'Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.' -Rumi

where yoga, mindfulness and creativity meet

Loving Self-Care through Mindful Hatha Yoga on Zoom

Our true wealth is our HEALTH - the saying goes. And isn't it true that when we struggle with health problems our quality of life suffers. The best investment one can make is investing in one's health, making SELF CARE a DAILY PRACTICE. Good health and vitality should not be a luxury. There is a lot we can do in every single moment of our life to support our amazing body/mind in its functioning so we live a happier, healthier and more peaceful life. Something magical happens when we begin to pay attention to our experience in a kind, non-judgmental and curious manner. There is nowhere to get to in our yoga practice; the invitation is to stay fully present with each breath and movement and to experience the natural quieting of the mind as it unfolds spontaneously. Join a group of women who practice for the same reason: loving self care and reap the many benefits of a committed practice. Let your yoga mat be your sanctuary as you ease and release pain, stiffness and fatigue from your body/mind and nourish your inherent ground of wellbeing. Classes are held on Zoom on Monday and Wednesday evenings @ 6:45 - 7:45 pm EST and on alternating Friday afternoons @ 4:30-5:30 pm EST and Sunday mornings @ 9:30-10:30 am EST. Each class is recorded and the recording link is sent out to members for later practice. Investment: $32.00 / month or $10.00 drop-in fee. A monthly iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation is also included in the monthly fee. Contact me through my website for further information.

iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation NEXT IREST MEDITATION ON ZOOM IS ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27 @ 4:30

Join me on Zoom from the comfort of your home to rest deeply and restore with the ancient healing practice of yoga nidra. In the safe container of the practice, you are provided with tools to help you relax deeply, to release stress and to increase resiliency. Anyone can benefit from the practice of iRest - whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to meditation. Integrative Restoration, or iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation is a modern-day secular adaptation of the ancient healing practice of Yoga Nidra. iRest is a form of meditative self-inquiry that research shows effectively REDUCES PTSD, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, INSOMNIA, CHRONIC PAIN AND CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY while INCREASING HEALTH, RESILIENCY and WELL-BEING and providing one with a GREATER SENSE OF CONTROL and SKILLFULNESS in Life. It is a body-centered, guided meditation practice for SELF-REGULATION and SELF-CARE that nourishes qualities such as JOY, PEACEFULNESS, and LOVING-KINDNESS toward yourself and others. iRest meditation is most often practiced lying down, however, one is always invited to find the most supportive position. You can practice iRest with me from the comfort of your home by joining our monthly iRest meditation on Zoom. Drop-in fee: $15.00, To book a private or semi-private session, please reach out to me.

MUDRAS - Ancient healing hand gestures

Did you know that our hands and fingers are full of meaning and potent healing energy waiting to be tapped into? Mudras are ancient healing hand gestures that work on our energy body. An inner energy powers our body and mind, flowing through passageways that branch and intersect. This field of energy underlies our physical body and ensures its health and vitality. When the flow of energy through these channels gets blocked dis-ease happens. As you place your hands and fingers into specific positions you activate circuits of energy that have a corresponding felt sense in your body/mind since all areas of the body can be mapped onto areas of the hands. Mudras help release blocked negative energy that causes imbalance and disease and activate a vibrant, healthy energy flow. They strengthen the immune system, balance emotions and aid in mental focus and clarity. They are simple to do, promote self-empowerment and are always at your fingertips. They can be effortlessly incorporated into your moment to moment day-to-day life and are a beautiful testimony to our inherent wholeness. Contact me about private, semi-private or upcoming group sessions. Some of my Mudra sessions: Mudras to support the Breath, Mudras for the Heart, Mudras for the Emotional Body, Mudras to support the Mind, Mudras to open to Wisdom and deeper Insight.

Our hands - a healing tool

The felting process is the entanglement of wool fibers with the help of warm water, soap and agitation. It is a slow and meditative process at the beginning, then comes the fun of massaging the fibers together, rolling, fulling, shrinking your work until you end up with proper wool fabric in your own unique design. It is MAGIC! Please find below some of my current workshop offerings for wet- felting to CREATE ‘one-of-a-kind forever’ pieces. You can visit/ like/ follow my Facebook page @ Designs by Marika to see more of my work, to place a custom order, and to find out about dates for upcoming events. I am also happy to offer one-on-one or semi-private sessions. Although a hat-making workshop is not listed here, I am happy to offer one should there be interest. Do you have an idea for a unique design to express yourself? Let me help you create it. With the holiday season approaching, consider gifting handcrafted gifts this year, such as a pair of earrings, a brooch, or a scarf. How about gifting a loved one with a felting experience? Gift certificates are available. I am fascinated by the creative potential of our hands. We do not need studies to prove that engaging our hands in a creative activity is deeply healing. Our hands are indeed the extension of our brain. Be it preparing delicious meals, digging in the soil in the garden, sewing, knitting or some other creative process - we come away feeling calmer and more grounded. Looking back on my life, I see how I always turned to a hands-on activity whenever there was a transition, a big change in my life. Hand-stitching, embroidering, painting , drawing and now felting have helped me navigate challenging times. To see the result of our work blossom from our hands is beautiful, grounding, balancing and deeply healing. Also, the observation that I felt intuitively drawn to self-expression through a creative process is proof again that something deep down inside of us is whole, complete and perfectly fine. It is our inherent wisdom, the aspect of ourselves that knows the right response to every situation in life and quietly guides us towards it. So I embroider, felt and draw and all the while stay amazed at the source of it all. Please check out, even Like or Follow, my Facebook Page: Designs by Marika. Why Marika? That is what I am called in my native language of Hungarian, That is what my Mom and friends in Hungary call me. It has all the warmth, familiarity and comfort one's native language naturally offers.

