About us
Our story
Resilience Yoga is the next iteration of a studio that’s been around since 2014
In 2013, when the yoga studio that they’d been attending for several years closed, Ginty Burns & Joanne Heaney decided that they couldn’t let it (and its community) go. Together they began planning a new studio to take its place. The journey had its setbacks: unable to move into the same space (the landlord wanted to sell the building), they spent many hours exploring other locations in the Port Credit area, looking at potential floor plans, and hunting for furnishings and fixtures. They had selected a new location and were about to sign a lease and begin construction when, at the 11th hour, the original landlord had a change of heart. All other plans were abandoned and it was back to the starting location. On April 1 2014, the studio opened as Port Credit Yoga and within a few months became Yoga Seven. Offering yoga and fitness classes, as well as special interest workshops and fun events, the studio provided a welcoming and non-judgmental oasis for a thriving community of yogis.
Sadly, at the end of their 5-year lease, the studio had to move and their landlord set about opening a competing business. Space was hard to come by, and only a substantially smaller studio could be found. However, this did not dampen the spirits of the owners, the teachers, or the dedicated community. Despite barriers placed in their way by city councils and landlords, Joanne and Ginty persisted with their plans to make the studio the best it could possibly be—a place for people to come and bend, stretch, breathe, or just be. But one year later, their plans came to a sudden end.
The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic changed everyone’s lives.
Anticipating that the COVID-19 pandemic would last longer than the initial “three-week” closure initiated by the government, Joanne & Ginty gave up the bricks-and-mortar space and embraced the world of live-streamed classes. Learning more than they ever wanted to know about cameras, microphones, and Zoom, they offered a full class schedule and a video library of past classes and pre-recorded content. Some people stayed away, preferring to wait for in-person classes again, but a dedicated group of yogis was determinedly present – some for a class every single day – throughout the pandemic.
Yoga studios were closed to in-person classes for almost 18 months. Some never re-opened.
In September 2021, Ginty signed a 6-month lease in a beautiful new space, just to see if people would come back to yoga after the pandemic shutdowns. Gradually, they did. In February 2022, the lease was extended a further 6 months but at the same time the building was put on the market. It sold within a month… Yoga Seven needed to move again, this time with Ginty as sole owner. With nothing suitable in Port Credit, a new location was secured in the neighbouring area of Lorne Park, and a decision made to re-brand for a fresh start. The word that most people used when hearing the story of how Yoga Seven continually bounced back from pitfalls was “resilience”. COVID-19 had taught us that we must be flexible, embrace change, learn, and move on. And so Resilience Yoga was born, but with the same great teachers, the same community of yogis, the same focus on enhancing mental and physical health, the same positive outlook, and the same embracing of playfulness and joy.
Our team
Resilience Yoga’s professional teachers are dedicated to their art, whether it be yoga, meditation, or our variety of fitness classes. We do not work to a formula: each teacher has a different background and different training and will bring their own unique personality and experience to their classes. We believe this is important so each person can find a teacher that connects with them and allows them to get the most out of their bodies and minds.
Whatever your experience level or goals, you can count on their in-depth knowledge, experience, and creativity to help foster a place of learning and deeper personal connection.
Our manifesto
We are strong, flexible, and resilient. We act to create a stable foundation in our lives and to keep our minds and bodies healthy. We accept people as they are, fostering a sense of community and valuing our differences. In the face of chaos, we calmly focus on the present. We step fearlessly beyond our comfort zone, inviting change and growth while celebrating playfulness and creativity.
Our members
Resilience Yoga’s memberships provide an opportunity for you to connect to something greater than yourself to advance your own practice and to support and inspire others. It’s also a way for you to demonstrate your commitment to keeping your own mind and body healthy and whole.
Whether you want to take 4, 8, or unlimited classes in a month, there’s a monthly membership to suit your needs. Membership not only gives you access to in-person or live-streamed yoga and fitness classes; it also provides you with an on-demand video library that you can access from anywhere, on any device, wherever and whenever you want. You also receive discounts on workshops and special events, as well as on some retail products.
Don’t want in-person classes? There’s even a membership for just virtual classes.
