniques that will help you achieve your goals. These include assessment, therapeutic exercise, deep tissue, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, manual lymph drainage and many more.
Allyssa is an animal lover and photography enthusiast. She enjoys hanging out with her son and playing video games.
Dawn Beaulieu
South Clinic
Dawn has been massaging since 2003 and over the years has added more healing…modalities to her knowledge base including Reiki, Reflexology, Warm Stone, and Dynamic Cupping.
Having always played sports she learnt about the human body and one day got to experience her first massage, she was hooked! Dawn has always loved helping others and massage is just one of the ways she gets to do that.
She has two boys who are 9 and 12 and they bring out the child in her making each other laugh and smile every day. She is a very creative person who loves to learn new things. She has been knitting for 35 years, and has most recently added macramé and Musical Theater to the mix.
Being someone who experiences auto-immune conditions, she truly believes self-care, whatever that may look like for each individual, is important and that joy and laughter always help in the healing process.
Erica Pretty
South Clinic
Before receiving her Degree in Cultural Anthropology and Indigenous Studies at the University…of Victoria in BC, Erica completed a Holistic Massage therapy Diploma with the Vancouver School of Bodywork and Massage. After connecting deeply with alternative therapies and helping others, she continued on her journey of holistic healing and received a clinical Massage therapy diploma (2200hr) with the Canadian College of Health Science and Technology in Ontario, a Yoga Teacher Training certificate from Nepal, and Yin Yoga teacher training in Calgary. Currently, she is a budding herbalist and is enrolled in the Practical Herbalist Program at Wild Rose College. She has been practicing massage and healing for 14 years.
Erica has travelled extensively learning different cultural ways of healing. Her treatments are tailored to each patient needs and she incorporates what is needed from these learned modalities in each treatment. From Jikiden Reiki to deep tissue, cupping and release techniques, she has a holistic but clinical approach to therapy which allows for a connected and well-rounded treatment accessing a deep release of muscle tension and overall feeling grounding and wellbeing.
Recently becoming a mother herself, Erica understands physical, mental, and emotional interplay of this transformative time. With her 14 years of experience in massage and healing you can feel at ease knowing you are in capable hands on your path to motherhood.
Franca Perri
North Clinic
Franca is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) with 12 years of therapeutic experience…
She is passionate about the art of massage, self healing, and furthering her education in the field. Franca graduated from Mount Royal University’s esteemed massage therapy school and is registered with the Natural Health Practitioners of Canada (NHPC) and licensed by the City of Calgary. She adores working with prenatal women as well all people in search of relief from aches, pains. Franca has also trained in Craniosacral techniques, Reiki and Shamanic energy healing.
Through her commitment to massage and education, she has acquired a wide range of specialties giving you many choices that best suit your needs.
“I promise to bring you the best professional care possible within my scope of practice, with full integrity.”
Hali Fehr
.
South Clinic
Hali graduated from Foothills College of Massage Therapy in 2006. She has an innate passion for holistic
health and the mind body connection. This spurred her to complete a bachelor’s degree in Psychology
from the University of Calgary and pursue a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology from Athabasca
University.
Hali offers a holistic approach to her massage practice where she creates a safe space for healing and
optimal health. She enjoys working with women at various stages of their pre-and post-natal journeys
and offers a deep sense of empathy and compassion. She believes that what gets stored in the mind,
gets stored in the body and helps clients cultivate a deeper awareness about this connection.
She has two young boys that keep her on her toes and in her free time enjoys engaging in self care
practices such as meditation, yoga, and travel.
Karyn Cato
South Clinic
Karyn Cato BA, RMT After receiving her degree in Psychology from the U of C. Karyn developed a keen interest in holistic health and the interrelation between psyche and body in regard to bioenergetic healing.She began to explore this through a wide range of courses and workshops with Wild Rose College in Calgary. She is a firm believer that the best therapies/medicine are those that support and work in harmony with each Being’s natural ability to heal the whole Self and maintain well being. Karyn has been practicing relaxation/therapeutic Massage Therapy since 2007 and is 2200 hour certified. In 2010, she traveled to Thailand, and received her levels I&II certification in Thai Massage at the Thai Massage School of Chiang Mai.She is also certified in Hot/Cold Stone Therapy and Shiatsu, is a Practical Herbalist and near completion for her designation as Master Herbalist.
