Michelle is the Owner and Director of 5 Elements Yoga & Pilates. Michelle was raised with an awareness of natural health and awakened her curiousity of yoga concepts at the age of 12, and then took her first yoga classes in 1985 while attending the University of Waterloo. She now has the designation of Experienced-Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT, Yoga Alliance) and has several Yoga Certifications, including East to West Yoga and the Seattle Holistic Center, and is Certified in TheMethod Pilates (Physical Mind Institute, New York, NY) and is Stott Pilates trained in Mat, Reformer and Injuries & Special Populations. She has studied with many of the world's best teachers and is grateful to her teachers over the years, especially Shiva Rea, Mark Whitwell, Kam Thye Chow, Colette Crawford and Erich Schiffmann, and continues her studies in the Krishnamacharya lineage of yoga, tantra and ayurveda and its evolution known as Prana Vinyasa Flow Yoga, with her principle teacher Shiva Rea in California, as well as Iyengar-inspired yoga with Ramanand Patel and Hart Lazer. Michelle is a guest teacher for Shiva Rea's Pre & Post Natal Yoga Teacher Training at Exhale Center for Sacred Movement in Venice, California.

Michelle's initiation into teaching was 24 years ago when she began teaching fitness classes in 1984 and has since received several fitness Certifications including: YMCA, Can-Fit-Pro (FIS, PTS, PFS, NWS & MBS), BTS (Body Training Systems International - BodyFlow & BodyPump), Keiser (Indoor Group Cycling) & CALA (Canadian Aquafitness Leaders' Alliance).

She has provided assistance and education to childbearing women & their families since 1992, receiving certifications as a Childbirth Educator (CCE, ALACE- Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators), Doula (CD, DONA - Doulas of North America) and Labour Assistant (CLA, ALACE).

Michelle is a Certified Thai Yoga Massage Practitioner (Lotus Palm method), having additionally studied Ayurveda & Thai Yoga Therapy with Kam Thye Chow (Lotus Palm) and Advanced Thai Massage with teachers from Asokonanda's school. She is a Lotus Palm Teacher, co-teaching & co-authored (with Kam Thye Chow) the Prenatal Thai Yoga Massage course and manual. She is also a Certified Reflexologist (RAC - Reflexology Association of Canada) and a Reiki Master.

Michelle was one of the original PRO Trainers for the Can-Fit-Pro Pre & Post Natal Fitness Specialist Certification Course (PFS) for many years and was a trainer for all of the East to West Yoga & Pilates Teacher Training programs. She has written/developed her own Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training course and the 5 Elements 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training course, focusing on Vinyasa Flow Yoga, including the accompanying Manuals. She is also a sought after Conference Presenter, presenting on Prenatal Yoga & Pilates and evolved Vinyasa Flow Yoga (i.e. Can-Fit-Pro, Yoga in Toronto, The Yoga Conference www.theyogaconference.com) and has taught at the Kripalu Center in Massachusetts.

Michelle's passion is to share her love of Yoga & Pilates with participants and Teacher Trainees at 5 Elements, and her greatest joy is being is the mother of 5 amazing daughters. She is deeply grateful for the support of her family in fulfilling this calling to teach!!

Sue is a certified Yoga Teacher through ICYAS in Toronto and enjoys teaching Kundalini Yoga, 10 Body Yoga and Restorative Yoga. She has also completed and received certification through the 5 Elements Yoga Teacher Training program. She has many years of background with not only hatha yoga, but also extensive knowledge of yoga philosophy and history, as well as pranayama and meditation. Sue is trained in Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga through 5 Elements and continues her studies in yoga and related topics, and presently is enjoying her pursuit of "Laughter Yoga".

Sandra Fonseca-Abbott, BA, RN, RYT

Sandra has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years, and specializes in Vinyasa Flow Yoga and Yoga for Golfers™. Sandra has a great passion for yoga and golf, and enjoys teaching Vinyasa Flow Yoga at 5 Elements, as well as specialty Yoga for Golfers™ programs at 5 Elements or through her company "Yoga Tent" in Acton (www.yogatent.com).

Sandra studied her yoga teacher training with Michelle Cormack at 5 Elements and received her 200 hour certification from East to West Yoga (EWYT350). Sandra also trained and certified in Yoga for Golfers™ with program creator, Katherine Roberts in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sandra is a member of the Brampton Golf Club and is affiliated with the Jim McClean Golf Schools of Canada at Legends on the Niagara as the exercise consultant and yoga for golf instructor. She enjoys participating in Golf Scene's KiwiTour competing at several golf courses throughout Ontario, and is dedicated to helping people achieve balanced performance both on and off the golf course, providing golfers with the tools to play better and longer.

