Yoga For All| Biography |Julie Palmer

Teacher Biography - Julie Palmer

Julie Palmer is one of only a few teachers in the Maritimes holding the designation of Professional Level 500-hour Certified Yoga Teacher. She has been teaching since 1993, the first five years of that in Toronto, her birthplace. Julie completed the 500-hour Professional Level Yoga Certificate in 2004 at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, MA. She did her Basic 200-hour Certification in 1994 at the same centre.

Julie initially learned yoga as a young child, from her mother and then took it up again in her 20's studying different styles such as Shivananda, Bikrams and Kripalu. In her classes, Julie integrates the spirituality and gentleness of the latter with the physicality of the former to create a holistic approach.

Now in her 40's, Julie continues her education in yoga by studying with more advanced teachers and taking further trainings on a regular basis. She maintains a regular personal yoga practise and belongs to a meditation group in Bear River and also studies meditation with the Shambala community in Annapolis Royal.

Julie is also a Certified Kripalu Massage Therapist and maintains a small practise doing "in-house" massages. In 2005-06, she advanced her skill set by studying Kripalu Danskinetics (now called Yoga-Dance) and offers "one-off" classes in this at workshops and schools. Danskinetics is a fun, guided movement experience that combines dance, yoga and aerobics. It helps to open the heart, body, mind and spirit.

Julie is a leader in Seniors Chair yoga, a new field in yoga which adapts yoga poses from the mat and standing to a chair, for those with "challenged bodies." She has two certifications in this cutting edge area of yoga. Chair yoga is one of her most popular classes.

A natural leader, Julie loves teaching of any sort and has been known to lead canoe trips and courses in Environmental Philosophy. She has a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Environmental Studies from Waterloo and York University respectively.

Link to Kripala Web Site [New Page will open]

Cycling, gardening, bird-watching, swimming, cross-country skiing and canoeing are some of Julie's interests. She has cycled several years in the MS Bike Tour, raising funds for this worthy cause. Julie is a member of the Annapolis Royal Regional Arts Council, King's Theatre, Historic Gardens and Annapolis Field Naturalists Society. She is a volunteer with the Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas, logging countless hours searching for birds nests for this scientific study.

Julie is a member of the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association (KYTA) and the Yoga Atlantic Teachers Association.

Contact Information

Julie Palmer

Telephone: [902] 467 3151

Postal Address:

E-Mail: jpalmer@xplornet.com

Thank You's

Julie would like to thank the Yoga community in Annapolis Royal, Bear River, Digby and Bridgetown for their dedication and commitment over the years and their support, willingness and kindness. Yoga in this area has been a co-creation between students and teacher, with excellent questions on both sides. A testament to the old saying "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." And the converse is also true "When the teacher is ready, the students appear!" THANK YOU!!

Thank you to my former students, now colleagues, Shelley Murchison, Andrea Wegerer and Velma Richmond and to Ela Bielski for mutual support and substitute teaching.

Photos of yoga students in class are by Shelley Murchison and Carter Jahncke. Nature photos are by my husband Robbie Bays, Deb Ryan and myself.

Julie wishes to acknowledge the many mentors and teachers she has had over the years on the yoga path, including those at the former Toronto Kripalu Yoga Centre: Barb Yealland, Jayelle Lindsay, Chitrakala, and Kevin Shortt. Also thanks to Sasha at the Bikrams Studio in Toronto.

Heartfelt warmth to those at the Kripalu Centre in Lenox who have instructed, supported and/or befriended Julie over the years: Sudha Carolyn Lundeen, Tom Gillette, Jivan Bob Wagester, Peggy Scheldahl, Sudhakar Ken McCrae, Yoganand Michael Carroll, Vivekenand Richard Michaels, Evelyn Gonzales, Grace Jull, Jayraj Randal Williams, Tarika Diana Damelio, Megha Nancy Buttenheim, Lakshmi Voelker-Binder and KYTA Director Vandita Kate Marchesiello.

And gratitude to my teachers here in Nova Scotia: Silver Frith, Jody Myers, Isha Anne Marie Ward, Jean Short, Cheendana Lorie-Ann Martin and Mike and Maxine Munroe from whom I have learned much in workshops and classes.

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