Lee Brill
North Clinic
Lee is a Registered Massage Therapist and Birth Doula from New Zealand. She has dedicated her healing practice…to helping women and families navigate their health at every stage of their lives. Her love for sports sparked her interest in the human body, having played volleyball and netball at the national level she understands just how deeply important these therapies are to maintaining good health and performance. As an MH Vicars graduate she uses evidence based massage treatments such as deep tissue, trigger point therapy, remedial exercise and myofascial release techniques. Naturally, she is very knowledgeable and experienced when it comes to injury rehabilitation, prenatal and postpartum massage therapy. Becoming a Birth Doula was a natural next step for Lee, her love and passion for prenatal, postpartum and infant care coupled with her warm, caring and supportive nature is just what everyone needs in their support person. She is an avid traveller which has fostered her deep connection and love for all people, spending her first years living in Japan as a child and travelling all across the world she has experienced the many ways people approach their health and happiness. In her spare time you will find her in the mountains, hiking, skiing, mountain biking or kayaking.
Melissa Kerr
South Clinic
Melissa graduated with honours from MH Vicars and is a member of the MTAA. After graduating, she owned and operated…a home based massage business and wanted to further share her massage therapy in a new field. Melissa uses techniques such as deep tissue, trigger point release, pregnancy, relaxation/therapeutic, Reiki, and dynamic cupping.
When she isn’t at work, Melissa enjoys playing a variety of sports, travelling, and furthering her education in the field. She values compassion, empathy, kindness and equality. Melissa believes strongly in providing a safe, welcoming, professional environment for all.
Sydney John
South Clinic
Finding a team of practitioner’s you trust is important. Sydney will provide a safe, comfortable environment…to help heal through your journey. She graduated from Mount Royal University, winning the “Massage Therapy Award for Academic Excellence” twice while studying there. She is an active member of MTAA with 2200hrs and offers dynamic cupping in her practice.
With a sport injury background Sydney is well versed working with injuries, conditions, to general life tension. Whether it is helping support through fertility, pregnancy, or postpartum, she knows how to provide a guiding hand through aches, pains, and stressors.
Sydney treats with a mind/body/spirit approach, and hopes to help guide to a balanced lifestyle through holistic values. She prides herself on her pillars of practice: Education, communication, and positive touch. With a blend of therapeutic and relaxation techniques that can include cupping, deeper tissue, mobility, and compression holds, you will walk out of her room hopefully feeling more zen and connected.
Sydney is a lover of nature, listening to records, snowboarding, and having a good laugh. If you are looking for a moment of calm and peace with some giggles thrown in, Sydney is your practitioner.
Sydney-Marie Leblanc
North & South Clinic
Sydney is a registered massage therapist with 2200 hour training from Vicars School of Massage Therapy. She is passionate about the holistic approach to wellbeing and looking at the body as a whole. Sydney’s goal is to bring solutions and tools to help decrease pain & stress for her clients.
She is trained in therapeutic massage, deep tissue, relaxation, pre/post-natal massage, trigger point therapy, and myofascial release.
Sydney trained in Yin yoga techniques in 2019 which led to being curious about helping others along in their own pain-free journeys. This led her straight into massage therapy.
In Sydney’s spare time she loves getting outside with her dog, enjoying the sunshine & fresh air. As well taking barre classes or spending time at the gym to keep up her active lifestyle.
CHIROPRACTORS
Dr. Nicole Kane
North Clinic
Dr. Nicole Kane is a passionate Chiropractor with a focus on perinatal, paediatrics and perimenopause wellness. Her standards in care shine in her approach with each and every visit. She provides women and their families the opportunity to move through life with more ease, optimized function and improved wellness, inspiring them to live happier, healthier lives. Focusing on spinal alignment, balance, strength and flexibility, Dr Kane provides exceptional care with gentle and specific techniques As a wife and mother, she connects professionally with the entire family unit while providing a comfortable and relatable atmosphere. As a previous elite athlete and recreational enthusiast, she connects not only with young people in sport, but also with women looking to improve function and fitness after birth and through perimenopause. Dr. Kane has inspired and educated many within the communities she has worked. Some highlights include; a treating doctor for women at Ironman California and Canada, a lead yoga instructor at private retreats including ‘The Power of Fitness for Women in Medicine’, and the ‘Fast and Female Summit’ promoting health and fitness for young females. She is excited to continue her commitment in the community here with The Holistic Institute of Health and Fertility. Dr. Kane has a passion for life and when not practicing, she can be found enjoying the mountain landscapes, skiing, hiking, paddling and cycling or at the rink cheering on her girls playing ringette. Credentials include: -Doctor of Chiropractic – honours 2001 -Bachelor of Kinesiology – honours 1996 -Member of the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) and full course completion on Perinatal/Paediatrics Care -Pelvic floor and Core Exercise Specialist Certification -Webster Technique Certification -Active Release Technique Certification -Functional movement Specialist -Rock Tape certified with perinatal and pediatric focus -Yoga Instructor and Kids Yoga Instructor Certification
Dr. Sarah Brennan
North Clinic
Dr. Sarah originally hails from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Biology, from Saint Francis Xavier University before moving to Toronto to complete chiropractic training at Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Upon graduating in 2013, Dr. Sarah decided to head west to make Calgary home.