She has offered teacher development programs and continues her studies in yoga, anatomy, physiology, thai yoga massage and other related courses. Her enjoyment of travel and Vinyasa Flow yoga has lead her to train extensively with Shiva Rea, Prana Vinyasa Flow Yoga creator in California.

Born to a North Indian father and Swedish-American mother in California, Jinder grew up between many cultures and art forms, including ballet, music, and yoga. She made several trips to India, for intensive meditation and to study Indian classical and devotional music, including singing and tablas (North Indian percussion). She sings ethereal devotional chants at the end of her yoga classes, as well as in concerts.

She also continued her studies of Comparative Literature and Art History at the University of California, Irvine, and Humboldt State University. Jinder found that the intensive practice of Hatha yoga simply deepened her personal meditation practice, as the heat and purification of yoga prepares us for the inner journey of meditation. Jinder trained in Anusara yoga at the Center for Yoga in Los Angeles and in Power Yoga at Earth’s Power Yoga Studio in Los Angeles as well as a year of intensive practice with Bryan Kest Power Yoga, where she used to sing devotional songs at the end of Bryan’s classes.

Jinder’s power yoga classes are challenging and intense, working through a flowing and long series of sun salutations to warm up for deeper stretching and a very meditative relaxation. She was also certified in Pilates from “Perfectly Fit” in California, and she teaches New York style Pilates and an intensive Pilates workout called “Reformer on the Mat”, which goes through the workout of a Pilates Reformer class, but on the mat: much more challenging and difficult! It works the entire body very precisely and integrates ballet, being especially good for dancers. She integrates some power moves in her classes from belly dance training, which she learned from her teacher Suhaila Salimpour. Jinder also practices holistic healing arts, using Bach flower remedies, holistic nutrition, homeopathy, NLP, and Angel therapies to remove timeline traumas and deal with addictions, emotional issues, and past life events. An eternal student, she is currently completing her degree as a Doctor of Medical Heilkunst and Homeopathy at the Hahnemann College for Heilkunst in Canada.

Krista is a qualified school teacher (B.Ed.) who teaches special needs kids by day and studio classes by night! She has been a dancer for most of her life, and teaches ballet, jazz and creative movement to both children and adults. She studied ballet and modern dance at York University, and completed her top level CDTA ballet exam through The School of Classical Ballet in Brampton. Krista's passion for dance led her to classes in Yoga and Pilates about 15 years ago. She discovered both as effective methods to develop and enhance balance, strength and flexibility for dance, and now as a Yoga/Pilates instructor she integrates many dance elements into her classes. Krista is a certified fitness instructor and Mind Body Fitness Specialist through Can-Fit Pro. She is East to West Yoga Certified in both Yoga & Pilates, and has completed various workshops through Stott Pilates. Krista has a son Carter and will be welcoming her second child later this year.

Michele Moleta, RN, RYT

Michele has been involved in the fitness industry for over 19 years teaching group fitness, spinning and pilates. As well, Michele is a Registered Nurse by profession for over 11 years specializing in psychiatry, multi-organ transplant, renal dialysis and Public Health. She has a BScN in Nursing from Lakehead University and is certified with several fitness affiliations such as: CanFit Pro, ACE, Stott Pilates and the Physical Mind Institute. Her new passion is YOGA and received her East to West Yoga Certification from Michelle Cormack in 2006. Active living is the key to life for Michele. If she is not teaching, Nursing or taking care of her young daughter, Mackenzie, Michele takes pride in competing in outdoor events such as mountain biking, trail running and adventure racing. Although the busy lifestyle is what excites Michele, yoga has introduced a more balanced liberation from chaos. Michele's long-term goal is to inspire others through her expertise and knowledge, especially 'new moms' in specialty programs such as pre/postnatal yoga and fitness. Michele will be welcoming her second child into the world soon!

My personal interest in yoga began several years ago. As someone who has always enjoyed an active lifestyle, I initially started taking yoga as a compliment to my overall fitness repertoire. I thought it would simply be another form of "exercise" to incorporate into my routine. I very quickly came to realize, that the benefits of yoga; flexibility, core strength, endurance and stress reduction, were very real and could not be ignored. Years later, as I began running half-marathons, I very quickly discovered the profound effect that yoga can have on your body and overall well-being. I credit regular yoga practice for my injury-free running over the past three years.

