The wisdom of yoga has been passed down through thousands of years of student-teacher relationships. I am deeply humbled to have learned a small amount of this vast practice through teachers connected to the Krishnamacharya lineage who brought yoga to the west.
Krishnamacharya's student Sirvasta Ramaswami is the closest teacher I've had to this lineage. Some of my teachers learned by way of Desikachar's students who ultimately became teachers themselves.
My direct teachers include Ida Manly formally of Moksana Yoga Centre, Michelle Schroeder and Jules Payne of Ajna Yoga Centre and many of the fantastic teachers at both studios in Victoria BC. I've also attended workshops and trainings with Whit Hornsberger, Jenn Piercy, Melissa Krieger, Peter Sterois, Darren Rhodes, Sama Fabian, Yoganand Michael Carroll, Swami Maheshandanda, Srivatsa Ramaswami and others.
I acknowledge that I teach a tradition that is not of my cultural background, and I am privileged to be able to practice and share the basics of this South Asian wisdom on the Indigenous lands of the, Llək̓ʷəŋən speaking, Coast Salish peoples.
Advanced Teacher of Yoga Therapy
(YT-500 Ajna Yoga Centre, Victoria B.C ~ 2018)
Advanced Vinyasa Krama Teacher Training
(Srivatsa Ramaswami - 100 hours, 2018)
Certified Hatha Yoga Teacher
(YT-250 Moksana Yoga Center, Victoria B.C. ~ 2012)
Over 1,000 hours of training, including many workshops, are not listed here.
Well over 1,500 hours of teaching.
Yoga became a big part of my life as a way to heal from a debilitating illness. Off work and trying to slowly increase daily movement, I found a 50+ therapeutic class... and I was only 35. The gentle approach and breath awareness nourished every cell of my body, and eventually I was able to do much more.
Previous to this, I'd tried yoga and meditation off and on for well over a decade, and I'd always had a keen interest in health, wellness and fitness. I loved going all-out on weightlifting, aerobics and running after graduating high school and leaving the Championship basketball team that had me running drills, fit and focused.
This approach of going slow, easing into a posture or staying in one spot and deepening the pose while consciously breathing, was totally new to me! And it was exactly the approach I needed mentally and physically, because in my go-all-out days I'd injured my back and eventually had to have emergency surgery. Healing from a chronic illness and living with back pain, I was more than a little shy about putting my body through any kind of "all-out" physical challenge.
After two years of the 50+ classes, (with Elke Schlufter) plus allopathic and complementary medicine, I was beginning to feel like myself again. So I tried a yoga intensive... and it was hard! I wasn't really ready and my body hurt. But by the end of four long weekends I was moving easier, felt more energetic and more like the real me! I loved feeling freer in my body, clearer mentally and less chaotic generally.
When I started Yoga Teacher Training (2012) it was completely about going deeper in my own practice and continuing to focus on healing. I didn't intend to teach but in the back of my mind I thought that it would be amazing to share this potential for healing and deep inner connection with others.
Yoga truly is a whole-being wellness tradition that facilitates personal growth through the yogic principles. My goal is to share what I've learned, to keep learning (from my students and other teachers), and to encourage students to listen to their own inner teacher, because our gut wisdom is so often the best guide and we all need practice listening to it.
Copyright © 2025 Laura Benson Yoga - All Rights Reserved
Colour photos by Darin Steinkey Black & white photos by Foggy Morning Photography
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