Over the last decade, Dr. Sarah has worked with all types of patients, ranging from infants to seniors, those healing after motor vehicle accidents, as well as those dealing with chronic pain. Dr. Sarah’s goal is to encourage patients to feel their best and get them back to doing the things they love. Dr. Sarah utilizes a combination of several chiropractic techniques including diversified technique (manual adjustments), gentle joint mobilizations, soft tissue therapy and exercise recommendations. She has also completed several continuing education courses with a focus on how chiropractic can help patients with headaches, TMJ concerns and chronic pain.
After becoming a mother, Dr. Sarah gained a new appreciation for pregnancy and the toll it can take on the body. She enjoys working with patients throughout all stages of motherhood, from pregnancy to post-partum healing. She has completed training in Webster technique promoting pelvic alignment in pregnancy, BirthFit certification, GrowCo Rehab (taking care of patients in the post-partum period) and chiropractic care for infants and kids.
Although Dr. Sarah misses the ocean, she has come to appreciate all Alberta has to offer. When not at work, she enjoys exploring Alberta with her two young daughters and husband. To stay healthy, Dr. Sarah enjoys yoga and walks with the family dog, Walter.
Dr. Teighen McLeod
South Clinic
Teighen was born and raised in Calgary, playing all sports under the sun and on the snow…
Her passion for activity and fascination of what the body was capable is what motivated her to study at the University of Calgary, graduating with a Bachelors of Kinesiology. She didn’t discover chiropractic until undergrad when she sought treatment for headaches upon recommendation from others. Although skeptical at first, she was impressed how helpful treatment was and after shadowing several chiropractors she decided it was the perfect blend of her interests and helping others.
Teighen graduated from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto and has since practiced in Calgary working with all ages from newborns to late 90s. She thoroughly enjoys working with everyone, however found it particularly rewarding working with pre and post natal women to ease the pains associated with changes during and after pregnancy, as well as the resilient (and adorable) little ones. Her keen interest in the pregnancy and pediatric population lead her to pursue additional education in the field. Teighen is certified in Webster
technique through the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association).
PHYSIOTHERAPISTS
Nav Grewal BSc, MSc, PT
North and South Clinic
After graduating from McMaster University in 2015, Nav realized there was a lack of focus on Women’s Health in Physiotherapy and was immediately drawn to serve in this area.
She developed a passion for helping women pre and postnatally and has since worked extensively to provide the best pelvic care possible to her clients. During pregnancy, Nav assists women to maintain a healthy pelvic floor to prevent and treat issues such as leakages, urinary urgency/frequency, pain with sex, pelvic girdle pain (pubic, tailbone, groin, low back, hips), and pelvic organ prolapse.
Additionally, she
provides education to prep for labour and delivery with perineal massage education,
and optimal ways to push while keeping the pelvic floor safe and healthy. Postpartum,
she ensures women are able to return to their daily activities and exercise safely
without any of the above symptoms. For mamas who have undergone cesarean
deliveries, Nav uses a device called The Dolphin Microcurrent Point Stimulation Therapy
to reduce scar tissue restrictions and any associated tension, pain, tenderness, and
pulling.
During physiotherapy sessions, Nav combines manual therapy techniques, exercise
prescription, and patient education with her client’s individual goals to improve their
quality of life and return them to health. Above all, she believes in treating each
individual’s unique needs with respect, kindness, and compassion. Nav continues to
expand her knowledge by taking advanced courses in pelvic health and integrating new
research into her practice. When she is not treating patients, Nav enjoys leading a
healthy lifestyle by keeping active with hiking, running, yoga, and meditation.
Maria Artiuch BSc, MSc, PT
North Clinic
Maria completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree at the University of Calgary, before receiving a Masters of Physiotherapy in 2011 at the University of Queensland in beautiful Brisbane, Australia.
