This month marks 10 years since I went to India for my Modo Yoga training. It all started back in 2007 when a friend of mine invited me to her place to do yoga. She had met this couple at the dog park and the man had just returned from a yoga teacher training in Hawaii and was getting some practice teaching in. I went over to her place and that’s where I met Ryann and Phil. The three of us would practice yoga together while Phil guided us and we ended the evenings eating delicious vegan food. I was instantly hooked. Ryann took me to my very first hot class at the studio and I knew right then that I had found something amazing.

I became an Energy Exchanger at the Donald Studio (back when there was only one location) and then worked in the cafe at Waverley. I still vividly remember being at the studio the night before it officially opened and feeling all the excitement and anticipation. (Fun fact: I got my husband, then boyfriend, hooked on yoga and he became an Energy Exchanger and also worked in the cafe).

A few months after Waverley opened, I flew to India to become a teacher myself and as cheesy as it may sound, it truly was a life-changing experience.

Modo has been there for me through so many big moments in my life over the past almost 13 years. From graduating university to getting engaged and then married, to having three children and teaching all throughout my pregnancies. Modo has also been there through challenging and difficult moments in life.

Modo has given me a community and strength; both physical and mental. I feel like I have so much more confidence since finding Modo; the community support and practice gave me the space in which to grow. There is a reason one of our pillars is community support.

I’m also forever thankful for MYW for the ability to support my family while still being home full-time with my children. My practice has helped me be calmer and more peaceful in my everyday life, which my children definitely reap the benefits of. The peace we work towards cultivating on our mats truly does have a ripple effect.

My physical practice has changed over the years, and I’m not able to make it to the studio as often as I’d like to, but that’s one of the many benefits of the Modo practice; it’s accessible and you can practice anywhere. Now when I practice, it’s mostly at home and I have three little ones that love to join in and tell me how they know way more about yoga than I do. Hey, live to learn, right?

— Jocelyn Gordon