The Lab Method is our guiding formula–it’s our overall approach to physical, mental and social wellness. It is systematic, it happens at every level, and it infuses everything we do with care and integrity.
About The Lab
The Lab is a different kind of space for experimentation. Ours is a place for judgement-free exploration and discovery. We acknowledge that your movement practice is a journey, and it is ongoing. There is no destination, there is no finish line. It is about a constant state of evolving. And so, we will always evolve too.
Territory Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the Lab studios lie within the territories of the Lekwungen peoples represented by the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations Communities. We are committed to celebrating the diversity of people in our community and are guided by the principle that embracing diversity enriches the lives of all people.
Community is Key
We foster a collective sharing of curiosity for movement and intentional living. Now more than ever, we need community connection to thrive. Community is the antidote to the social isolation of the pandemic and the unprecedented surge in screen time.
We live in a world of diversity and therefore practice positive social and cultural inclusivity. We strive to make everyone feel welcome, valued and challenged, no matter how they show up to practice. We offer a judgement-free space for people to work at their own pace.
Our studio offers classes for all levels.
Our Values
Openness
Our student base is as broad as the population of Southern Vancouver Island and beyond. We welcome all with a warm smile and supportive attitude. We actively foster diversity in our community.
Leadership
We recruit and train the best staff and instructors, both locally and internationally. The LAB Method truly shines when it is brought to life by talented, passionate and caring people.
Support
We support practitioners as they seek the best fitness/wellness pathways for themselves. We empower them to be their best selves by holding them accountable to their own goals. We carefully curate a range of classes that are suitable for absolute beginners, those coming back from injury or illness, seasoned practitioners, future instructors, and everyone in between. We meet you where you are.
Evolution
We acknowledge that the notion of practice is ever-changing and is expressed differently for every person and at every stage of life. We stay up-to-date with cutting edge insights into human health, wellness and exercise science. We are always curious and open to improvement. We want to do better every day.
Connection
We know connection is key to physical, mental and social well being. We actively foster a more supportive and inclusive community and safer spaces from the ground up. We have zero tolerance for racism, homophobia, trans-phobia, fat-shaming, ageism, ableism, and elitism.
Our Classes
This is your home to strong sequences and playful movement. We offer accessible yoga and rewarding mindful fitness classes, there is something for everyone. Come learn through movement, even when it’s messy, especially when it’s messy.
With our low commitment Intro Month, it’s easy to come try out our classes.
Instructor Team
The Lab instructors are the best in our communities. With a focus on alignment and safe practice, our dedicated, certified and amazing community of knowledgeable teachers will be there to support you.
She/Her
Tianna Andrews
Westshore Instructor
Tianna has always had a huge passion for movement. She’s been practicing & teaching different forms for years, ranging from yoga, acrobatics, mobility, inversions, and more.
This experience has given her the skills & expertise to help you dive into deeper levels of awareness within your own body to help you reach your movement goals. Whether your goal is to build strength, range of motion, body awareness, get upside down, or to feel better physically & mentally, she’s here to guide and support you through your journey!
Willow was born in Banff AB, Canada and raised in Ottawa ON. She first made a move westward in 2007 when she followed her roots back to Banff where she spent two years living and playing. Though she loved the seasonal adventures the mountains had to offer, she followed a pull towards the coast and has been living on Vancouver Island for over a decade where she now calls Metchosin home. When Willow was little, it was always a challenge to convince her to get out of the water–whether that was a lake in the Gatineau Park, a pool or a river–and not much has changed. A lover of all things water, she has found her happy place nearby the ocean with an abundance of varying coastline, rivers and lakes to explore. She even enjoys the rainy winters. Willow can often be found with a favourite mug in hand, enjoying local trails, snuggling something furry, laughing, engaged in good conversation, making soup or sitting at her piano.
Willow is a recent graduate of the West Coast College of Massage Therapy located in the heart of Victoria. Over the course of her time as an intern therapist, Willow had the opportunity to work with a variety of populations and conditions including: chronic pain, mental health challenges, athletes, pre and post natal, central and peripheral nervous system disorders and various inflammatory conditions.
Willow welcomes a wide variety of clientele: from those seeking to simply enjoy a relaxation massage to those in need of a more therapeutic focus. She is committed to creating a practice centred around facilitating relief, wellness, empowerment and resilience as directed by each individual client’s goals. Working with Willow, you can expect empathic active listening, a mindful treatment approach and plan, as well as tailored homecare. Willow strives to forge supportive therapeutic alliances with her clients as a means of inspiring hope, curiosity and confidence as they pursue and maintain their health goals.