She first started her career working in private practice, gaining experience treating acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, neurological conditions, pre- and post- orthopedic surgeries, chronic pain, sports injuries and women’s health.
From then, she realized there was a gap in knowledge amongst pre- and post-natal women who were suffering in silence with pelvic floor dysfunctions and lacking understanding in how to manage their symptoms.
After realizing how underserviced this area of practice was, Maria decided to specialize in pelvic floor physiotherapy. She has experience
working with a variety of pelvic health conditions including urinary/fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, sexual pain & dysfunction, pre- and postnatal care, and abdominal separation. She continues to take course work to advance her knowledge and ensure her treatment is evidence-based.
Maria is passionate about her career in physiotherapy as it allows her to continue to learn and provide quality care for a variety of conditions and injuries. She actively listens to her clients and provides the education they need to have a successful recovery and reach their goals. To achieve the best outcome, she uses a holistic and individualized treatment
approach that combines patient education, manual therapy, soft tissue release, taping and specific exercise prescription.
Her aim is to restore mobility, decrease pain, reestablish appropriate movement patterns, improve function, and minimize the likelihood of symptom recurrence.
She ultimately aims to empower clients by providing them the knowledge and tools to manage their symptoms with confidence and success!
Maria enjoys living an active lifestyle. If she’s not at the gym, she can be found in the outdoors snowboarding, hiking, rock
climbing or cycling.
She is also a keen traveler, and has extensively explored North America, Europe, Central America,
South America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
NATUROPATH
Dr. Kristin Ruzicki
North and South Clinic
Dr. Ruzicki always had the intention of pursuing medicine, wanting to understand the intricate balance between illness and health
While in university, she attended an information session from a naturopathic medical school, and she realized for the first time that a type of medicine existed that did exactly what she was always interested in, focusing on the whole person, while trying to blend the best of traditional and modern medicine.
Since graduating from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2015, she has continued this passion by helping the whole family with a special interest in women and children’s health, hormonal concerns (thyroid, menstrual concerns, menopause, stress), fertility, pre & postnatal care, autoimmunity, allergies, digestive concerns and fatigue. She values integrative medicine and being able to bridge the gap between conventional and naturopathic care. She uses a variety of approaches to care for her patients including individualized testing, nutrition, botanical medicine, vitamin injections, IV therapy, and lifestyle management.
Dr. Ruzicki values integrative medicine and being able to encourage her patients to gain the best of both worlds, bridging the gap between conventional and naturopathic care.
She enjoys treating the whole family with special interests in digestive health, hormonal concerns, fatigue, chronic infections, autoimmunity, and environmental medicine.
When she is not at the clinic, Dr. Ruzicki enjoys spending time with family and friends, yoga, hiking, and snowboarding. She loves to travel, especially to sunny destinations, and is often exploring new cities in her time off. While attending Naturopathic Medical School, Dr. Ruzicki was an active member of Naturopaths Without Borders, organizing and volunteering on monthly clinic trips in Rocky Point, Mexico.
FERTILITY NURSE
Sara Silbernagel,BScN RN
IVF-IUI Concierge Nurse
North and South Clinic
Founder of The Warrior Coach Inc.
Member of The College of Registered Nurses of Alberta
The Warrior Coach Inc. was founded in 2022. After 8 years of working in the fertility industry as a front-line Registered Nurse, Sara recognized a gap in the industry – personalized, emotional and educational support by a healthcare professional for those struggling to conceive. 1 in 6 couples in Canada experience infertility. The online platform was created to educate, support, and empower those who are attempting to start or grow their family. With services designed to advance knowledge and skills, provide customized treatment support, and help individuals connect with a community during their fertility journey, The Warrior Coach is your one-stop source for all things fertility.
PSYCHOLOGIST
Stamatina (Tina) Nikolaou, R.Psych
Stamatina (Tina) Nikolaou is a Registered Psychologist and has over a decade of experience working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families in a variety of settings. Tina brings a genuine compassion and aims to create a safe, respectful and non judgemental, space where individuals and couples can rediscover the essence of who they are. Tina is an empathic and dynamic listener who is passionate about helping people live out their full potential and overcome challenges that get in their way.
Tina strives to thoroughly understand her clients’ challenges and strengths. She collaborates with her clients to identify and achieve effective, creative, and unique solutions in order to overcome the challenges they are facing. In working with couples, Tina tries to make the process of counselling rewarding for both partners by helping them to foster a greater appreciation for each other while at the same time working to resolve areas of conflict.