Introduction to wet-felting and basic embroidery - UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26;  Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND  FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO  LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

Introduction to wet-felting and basic embroidery - UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26; Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

Learn to wet-felt a rose brooch with leaves and basic embroidery stitches. In this two-hour workshop, you will learn basic wet-felting skills while creating a lovely rose brooch with leaves. You will also learn embroidery stitches to adorn the leaves with veins and to stitch the flower onto a brooch pin. Length of workshop: 2 hours Investment: $55.00 (All supplies and material -pure Merino wool and pearl cotton embroidery thread- instruction and inspiration are included in the workshop fee.

‘Feltbroidering' earrings: UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26; Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

‘Feltbroidering' earrings: UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26; Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

In this workshop, you will create two pairs of earrings using both felting and embroidery techniques. The embroidery thread will be hiding between the layers of wool thus leaving the back of the earrings untouched. Length of workshop: 3 hours Investment: $65.00 (All supplies and material -pure Merino wool and pearl cotton embroidery thread- instruction and inspiration are included in the workshop fee.)

‘Feltbroidering" a charming heart decoration: UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26; Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

‘Feltbroidering" a charming heart decoration: UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26; Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

In this workshop, you will create an embroidered heart decoration using both wet-felting and embroidery techniques. The embroidery thread will be hiding between the layers of wool thus leaving the back of your work untouched. After felting the heart, you will practice/learn four basic embroidery stitches: running stitch, back stitch, French knot, and ‘lazy daisy’ stitch before embellishing your heart with an enchanted garden. Length of workshop: 3 hours Investment: $65.00 (All supplies and material -pure Merino wool and pearl cotton embroidery thread- instruction and inspiration are included in the workshop fee.)

Learn to wet-felt a stylish beret: UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26; Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

Learn to wet-felt a stylish beret: UPCOMING WORKSHOP DATES: Saturday, October 26; Sunday, November 3; Saturdays, November9, 16, 30. I WILL GO AHEAD WITH THE WORKSHOP I HAVE A DEMAND FOR. PLEASE CONTACT ME TO LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SIGNING UP FOR A WORKSHOP.

Though this workshop takes you a step beyond the basic skills of wet-felting by introducing you to the use of a resist to create a hollow form such as a hat or a bag, it is completely appropriate for beginners. You will dive deeper into growing your felting skills by learning how to create a pattern for your project, the purpose of a resist, the even laying out of the fibers, and the felting process itself. Dream up your unique beret design and I will help you bring it to life. Length of workshop: 4 hours Investment: $99.00 (All supplies and material - pure Merino wool and other fibers for embellishment, pearl cotton embroidery thread- instruction and inspiration are included in the workshop fee.)

About image
MARIA TEGLAS  CYT-500, Certified iRest® Yoga Nidra Meditation Teacher, Certified Mudra/Hand Yoga Teacher

The versatile set of tools the system of yoga has to offer for physical, mental/emotional as well as spiritual health have supported my life for over 20 years. It is wonderful to look back on this journey of two decades and feel deep gratitude not only to those who facilitated this journey but to myself also for taking ownership of and staying a curious and devoted caretaker of my own wellbeing. Why would I want to do that? The answer is simple: because I can only tend to the work that is mine to do if I cultivate a deep and loving relationship with myself.

As an immigrant from Hungary trained as a high school teacher, the mother of five sons, and one who was there for herself on every step of her healing journey from a bout of postpartum depression and an anxiety disorder (OCD) after the birth of my third son, my life is a testimony to the healing power of yogic practices and the wisdom teachings of yoga.

Taking care of your health and well-being is a DAILY and LIFE-LONG commitment in which simple practices such as breathing, mudras and meditation play a vital role. Why? Because they can be practiced in every single moment of your life. Wherever you are, your breath is there, your hands are available, as is your capacity to be aware of what is arising within you at any given moment. Take your own breathing as an example: the average person takes over 18,000 breaths per day. This simple fact makes breathing a powerful intervention when you begin to use your breath to improve your health and wellbeing. How about unlocking the healing power in your hands and fingers using ancient healing hand gestures? Mudras such as Mudra for Protecting your Health, Mudra for Calming your Mind, Mudra for Patience, Mudra for Facing Fear, Mudra for Tranquilizing the Mind (and many many more...) could support you in becoming your own creative, resourceful, committed and loving caretaker.

We already have everything within us to survive and thrive on our human journey. We are born whole and complete  and our wholeness does not change throughout our life, only our experiences do. It is this birthright of wholeness, built-in tools,  inherent wisdom and knowledge that I invite you to explore, reclaim and apply to support your own health, healing, well-being, and vitality like I do.

Try my offerings if you want to learn simple yet potent tools to deal with stress, anxiety, insomnia, pain or general malaise and a lack of vitality.
In addition to a slow and mindful Hatha yoga practice on Zoom, I also offer classes/workshops in the practice of Mudras/Hand Yoga (ancient healing hand gestures), iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation, and the Practice of Pranayama (Breathing Practices).

One last thing:
I deeply value the gift of a SMILE because 'A kind face is a precious gift.' 


  • Sydenham, Ontario, Canada