Although I work in sales full-time, my passion for yoga lead me to take the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) training in 2005-2006 at 5 Elements, taught by Michelle Cormack. Since completing my RYT course, I've had the privilege of sharing my knowledge and love of yoga through teaching others. I soon realized that the only thing better than personal yoga practice is to experience it with others and guiding them as they begin their own personal yoga journey. I look forward to enriching my yoga knowledge throughout my lifetime, both by means of further teacher training programs, and from individuals around me everyday. Kathy is excited to be welcoming her first child into the world soon!

Suzan (Sue) Sitki, RYT

Sue first discovered yoga as a young child, while growing up in England. She was fascinated with the various postures and particularly delighted in demonstrating 'The Lion' to anyone who would watch! Following a dedicated path of health and fitness led Sue to explore many different avenues over the next 20+ years, including bodybuilding, aerobics, martial arts and eventually - more yoga. Experiencing yoga again, as a grown woman, was a profoundly moving experience that led to deep, spiritual healing and the development of an immovable inner peace and tranquility that she longed to share with others.

Sue is a Registered Yoga Teacher (Yoga Alliance) and has studied with various yoga teachers, including Susie Dias, RYT and Maureen Rae, RYT, and is always a student, learning more so that she has more to share with others. Sue is certified with Can-Fit-Pro as a Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor Specialist, Mind Body Fitness Specialist and Pre and Post-Natal Fitness Specialist. She additionally holds the following certifications through Body Training Systems: BodyPump, BodyFlow, BodyStep, as well as being a Keiser cycling instructor and CALA certified Aquafitness Leader.

Sue is also a talented decorative artist and you may view her beautiful art work at: www.chameleon-artistry.com

Rebecca Tseng, RYT

One of Rebecca's childhood dreams was to be a dancer. As a teenager, she danced throughout her high school years. It was during this time that she was introduced to Hatha Yoga which was practiced before and after each dance class. She still remembers being mesmerized by the way her teacher moved.

Rediscovering Yoga as an adult, Rebecca feels she has finally "come home". It was definitely love at first sight with her first Ashtanga class which to her, felt much like an elegant dance. She was especially captivated by the strength, flexibility and gracefulness that she witnessed in the class. She knew she was hooked, even though she ached for 2 weeks after her first class. Yoga has helped to transform her both physically and mentally. In addition, and much to her surprise, somewhere during her yoga journey she realized that she is truly blessed and has more than enough in her life.

Rebecca received her M.B.A. from York University and works in a corporate finance department for a multinational corporation by day. However, her love for yoga inspired her to complete the Yoga Teacher Training program at The Yoga Sanctuary and to teach. She feels very privileged to be able to share her passion with others at 5 Elements.

Rebecca would like to thank those in her life who have constantly showed her the meaning of love; as well as her teachers for their mentorship, encouragement and for showing her that it's kind of fun to attempt the impossible. Rebecca will be welcoming her first child into the world later this summer!

Louyse Vigneault, RYT

Louyse began her yoga journey in the 60's at the age of 15 and has since received many Yoga and fitness Certifications, including Can-Fit-Pro (FIS, PTS, NWS) and Yoga Exercise Specialist (East to West Yoga) and has attended many other yoga trainings. She is certified in TheMethod Pilates (Physical Mind Institute, New York, NY) and is a Certified Fitness Consultant (CSEP - Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology). She is a Can-Fit-Pro PRO Trainer for the Nutrition and Wellness Specialist (NWS) Certification course (www.canfitpro.com), which she teaches at Humber College, Ryerson and at 5 Elements. She is a Reiki Master, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, and has several other wellness certificates such as Therapeutic Touch and Touch for Health. She continues her studies on an ongoing basis.

Louyse, a former 5 Elements partner, still drops into 5 Elements occasionally to teach classes when she is in Brampton.

Diane Young, RYT200

Diane is the ultimate Yoga for Kids teacher as she dives into her teaching with a sincere passion and dedication! Her love of children, and her optimistic, child-like fascination with life, allows her to teach from a real-life perspective of joy. She studied yoga with Michelle Cormack and received her certification from East to West Yoga, continuing her studies in Kid's Yoga and especially credits Mark Whitwell for guiding her immensely in her yoga practice. Your children will love her engaging Yoga classes!