Remember, Resilience Yoga is a welcoming and non-judgmental community. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never placed your toes on a yoga mat before. You don’t need to know all the terminology or poses or have new workout clothing. You don’t have to keep up with everyone else. You just need to join the class and be. Through regular participation and commitment to your own health and wellbeing, you will experience moments of peace, joy, acceptance, introspection, and gratitude. You’ll feel stronger and more confident and resilient; able to navigate life in a richer, more empowered way.
Our awards
Resilience Yoga is very proud and honoured to have been recognized by our community (as Yoga Seven prior to 2023):
CommunityVotes Mississauga 2023 Gold & Silver awards in the Yoga and Meditation category
CommunityVotes Mississauga 2022 Platinum award in the Yoga and Meditation Category
Mississauga News 2021 Readers’ Choice Diamond Award for Best Yoga Studio
Mississauga News 2020 Readers’ Choice Platinum Award for Best Yoga Studio
Mississauga News 2019 Readers’ Choice Platinum Award for Best Yoga Studio
Mississauga News 2018 Readers’ Choice Silver Award for Best Yoga Studio
Star of Mississauga South 2017 Professional Service Excellence Award Winner
Mississauga News 2017 Readers’ Choice Gold Award for Best Yoga Studio
Port Credit Business Improvement Association 2017 Good Neighbour Award
Mississauga News 2016 Readers’ Choice Silver Award for Best Yoga Studio
Star of Mississauga South 2016 Rising Star Nominee
Star of Mississauga South 2014 Rising Star Nominee
Angela Nistor
Angie completed an RYT200 program at Kula studio in Oakville. Angie guides mindful movement with emphasis on breath and alignment, and encourages development of body-mind awareness, by drawing inwards during the practice and observing the activities of the mind and sensations in the body. Angie guides meditations inspired by eastern traditions, in particular Buddhism and Classical Tantra. May we practice yoga out of love of ourselves, in order to find the truth for the benefit of all beings!
Claudette
Claudette has been practicing yoga since 2006 and has been a certified teacher since 2014. She has always been passionate about fitness—an important part of her life that makes her feel better both physically and mentally. Her love of yoga began when she discovered that fitness was not all about cardio and strength. Her body was letting her know that it needed something else to balance things out, so she decided to try a yoga class to increase her flexibility. At first, she I thought “Ok, I enjoyed that but I’m not sure I was doing the poses right or breathing at the right time.” But as soon as she let go of the worry of doing it right, she shifted into just moving into what felt good and was hooked. Her training and certifications include Power Yoga Canada Teacher Training , Baptiste Level 1, Baptiste Level 2, Art of Assisting, Corporate and Private Teacher training, and Restorative Teacher training. She loves to share the benefits that yoga has to offer, both on and off the mat.
Ginty Burns
Ginty finally listened to her doctors and started practicing yoga when a studio opened up just 100 steps from her home. Her aim was simple—to keep her body moving in spite of the natural effects of aging—but she fell in love with the discipline and opportunities for self discovery inherent in the practice. When an opportunity came to co-found Yoga Seven in 2014, she leaped at the chance of learning about the business of yoga as well. Coming late to the party (at the age of 63), she took her RYT-200 at the Jesse Barlow School of Yoga in Sri Lanka and continues to learn in both the practice and the business. Off the mat, she is involved in many ways with community theatre, and takes a strong interest in weird shoes, diet, and alternative medicine/therapies. In her “spare time” she enjoys gardening and cooking.
Izabella
Izabela started her yoga journey in 2008. She found that yoga brought balance and calmness into her life and offered a greater sense of understanding herself. In 2010, she completed her RYT 200+ teacher training based on Anusara's Universal Principles of Alignment. She teaches a variety of yoga classes from gentle Hatha to powerful vinyasa, sculpt classes, and pre- and post-natal. With a strong background in fitness, she likes to throw in an athletic twist for clients who demand a full body workout. In her teaching she emphasizes the importance of alignment and proper breathing techniques, empowering students to get more out of each and every pose and encouraging them to experience a deeper connection with themselves. She hopes to provide inspiration, balance, and joy to her students as they discover their own path.
