yoga is a gift to yourself

 

Welcome to your life in the fullest! Yoga is a powerful tool to help you connect with your true self. So many of us live ‘outside ourselves’ - rarely stopping to listen to our own inner voice and feelings. Practicing yoga offers simple and comprehensive methods for connecting deeply with your inner light and balance, the true building blocks of your Spirit.  Sustained practice will move you towards freedom from, and better understanding of, the stresses, attachments and demands of everyday life.

 Yoga is a gift to yourself.

 
 
 

THERAPEUTIC YOGA and YOGIC THERAPY

 

Operating out of a small  boutique East Vancouver studio, Maitri Yoga specializes in therapeutic yoga and yogic therapy. These competencies stem for years of certification, training, study, teaching, as well as continuous learning. 

Whether your needs are reducing tension in the body, building strength, finding emotional balance, dealing with headaches or sleeping well, there is something for you here.  As yoga is not just asana, and it is not about 'getting the pose' - the practice here is meticulous, tailored to your needs and always focuses on how what we do is beneficial to you. You really learn the effects of the practice - so you can do it on your own too.

Yogic therapy is talk counselling that draws from yogic philosophy and wisdom, in particular the role and qualities of the self. Most topics can be looked at through this lens. Many times our bodies react to the issues in our life so it can be helpful to supplement counselling sessions with e.g. breathing and relaxation exercises. 

‘Shavasana has become a completely new pose for me ever since I started to practice with you’

 

 
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CURRENT: FALL 2026

NEW CLIENTS WELCOMEd july and august 2026!

NEW CLIENTS - The studio is accepting new clients in July and August 2026. Please contact us to reserve a spot in a class, to have a private or to just come and see the studio. New clients are welcome to a free 20 minute intro visit at the studio to have a sense of how we work and to see the space. Please note that most of our clients are 50+ and have one or more practice limitations - which we welcome.

Intermediate level class is on Thursdays at 7:00 pm. New clients with previous yoga experience are welcome to inquire about joining this class.

A gentler / restorative class (level 55+) is at 9:00 am on Sundays - this class is also excellent for newcomers and those who may think that yoga is not for them ;)

Remember, any group of 4-6 people can request a new class to be started for them.

A NEW GENTLE CLASS STARTING fall 2026 on Thursdays at 9 a.m. Six spots available. Please email through contact form to register.

SADHANA and SAUNA - These super popular Sunday evening sessions are back! Fall 2026 dates: Aug 23, Sep 6, Sept 20, Oct 11, Nov 1 and Nov 22. Please see flier under ‘Workshops’. Register via FixTherapy.

KNITTERS - Next repetitive strain injury prevention workshop is on Saturday October 17 at 11 am - this workshop can also be given on request. (Please also see Stitching in Silence under Meditation).

THERAPEUTIC YOGA NIDRA - finally here! This is an absolutely consciousness-affirming deep, relaxing practice for bringing about positive shifts in your life. Dates: Fri August 21, Sat Sept 26, Sun Oct 18, Fri Nov 20, and a special session to bring in a New Year on Friday Jan 1, 2027. All sessions start at 7 pm. Cost: CAD 60 / session. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

CE and other workshops - please look HERE

For all registrations and RSVPs please go HERE

Please follow @studiomaitriyoga on Instagram!!

MEDITATION COMMUNITY

HEARTFULL MEDITATION

Laura is pleased to offer recurring community meditation sessions for those interested in the rejuvenating and calming effects of gathering together and cultivating silence. These sessions are by donation, with the next ones scheduled for Friday August 28, Friday October 9 and Saturday December 12.

In our meditation the objective is not to 'empty the mind' but to direct our energies and thoughts to more Light and Love, in order for us all to live our life aligned with our Dharma, our Soul's purpose. The Meditation Snacks are a delightful, easy and accessible tool to synchronize one's thoughts, actions and energy to add brilliance to the world and effect both personal and collective transformation.

For persons interested in a regular meditation group, please use the Contact function to request to be added to the meditation mailing list.

STITCHING IN SILENCE

A new community event on Sept 4 and Nov 6. The studio welcomes crafters, poets and dreamers for a circle of silent, mindful work. At 7-9 pm, no phones or Ipads in the room please. Free, with possibility to make a donation for charity. Please RSVP to secure a spot. Creative introverts, this is for you.