Meghan learned through her own journey that the quest we are on is about seeking excellence which requires inquiry, failure, vulnerability and resilience. She has been using this to guide her teaching since 2005 with a focus on mindful movement, somatic therapy and nervous system health.
Meghan has completed two comprehensive pilates trainings (The Pilates Center, The PhysicalMind Institute), several levels of yoga teacher trainings and trauma informed somatic studies. She has been faculty for many different pilates and yoga trainings around Vancouver Island and the lower mainland, as well as throughout Canada. She also holds a bachelor degree in writing and anthropology.
She lives in Victoria, BC and can be found spending time out in the forest, walking her dogs, or digging in the garden along side her chickens and bees.
Eve has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and took her practice to the next level by completing her Yoga Teacher Training Program (RYT-200). From there, she has completed various other training programs to complement her yoga and aerial fitness classes. She completed her 300 hours Yoga Teacher Training in July 2020 and is designated as a RYT-500. She is currently a member of Yoga Alliance and also designated as a Continuing Education Provider (YACEP).
She aims to make her classes fresh, uplifting and fun for all levels. She is friendly, approachable and takes great care with creating a safe and comfortable environment for all her students. She loves sharing the joy of yoga and fitness with each and every student that she meets along the way.
She believes in yoga for life – taking every opportunity to weave the tools and practices of yoga that she has learned into her daily life. She is always looking for ways to deepen her practice and expand her study of yoga by continuously learning – not only from other teachers and colleagues, but also from students.
Ever since Deena can remember- she’s had an unforgiving desire to serve. She began her
journey of service in Social work, eagerly diving into the deep end of domestic violence,
homelessness and addictions. Having loved these populations and the mission behind this
work- she found it didn’t offer her clients the action, responsibility, trust or connection they
deserved and that she craved for them. This is when she started to explore the never-ending
woowoo tools of Holistic Health.
Now, passionate about the holistic lifestyle and motivated by untapping human potential, Deena
has become infatuated with the benefit of playing with various forms of movement and exercise.
Deena fell in love with and teaches yoga, barre and pilates around Victoria alongside her work
as a Holistic Nutritionist.
She soulfully designs her classes to allow each member the space and freedom to explore their
limits with creative expression within their current practice. However, you can expect a strong
focus on deliberate breath, alignment, fluidity and of course, strength and the barre burn! She
creatively fuses her classes with inspiration from a variety of teachings and often weaves her
favourite topics such as personal power, self awareness and self care throughout.
She believes that if you continue to show up on your mat, or to the barre- the undeniable,
indescribable benefits of the practice will eventually catch YOU.
Deena is brought to life by living in curiosity, excitement and laughter- which lead her to moving
to Vancouver Island on her first ever flight three years ago (yes, ever!) Unsure of what the future
held, Deena still cannot believe she now calls this island, this lifestyle and this community home.
Hi I’m Dawn, I believe yoga transforms us from the inside out.
Whether you’re new to yoga or are looking to deepen your practice, I’m here to support you on your journey and offer you tools and experiences to feel more at ease in your body and mind.
Yoga truly changed my life and teaching is my passion. I’ve been teaching full time for over 10 years, I teach a variety of styles from Hatha to Flow to Yin and Restorative Yoga, as well as Breathwork and Meditation.
I have facilitated several Meditation and Pranayama workshops and created alongside my husband a Yoga and Sound experience - Immersion, Sound, Mind, Body which we have shared at local yoga studios as well as festivals in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.
I’m known for mindful, grounding and balanced classes integrating breath and movement; using breath to calm the mind while working into and connecting with the physical body. I also blend music and meditation to create a serene experience.
To me, it's all about awareness. Yoga encourages us to move with mindfulness, compassion, and intention and that transfers over to almost every aspect of our daily lives. It’s about learning and practicing on the mat so we can spread this joy, happiness, presence, and love to others off of the mat.
My positive approach to teaching provides for a playful atmosphere where I weave together free-fluid movements with the sounds of the breath while always coming back to intuition. I enjoy flowing through funky transitions and settling deeply into a shape allowing the asana to fully encompass the body. Through these transitions and asanas, I will attempt to guide the class to discover these new depths, kind of like exploring the deep sea. My intention is to give students the feeling and experience of oneness, wholeness, connectedness and to cultivate a positive state of being.