Tina attained a Masters in Counselling Psychology from the University of Calgary through Campus Alberta. She also obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology at the University of Calgary. In addition, Tina has a diploma in School Psychology. Tina has completed Levels I, & II of Gottman Couples Training, and is clinically trained in hypnosis.
Areas of Specialization: Disordered Eating and Body Image, Self-Esteem, Depression, Postpartum Depression, Infertility, Stress & Anxiety, Relationships and Parenting.
HOLISTIC NUTRITIONIST
Jenna Lessner
Jenna’s passion for this work was sparked by her own need for it. What she has learned through years of personal health struggles and coaching women is that it is really hard to go at it alone.
For as long as Jenna can remember, she used food as comfort. Her unhealthy relationship with food resulted in a struggle with obesity. When she graduated from university with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 2010, her weight had climbed to 295 pounds.
“The day I stepped on the scale and saw that number staring back at me was a turning point in my life. It was at that moment that I vowed I would never reach 300 pounds…”
Cryss Donnell
A knee injury later in life would have Cryss change direction from a career in dance, and gift her with two amazing sons. As a form of therapy…for her knee after surgery, Cryss took up yoga. Once again , the movement of the Asanas, were speaking directly to her soul. She pursued this practice for ten years, and took the 200 hour RYT training at Alberta Yoga College.
Yoga has blended into her beliefs in Spiritualism seamlessly. She has studied Meditation for most of her life with amazing guides and teachers. I have also certified in Reiki healing, As I believe that if the soul is suffering so to will the body. Cryss is always grateful for new beginnings.
And with that attitude of gratitude again she says thank you for coming to visit, and hopes to see you again soon.
Ja’net Barchard-Smith
Ja’net has been teaching yoga since 2004 and Prenatal Yoga since 2006. She’s a long-time yoga student and teacher who is passionate…about working with people to help them feel optimal. Yoga has supported her in her own health challenges, pregnancies, and the big transition to being a mom, and helps her handle the ups and downs that happen with life. She completed her 200-hr Yoga Teacher training and Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga training through Trinity Yoga and completed an additional 500-hr Yoga Teacher training with the Healing Yoga Foundation in San Francisco. Her classes are about helping you to be more balanced on a physical, mental and emotional level and supporting your individual experience in a class setting. She’s currently also pursuing her Therapeutic Recreation degree through the University of Lethbridge so she can build on how she supports people to better health. When she’s not teaching (or studying), you can often find her exploring outdoors with her two sons, hubby and her ‘dog of mischief’ Loki.
Eliza Arentewicz
Eliza took her first yoga class in 2000. She was instantly intrigued and inspired, and still is, so many years later…Early on, she realized that one day, she would become a yoga teacher; she wanted to share her passion for yoga with others.
Yoga became an instrumental part of her life; it got her through two pregnancies and helped her recover physically and emotionally, following these enormous changes in her life. In 2015, she took her 200 hour yoga training and now truly enjoys sharing yoga with others, of all age-groups. For Eliza, watching bodies move and creating a space where one may allow oneself to instill compassion, acceptance, ease and tranquility for themselves is amazing.
“It is a privilege to teach at The Holistic Institute of Health and Fertility; in such a caring atmosphere.”
Judy Chan
.
Judy began practicing yoga in 2008 and instantly recognized the countless healing benefits yoga has to offer….In 2018, she completed her RYT 200 at the Alberta Yoga College and in 2020, she completed her Prenatal Yoga teaching certification at Metta Yoga Calgary. She enjoys teaching various styles of yoga and hopes to continue to study innovative ways to help her students. As a teacher, Judy is warm and welcoming, she creates a safe, non-competitive space for her students to explore beneath the surface of their daily lives to find insight and inspiration. Her classes offer creative sequences focusing on the importance of alignment, pranayama (breath work) and mindfulness.
As a mom of two boys, her life is full of excitement and activity, when she is not chasing her boys around or teaching yoga, she loves to run, cycle, and hike.
Lanna Petterson
Lanna is a new mother and was astonished that the journey through pregnancy, birth, and new motherhood had such a profound and positive effect on her life…
However, she was also amazed that this process was so physically and mentally taxing and that such little care and attention is offered to birth parents as they transition into their new bodies and roles. Lanna was moved to seek training to help support others through pregnancy and parenthood. A few months after giving birth, she completed her 85-hour pre/postnatal yoga teacher training. Since that time, she has been offering pre and postnatal classes. Lanna enjoys being a member of a community of support.