 

THE STUDIO

HASTINGS SUNRISE, EAST VANCOUVEr

Maitri Yoga operates out of a small boutique studio in East Vancouver. The instruction is highly individualized with expert adjustments and a broad range of props to help everyone obtain deep benefits of the practice.

The studio is custom designed to be warm and cozy with natural materials, natural light from three directions and four levels of dimmable studio lighting. There is normally a cup of tea after class to discuss the day, the practice, or the world.

Maitri Yoga offers classes to students who maintain a regular practice. Season pass is the most affordable way to practice. We also offer five class passes at CAD 150 (incl. GST) which are valid for eight weeks. There are generally no single drop ins, however new students are warmly welcome to try a class out - please use the Contact form to inquire about availability.

Wishing you welcome with the words from a new student:

‘I really liked the teaching style and the studio, it was a very comfortable atmosphere’

maitri-yoga-workshops

private yoga + counselling

Therapeutic yoga and yogic therapy

Private sessions are often the most effective tool for clients with therapeutic needs. Laura is a Certified Professional Yoga Therapist and a full member of the IAYT. Sometimes even one session can bring about substantial relief. Private sessions are also excellent for students who wish to deepen their practice or simply troubleshoot a pose.

Private yoga session costs:

  • Privates: CAD 120 / hr, or CAD 180 / 1,5 hrs

  • Package of three 1 hr privates: CAD 300

  • Package of three 1,5 hr privates: CAD 450

Semi-private yoga session costs (price is for 2 people)

  • Semi-private sessions: CAD 160 / hr, or CAD 200 / 1,5 hrs.

  • Package of three 1 hr semi-privates: CAD 400

  • Package of three 1,5 hr privates: CAD 500

Yogic counselling is offered either in person or online. Sessions cost CAD 100 / 50 minutes. Yoga teachings and philosophy offer a unique perspective to life and can unlock new discoveries of oneness, the self, as well as validation and belonging. Body awareness can form part of counselling through breathing and relaxation exercises.

First (intake) session for therapeutic privates or counselling is CAD 130, and lasts 75 minutes.

Request your own yoga class! Get an on-demand class for any group of four or more. These classes cost $125 for four sessions. Come with your friends!

Please click HERE to book or inquire about privates or counselling.


 

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR.

 

Laura is a senior yoga instructor, teacher trainer and professional yoga therapist who has been teaching for over 20 years in Canada and internationally. She is a huge believer in the transformative power of yoga and encourages everyone to find a deeper connection with their own light and spirit through regular practice and meditation. She is an enthusiastic, encouraging and perceptive teacher who enjoys meeting students of all levels.

Laura is a graduate of the elite professional yoga training program at the College of Purna Yoga in Bellevue: a Certified Purna Yoga Instructor at the 2,000 hour level (only 4 people in Canada, and fewer than 90 people worldwide hold this designation). The college’s focus is creating excellence in the field of yoga instruction. She is also a RYT-500 registered teacher with Yoga Alliance. 

As a Certified Yoga Therapist, she is also a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, C-IAYT, and was in a select group of IAYT Subject Matter Experts who created the question bank for the registration exams for upcoming yoga therapists. Laura has volunteered for several positions in the IAYT leadership.

As a trained teacher trainer, Laura has participated in teacher trainings in Vancouver, Seattle, San Jose, Edmonton and Helsinki, and has served as assistant faculty at the Yoga Journal Conference in Boston, and three times at the Vancouver Yoga Conference. In the 2010’s, Laura was teaching in Mexico at least one week a year, and during her trip around the world she also taught in Japan, Thailand, India, Brazil, Spain and Finland. Laura created the advanced class for teachers at Purna Yoga Helsinki.

Laura is also a registered continuing education provider for both Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Outside of yoga, Laura is working on a doctorate in Architecture and has a long career as a specialist in all areas of healthcare. She is Professor of Health and Wellbeing Architecture at Aalto University in Helsinki.

Please click HERE to book Laura.

Laura is deeply grateful to her amazing teachers Aadil Palkhivala and Savitri, international yoga and meditation masters and the founders of Purna Yoga.

Much love.

 

 

 

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

MAITRI YOGA acknowledges that it is situated on the unceded traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).

Acknowledgement is but a small step in reconciliation. In recognition of the debt we owe to the First Peoples of our land, Maitri Yoga offers a limited number of free class passes to members of Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations each year. Members of other bands are also welcome to apply. Kindly inquire through the Contact form. We respectfully request SCIS or other accountable documentation to ascertain this benefit reaches those for whom it is intended.

Your inner discovery awaits.

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