Kripalu yoga, known as the "yoga of consciousness," values both ancient yogic teachings and the inner wisdom of each practitioner's body/mind. Physical postures, breathing techniques, deep relaxation and meditation are used to cultivate the many benefits of yoga - including strength, flexibility, calm and overall well-being.
 
Kripalu means "compassion" and in keeping with its name approaches the practice of yoga with the intentions of awareness, self-acceptance and authenticity. In this context, yoga is seen as a journey rather than a destination. This approach to yoga is less about achieving a certain form or reaching a particular goal, than it is about being fully present for the feelings and experiences of one's own yoga practice as it unfolds moment to moment.
 
The teacher of these yoga classes, Clearlight Gerald, integrates her background as a Kripalu Yoga Teacher, with her current studies and training in the wisdom teachings and practices of nondualism. Her dynamic teaching style reflects the passion she has for her personal practice and her love of inquiry.
 
Clearlight’s teaching of the physical practice of postures balances both an emphasis on core stability techniques and safe alignment with the importance of not only liberating deeply held tensions, but of discovering how the practice of yoga can bring a greater sense of wholeness and balance to every aspect of one's life.
 
Other aspects of her classes include yogic breathing, chanting, the sharing of inspiring music and poetry, and meditation (including yoga nidra) - and are all led with the understanding that yoga is a practice not of acquiring, but of uncovering Oneness.
 
Regular practice of yoga can benefit:
 
Your Body
- increase energy, strength and flexibility
- release chronic tension
- improve posture, balance and coordination
 
Your Mind
- reduce stress and anxiety
- cultivate clarity and confidence
- reclaim well-being
 
Your Spirit
- center and reflect
- invite deep stillness
- reconnect to your home ground of being 

At the moment, Yogaspace Studio does not offer introductory yoga classes. However, the Kripalu yoga classes are open to those beginners who like to learn as they go, and who are healthy and have no particular injuries, etc.
 


Long-time senior Kripalu teachers comment on Kripalu Yoga's benefits:

"Strength and flexibility of body, breath, energy, and mind are all encouraged, but the focus of our practice resides in a deeper arena - awareness of the Self. Compassion and self-respect are the watchwords. Rather than a strict adherence to classical forms, beliefs, and concepts, the understanding of and sensitivity to one's experience in the body and in relationship to other lives is the touchstone of Kripalu's approach to yoga. Pleasing the teacher, doing it right, and looking good are de-emphasized. Establishing personal boundaries, listening to the wisdom of your body, and responding to what brings healing and fulfillment to your heart is the emphasis."
– Christopher Ken Baxter

"Yoga works on the muscular-skeletal systems as well as the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, immune and nervous systems. The regular practice of yoga has been shown to produce physical benefits including reduced anxiety, stress and blood pressure levels, and increased relaxation, flexibility, strength, endurance, and energy levels. The practice of Kripalu Yoga, which uses the body as a vehicle for accessing spirit, can have profound effects on the mind and emotions as well as the physical body. As mental and emotional disturbances are dissolved, tremendous amounts of prana are released to affect healing. A practice of this depth offers far greater possibilities than could be expected from an isolated physical discipline."
– Deva Parnell



Schedule & Registration

For schedule and location information for Kripalu yoga classes, please visit the classes page.

For full rate and registration information, please visit our rates & registration page.

For information about upcoming Yoga Nidra meditation and relaxation classes, please visit the yoga nidra page.



W e b s i t e   U p d a t e s   a n d   N e w   C l a s s e s






All of the Pregnancy Yoga, Mom & Baby Yoga and Kripalu Yoga classes are taught by Clearlight Gerald, MA, E-RYT (500).

Clearlight started practicing yoga in 1991, and began teaching in 1999 after she completed her certification as a Kripalu Yoga Teacher and Pregnancy Yoga Teacher. Today, Clearlight is a student of Richard Miller, a key figure in the wisdom teachings of nondualism, and she pursues her love of yoga in her studies, practice and teaching.

During her first years of teaching, Clearlight studied and practiced with many wonderful teachers from around the world, including Donna Farhi, Gary Kraftsow, Anodea Judith, and Krishna Das. It was at this time she gained extensive experience and insight into the practice and application of yogic breathing and asana, physical and energetic anatomy, and the ancient teachings of yoga.

During these formative years she taught at different locations throughout Montreal, including Concordia University, Marianopolis College and the Montreal Athletic Association, and worked part-time as a program assistant at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts. In 2002, Clearlight created Yogaspace Studio in Montreal, where she now teaches exclusively.

In 2004 Clearlight met Richard Miller. During her first interactions with Richard she felt that she was "coming home to truth" - and in that moment knew she had found the teacher and the teachings that she was deeply compelled to follow. Since then, Clearlight has been immersed with Richard and a community of practitioners in studies that are dedicated to these teachings.

Clearlight has recently completed the Yoga Nidra (iRest) Teacher Training with Richard Miller, and she is now a mentor for others pursuing their certification as Yoga Nidra teachers. Clearlight also serves as a steward of the Center of Timeless Being, a non profit organization dedicated to the path of self-inquiry and awakening through the teachings of nondual wisdom.

Concurrently, Clearlight continues to deepen her focus and skill as a specialist in teaching prenatal yoga and postnatal yoga, a path she chose after feeling profoundly inspired, well before her teacher training, to bring yoga to pregnant and new mothers. As a result of following her heart, she has had the privilege of teaching several thousand expectant and new mothers in her pregnancy yoga, and in her mom and baby yoga classes.

She has been witness to the dramatic beneficial effects of yoga experienced by women during this time of transition, and she continues to offer an inspiring context in which women and couples can connect more deeply to the wisdom, balance, and joyfulness that they bring with them into childbirth and parenthood. (Make sure to read the wonderful birth stories by moms who were in Clearlight's classes.)

Clearlight's dynamic teaching style reflects the passion she has for her personal practice and her love of inquiry. Her teaching of the physical practice of postures balances both an emphasis on core stability techniques and safe alignment with the importance of not only liberating deeply held tensions, but of discovering how the practice of yoga can bring a greater sense of wholeness and balance to every aspect of one's life.

Other aspects of her teaching include yogic breathing, chanting, the sharing of inspiring music and poetry, and meditation (including yoga nidra), and are all led with the understanding that yoga is a practice not of acquiring, but of uncovering Oneness.

Finally, since the question does come up so frequently, it must be shared that Clearlight was named Clearlight at birth by her mom and dad, and that she feels a deep gratitude for this beautiful gift from her parents!