My professional background lies in nature and forest connection and I often bring these “natural” aspects into the class. Whether it’s placing our awareness on the elements within us or building a sequence like building a fire, it’s all connected.
The first time Heather connected with yoga she knew she had stepped onto a new path. Yoga became a practice that led her back home to herself. The focus she experienced when fully surrendering to movement brought her unexpected gifts of peace and presence.
Over the last 12 years she has watched in awe as this community of students, teachers, staff and volunteers took shape. In 2014, Heather opened a second yoga studio in Westshore, with her business partner Darci Nyal. Over the course of the last decade Heather has grown her community and together they have created a culture of wellness (and fun!!) that continues to carry forward today.
As an owner, Heather advocates for the needs of the students. She is passionate about building community and creating opportunities to link students together. Heather values acceptance and strives to create a space that is accessible for bodies of all different sizes and experience levels to explore movement and bridge connection between mind-body-spirit.
Heather is a mother to her daughter and son! In this chapter of her life, she relies on the off-the-mat practice of yoga more than ever to support her in parenting with mindfulness. She loves to connect through nature and understands first hand the challenge of balancing family with work and self-care.
Heather continues to be inspired by the leaders on her team that help to inspire our exceptional teaching faculty and ensure the studio is a warm and welcoming space for students. She appreciates that it takes a village to build two studios of this calibre and size! Heather is beyond grateful for the role every person plays to make Yoga Lab Victoria and Yoga Lab Westshore feel like home for so many people.
Kamila, Teacher and Director of Operations at Lab Westshore, is the one behind the scenes working with our incredible Westshore faculty and facility, and teaching a variety of class offerings at both Lab Westshore and Victoria. She grew up on Vancouver island, and keeps very active exploring within BC’s bountiful nature. Dance was a huge part of Kamila’s yoga journey and active lifestyle growing up; she fell in love with graceful mobility, and learned much about stretching and movement anatomy. Yoga came into Kamila’s life over 13 years ago, the physical/spiritual restorative functions and power of breath latched onto her heart and mind. The ever learning world of yoga and mindful fitness is humbling and exciting for Kamila, with several trainings, workshops, and years of experience in management and business she hopes to meet and move with you very soon!
Born in Toronto and raised in Guelph, Ontario, Sheena recently moved to the west coast. She began a career in hospitality working at her family’s casual-fine dining Indian bistro. From a young age, she understood the value and the responsibility associated with owning an independent business. She used this opportunity to hone skills in both front of house and back of house operations over a 14 year tenure.
In October of 2018, she resigned from her position as the Assistant General Manager of a fine dining vegan restaurant. She set out on a self guided pilgrimage of India staying in ashrams and meditation centres to study the science of Ayurveda and art of yoga. The intention being to better understand the intricacies of her culture, fostering spiritual growth. Her time abroad allowed her to absorb the nuances and traditions of Eastern hospitality which taught her to bring empathy and sincerity to her everyday interactions.
Her formal education and natural compassion for helping people from different demographics has been her greatest asset and has allowed for seamless transfer of skills to the wellness industry.
She was mentored and trained to redefine hospitality for guests, going above and beyond for colleagues and the business. She prides herself on her ability to connect authentically as well as a willingness to adapt to the needs of a business and its people. Having the knowledge and experience of a yoga teacher, as well as studio operator, she possesses an understanding of both sides of the Yoga Lab operation. She aspires to educate that the practice of yoga extends beyond being in class moving your body, manipulating your breath, relaxing and meditating. Empowering yogis to surrender inwards, and illuminate the positive qualities of life, exploring one’s own luminosity.
If not dancing in the kitchen, you can find her with a camera in hand. She’s happiest in the sun, by the sea or flowing on her yoga mat.
With more than 40+ volunteers representing our community, we are able to support the growth of practice with the integration of new friends and community.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the yoga teachers who have come before us. We are beneficiaries of Eastern wisdom traditions that include Vedic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Tantric and Daoist lineages as well as modern postural yoga schools from the West, including Hot Yoga, Vinyasa Flow, Iyengar, and Yin.
How are we connected?
We are two independently owned movement studios, proudly connected at the roots. We offer familiar, grounding yoga sequences in a heated room, and a thoughtful schedule of yoga & mindful fitness classes with varying heat settings. We celebrate the uniqueness of each studio, and have customized it to meet the needs of each community. Both carrying forward our shared values to ensure you feel at home at both!!
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She/Her
