About Janet

I am grateful for so many things in my life... my family, the beautiful nature around me, the wonderful community I live in, the joy of moving my body...

I feel pure joy when I dance in community and share the energy of the group. I also need to be in solace looking up at the stars in stillness, or enjoying the peace and quiet of walking alone in nature.

Before I Found Nia...My love for movement began with gymnastics at age 10 and here I am so many years later still learning, still loving, still curious about the joy of movement. When I became pregnant with my first child I started teaching fitness classes. I taught pre/post natal fitness classes, which were a lot of fun, but I was bored with the repetitive movements of aerobics. I decided to add more dance to my classes and then I was introduced to Nia in 1996. With a lot of support from my family I started my Nia training, and I was able to obtain my Nia White Belt and started teaching Nia soon after. I was completely transformed by this experience and I felt inspired to become the best Nia teacher I could be.

I never looked back.

Throughout the next two decades I continued learning how my body moves best, and how to better communicate what I was learning into the practical skills of teaching Nia. I also studied other movement techniques such as Hatha yoga, Kung fu, modern dance and Brain Gym.

I was able to achieve my Nia Blue, Brown and Black belt and these experiences transformed me as an instructor but most of all completely changed my life.

I have now been teaching Nia in Guelph for more than 25 years. This wonderful Nia community is made up of an inspiring group of dancers and co-creators that continue to thrive together and share so much joy together.

I have also been a student of yoga for more than 20 years now and 5 years ago I decided I was ready to study yoga with the hopes of teaching. I completed my 200 hour Hatha Yoga instructor training and I have been teaching yoga ever since, and I love it.

My formal education started with a two year college diploma in Gymnastics Coaching and Techniques from Seneca College. This experience inspired me to delve deeply into the study of the human body and I was drawn to study Human Kinetics at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. After a year there, my husband Randy was transferred to Toronto for work, so I transferred to the University of Guelph and completed a B.A.Sc. in Applied Human Nutrition.

I had wanted to be a school teacher since I was 7 years old, and with the support of my husband, my parents and my friends I completed my B.Ed. at the University of Western Ontario. We had four small boys at the time and our household was not just busy, it was crazy! Those were challenging years, and yet some of my best memories too. Throughout this time I never stopped teaching Nia.

Nia was my medicine.

My words of wisdom

Continue to look for joy

and playfulness in everything you do!

Yes, I can say that has been a consistent mantra for me...

follow the fun Janet, and you will find your joy!