Francine is an internationally trained yoga instructor. She initially achieved her RYT200 certification through LifePower Yoga in 2017 - just 4 years after first falling in love with power vinyasa yoga - this only enhanced her desire to dive deeper into the depths of this ancient discipline. Currently at 550 hours of formal yoga teacher training, Francine’s RYT500 certification is near completion, pending only her final exam to lead her community in ceremony. Challenges in Francine’s health and personal life have delayed both the planning and facilitation of her assignment and to experience her off-the-mat yoga practice.
Francine found her yoga practice to be a quiet reprieve from her hectic corporate and family life. It was the one place she could find solace from a sometimes cruel and unforgiving world. While exercising her physical muscles, she quickly observed the mental, emotional and spiritual benefits and discovered the true beauty of yoga – the yoking of mind, body and spirit through connecting breath with movement and intention. Initially, the pursuit of her yoga teaching training was to deepen her personal practice, however, this quickly developed into a desire to give back to the community that has helped her to find equanimity through much adversity and to develop resilience.
Francine continued her studies in the 300Hr Yoga Mastery program through Happy Jack Yoga. The journey to her 500Hr certification began in Rishikesh, India (March 2019), considered to be the birthplace of yoga and the yoga and meditation capital of the world. In the foothills of the Himalayas, set on the banks of the holy mother Ganga, Francine studied pranayama, Ayurveda, meditation, and yoga at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram. Here she was blessed with participating in the world-renowned nightly Ganga Aarti puja (fire) ceremony twice in her 1 week stay, experienced the festival of Holi (festival of colours) and participated in her very first breathwork healing session and plant medicine (sacred cacao) ceremony.
After receiving her 100Hr Spirituality Immersion certification in India, she continued her journey to the Maya Tulum Resort and Spa in Mexico (November 2019) at the for an entirely different experience from ashram living - a 100Hr Abundance Immersion. Being a Yogi doesn’t mean you have to be poor! In Tulum, she entered the belly of Mother Earth, Gaia, Pachamama to purify and heal body, mind, and soul through a traditional Mexican temezcal or sweat lodge ceremony. Francine endured the intense heat and navigated through all four doors, or portals, to her spiritual rebirth.
As with life, Francine’s 500Hr journey had many twists and turns. Although she looked forward to a 100Hr Yin immersion, complete with plenty of traditional Finnish saunas followed by cold immersion therapy (jumping your smoking hot bod into an icy lake through a hole cut into the ice and essentially staying there for as long as you possibly can without dying!), and her 300Hr graduation in Finland in January 2020, life would have it that a trip to Finland was not yet in the cards for her. Francine instead spent a few beautiful fall days in the Muskoka’s for a 50Hr Yin Immersion in Bracebridge, Ontario (2019) - a deep dive into anatomy and the art of surrender.
Finally, after two and a half years of (life altering) Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions, Francine would make her way to Urubamba - The Sacred Valley, Peru for a 100Hr Illumination Immersion. Nestled in the Andes mountains, high above the world, Francine developed and refined her leadership skills through planning and facilitating ceremony. In Peru she received insights from Q-ero P'akkos or shamans, learning of their deep respect for Pachamama that has be lost in western society. In the Sacred Valley, Francine was reminded how to slow down and reconnected with and honoured Pachamama… and ultimately herself.
At home, Francine’s yoga students are calmed by her soothing voice during a relaxing, but often challenging, yin practice and empowered to discover and play their edge through the power that is also channelled through Francine’s voice as she guides her students through more active hatha and Power Vinyasa style classes. Francine’s teaching style focusses on breath and body awareness, alignment and the mind-body-soul connection.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Lao Tzu
Francine is also a certified Anti-Gravity Fitness Instructor (CAGI, 2022), a certified Usui Reiki Master Healer (2018) and Quantum Reflex Analysis (QRA) Practitioner (2018).
Francine has adopted yoga as a holistic lifestyle. Her yoga practice continues to challenge her on her own personal health & wellness journey and inspires her to expand her knowledge of this infinitely mystical ancient science to share with her students.
Her greatest lessons have been that 'your pain is your purpose' and that 'it is through healing yourself that you heal the world'.
NAMASTE