Cassie Connor

Hi, I’m Cassie! I live and work on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people – known as Ottawa, Ontario.

I’ve been practicing yoga since I was 13. It became a lifeline for me to overcome periods of trauma, anxiety and depression. It gave meaning to my life that I had never known before.

I became a 200 hr yoga teacher in 2017 at Kranti Yoga in Goa, India and continued my education with additional sequencing and trauma training. Since then, I began an 800 hr program to become a yoga therapist with the School of Embodied Yoga Therapy, with particular focus in trauma and mental health. I am now offering yoga therapy as a part of my practicum.

I hold a bachelor of social sciences in conflict studies and human rights from the University of Ottawa (2020). I take a trauma informed, social justice minded approach to my Yoga practice and teachings, rooted in the philosophy of Yoga.

For 3 years, I cofounded and led Warrior Yoga – an international nonprofit dedicated to making the healing benefits of yoga and meditation more accessible. In collaboration with local agencies, I teach survivors of a variety of traumas including human trafficking, child sexual abuse, war/conflict and more. I believe deeply in the ability for yoga to empower trauma survivors to lead life with a renewed since of agency and hope. Although we have had to pause the majority of our programming, Warrior Yoga lives on through Warrior Scholarships for yoga therapy.

In 2020, I started teaching a class called the Self Love Club which includes a wider spectrum of yoga-based practices than are typically available – including movement, journalling, meditation, reflection on yoga philosophy and therapeutic themes.

You can join me for weekly classes at SoulSpeak Yoga in Hintonburg where I teach a variety of styles including vinyasa (flow), power, yin and a blend class.

In the hardest times I’ve faced, I turn to yoga. I believe and have felt that yoga can bring increased agency, comfort and meaning to our lives and I’m on a mission to bring this practice to all those who are seeking healing.