Toronto Yoga Leaders: Marguerite Arbour

Marguerite Arbour began practicing Yoga over 20 years ago. She has been teaching at her Yoga in Riverdale centre for over 12 years. In part 1 of this interview, Marguerite discusses selecting a Yoga teacher and studio, how to move beyond the low periods in your practice, and the value of "hands on assists" in Yoga training.

Of particular interest in this episode is Marguerite's encouraging view on how to cope with physical challenges in your practice, based on personal experience and teaching students with M.S. Marguerite says, "That M.S. class was a great introduction to how a yoga class can be modified and adapted to meet ones physical limitations. Looking back I realize I was learning that yoga is for everyone."

Check out part 2 of this interview or view the profile for Yoga in Riverdale with Marguerite Arbour. The Toronto Yoga Leaders series of articles showcases the people and places that shape the Toronto Yoga community.

Background: Marguerite attended her first yoga class in 1987 at the age of 27 years old. She had no idea what yoga was and even brought her three month old child to the class! In this class, she had no idea about how or why to do the asanas. As a result, she struggled for a long time trying to “do” the poses. In her own words, "I did not understand the connection between breathing and moving and was not comfortable or present in my body. I wanted to understand how to do poses from my head. I did not know what it meant to listen to ones body. It took years…

"Although I am 'classically' trained by Esther [Myers], my yoga practice and style has changed over the years. I have always had a creative style of teaching. I believe, eventually the body will understand. Having said that, the body can also be stuck in old patterns that are difficult to change. Releasing old patterns, hands on assists, balance in the pelvis, and conscious breathing are at the root of my work."
Marguerite Arbour