Jennifer Moser
Jen’s yoga journey began in 2007 when she was looking for a space to slow down, breathe, and move. One hot yoga class later and she was hooked! Teaching since 2010, yoga has unlocked her power not only in her physical life but in her personal life as well, giving her the self-confidence to walk through life’s ups and downs. As a high school teacher, it has always been her passion to motivate and encourage others, and when she found yoga, she found exactly what she was looking for. Not only does she love the natural endorphins gained from the practice, she also loves the revived sense of happiness, peace, and strength she feels after every class. Through a combination or movement, intention, and music, Jen will create an experience that will leave you feeling strong, motivated and ready to take on the world!
Margo McDougall
Margo teaches Hatha yoga with a strong mat Pilates influence. She has found that combining these mind-body practices offers a pathway to maintain an optimal level of wellness: Yoga focuses on static strength, balance and flexibility, beginning each practice with breath work and completing the practice in deep relaxation. Pilates concentrates on strengthening the body with an emphasis on the core. Whether her classes are a mix of yoga or mat Pilates, or whether they are one or the other, Margo delivers an experience offering movement for the whole body, with options for beginner to advanced students. Her classes contain reliable yet dynamic sequences that encourage mobility and strength, as well as providing physical and mental tension release, leaving you feeling relaxed and clear for the day ahead
Ralph Peterman
Dave Grohl of Nirvana and The Foo Fighters once said “One of the great things about music is that you can sing a song to 85,000 people and they’ll sing it back for 85,000 different reasons.” It’s no less true for yoga… All of us find our mats for a reason — or reasons — uniquely our own and those reasons are just as likely to change and grow as our practice does the same. That’s the beauty of yoga for me in a nutshell. I found my mat through injury, but as my practice evolved, so did the reason that I wanted to practice and then, eventually, teach. If I can find a daily practice after fourteen knee surgeries and an ankle reconstruction, then anyone can too. I honestly believe that there is a yoga practice for everyone no matter your physical challenges or abilities. Let’s work on finding a practice that meets your needs and allows you to grow into greater challenge at your own pace, with a practice that is led, but still uniquely your own.
Sara Henry
Sara empowers people to improve their physical & spiritual health. Her fluid classes focus on connecting breath and movement. Sara has a strong focus on alignment and functional core integration. She developed a keen interest in food & health as a teenager and has been eager to learn ever since. In 2006 Sara began teaching high school level nutrition. Next she took her 70 hour Pilates teacher training in 2008. After developing some severe allergies, Sara turned to yoga to help manage stress and her condition. To deepen her practice, she completed her 200 hour Hatha Yoga teacher certification in 2017 and began teaching yoga that summer. Sara is a life-long learner and continues to build her repertoire of exercises, modifications and therapeutics. She is a creative & enthusiastic teacher who loves wellness and nature!
Tommy
Tommy started practicing yoga in the late 2000s as a complement to his triathlon training. He would eventually ascend to racing as a professional before a career-ending head injury in 2014. As a yoga teacher. Tommy combines his years of athletic training, coaching and meditation into all of his classes. He specializes in teaching vinyasa, hatha and yin for athletes for strength, performance efficiency, injury prevention, and recovery enhancement, as well as meditation to adjust their training and racing mindset. He enjoys teaching all levels and abilities and creates fun and dynamic asana sequences to challenge and help you deepen your personal practice.
Yolande
Yolande is quick to dispel the myth that yoga is only for the young, the strong and the flexible among us… she believes this couldn’t be further from the truth, and that the practice of yoga can provide a gentle and healing path to movement for anybody…or any body, no matter the age, shape or size. Yolande believes our bodies deserve love and respect, no matter what shape they happen to be in! Human beings were meant to move and yoga is a gentle and loving way to do just that. Yolande personally discovered yoga after losing a loved one more than a decade ago; it was on her mat that she was able to process her grief, calm her mind, and strengthen her body. She fell in love with the practice and decided to become a teacher. Yoga has transformed her life and nothing makes her happier than sharing it with others!
Kimberley Noble
Kimberley is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher specializing in vinyasa yoga, mindful movement, and meditation. She is also a certified nutrition and fitness coach with a background in modern dance. Kimberley has travelled much of South America to immerse herself in a variety of yoga practices and teachings. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned yogi, Kimberley is dedicated to helping you achieve your fullest potential. With her guidance and encouragement you will build physical strength and flexibility while developing the mental capacity to excel in your journey towards inner peace and self-mastery.