Hola! I’m Alana, your yoga holiday host and yoga teacher. A Canadian with a gypsy soul and yogi heart, I have much experience in independent solo travels around the globe, including in Ecuador and for yoga studies.

 

Ecuador…

Little did I know that the first time I deplaned in the old Quito airport- smack dab in a narrow valley in the Andes- and set foot on this magical land on the equator, it was only the beginning of what has become a life long relationship. I have now been travelling in and out of Ecuador for well over a decade.

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Yoga…

I have likewise been in a long-term relationship with yoga, even before my travel bug was nourished. In 1998 I completed my first beginner’s yoga course in Iyengar Yoga. A decade later I decided to attend my first yoga teacher training and have been a Registered Yoga Teacher since 2008. Since then I have studied in respected yoga schools and ashrams internationally in places like India, Costa Rica, USA, Canada and Mexico.

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Like most relationships in life, my relationship with yoga both on and off the mat has fluctuated between casual and committed, ever changing and evolving, through life's journeys and teachers. My practice today is different than yesterday and tomorrow, and it's hard to explain in a paragraph or photo collage.

 

I am far less 'hardcore' and rigid in my own yoga practice, both mentally and physically, than I was in years past. After collecting a number of physical injuries and mental stressors on my journey, I now approach yoga as more fluid, soft and compassionate. I personally tend to use it as more of a therapeutic, restorative and balancing practice than a "workout". Besides, running is my cardio. ;-)

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Yoga & Ecuador…

A few years ago I finally decided to take the plunge, after years of dreaming, and quit my job as an Occupational Therapist to open Yogaroots Baños in my “home town” of Ecuador. You can read more about my yoga journey on Yogaroots Baños, my yoga studio website. If you’re travelling through Ecuador be sure to stop by and say hi!

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Sharing Yoga …

In my yoga classes I impart the fine balance between effort and ease. I encourage releasing of old patterns and stories, self-judgements, rigidity and goal-oriented practice, in favour of experiencing the present moment with acceptance and grace, perfect just as it is.

 

With a background in rehabilitation medicine and therapy, I am also mindful of supporting and protecting the body, and focus on proper alignment and the use of props. Sometimes having that little bit of extra support can lend us the space to release more deeply. It's ok to have help, and recognizing this is often quite challenging for most of us. You are not cheating, losing, or weak because you use support; that couldn't be farther from the truth. Let your yoga practice be a lesson for your life practice. :-)

 

“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” (B.K.S. Iyengar)

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Professional Life…

I have over a decade of experience in the springtime and summers working for Parks Canada in one of the biggest and busiest national parks in the Canadian Rockies (Jasper National Park). I treasure this because I get to live in one of the most incredible protected places on earth, while sharing this experience with travellers from all over the world. What a gift!

 

I still return to this beautiful, special place each summer to work a short contract and enjoy the splendour it offers: hiking, running and mountain biking on the vast trail system, backcountry camping and paddleboarding on the clear turquoise lakes, and watching my television: the bear and deer from my cabin's living room window!

 

Formal Education…

I completed a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (Rehabilitation Medicine). I have also completed graduate (masters) studies in Environmental Education and Communication. Yoga Retreat Travels Ecuador holistically incorporates and reflects my passions: travel, nature, outdoor activities and adventure, body-mind-soul nourishment & restoration, and of course Ecuador and yoga!

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I feel truly blessed with the opportunity to share yoga and outdoor activities in the diverse, breathtaking, awe-inspiring, natural places of Ecuador. Join me for an unforgettable adventure yoga retreat on your next holiday!