'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. Upcoming workshops : Our Healing Breath: Breathing to Balance, Breathing to Calm, Breathing to Uplift and Energize.

iRest Yoga Nidra Meditation NEXT IREST MEDITATION ON ZOOM IS ON MARCH 21ST @ 6:45-7:45 PM

Join me in person or on Zoom from the comfort of your home to rest deeply and to restore with this ancient healing practice. 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 can be practiced in a group or individual setting and is most often practiced lying down, however, one is always invited to find the most supportive position for the meditation. You can practice iRest with me from the comfort of your own 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 NEXT MUDRA SESSION IS ON MARCH 24 @4:30 PM ON ZOOM

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. Drop-in fee for group Mudra sessions: $15.00. 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

“My work is loving the world ... which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished ... which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart and these body-clothes, a mouth with which to give shouts of joy to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam, telling them all, over and over, how it is that we live forever." -Mary Oliver 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 -I truly believe - are 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.

COMING ON MARCH 16 @ 1-5 PM: LEARN TO SEW VIBRANT FELT FLOWERS

COMING ON MARCH 16 @ 1-5 PM: LEARN TO SEW VIBRANT FELT FLOWERS

Spend an afternoon with me and fellow crafters and learn to sew beautiful felt flowers in vibrant colours and a variety of designs. You can use these flowers to decorate a wreath, you could turn them into brooch pins or give them as gifts. You are welcome to bring your own felt or you can purchase it at my workshop for a small fee. All supplies will be provided. Tasty treats and tea will be served. Investment: $65.00

Wet-felting for Teens: Learn to wet-felt your own beret, ruffled scarf or felted jewellery

Wet-felting for Teens: Learn to wet-felt your own beret, ruffled scarf or felted jewellery

Are you interested in learning how to make your own stylish beret or ruffled scarf or designing your own felted jewellery using the ancient technique of wet-felting? In these fun and messy workshops, you will be designing and making stylish accessories using fine Merino wool, lots of soap and water. All material and felting supplies will be provided. Bring your enthusiasm and be ready to roll up your sleeves and unleash your creativity. 1. Beret making workshop 2. Wet-felt your own ruffled scarf 3. Make your own felted jewellery

Meditation in ink

Meditation in ink

I also like to draw in my own simple meditative style and I call my drawings meditation in ink - they engage me with a gentle focus and gift me with a sense of calm and contentment. All my drawings are filled with hearts, flowers and creatures from Nature reflecting the inherent simplicity of Life and its abundant offering of simple pleasures, blessings, and joy. Some of my drawings are printed as cards and are available for purchase at my home studio.

Saturday, March 2nd, 1:00-5:00 pm   Wet-felting Workshop: Learn to wet-felt a wool beret

Saturday, March 2nd, 1:00-5:00 pm Wet-felting Workshop: Learn to wet-felt a wool beret

Do you like stylish hats? Do you enjoy learning new skills? Join me in this fun and messy workshop that introduces you to the ancient technique of wet-felting. You will learn to wet-felt your own stylish beret using fine Merino wool. All material and supplies will be provided and you will walk away with a new hat made by you! Tea and treats will be served. Come on your own, or come with a friend. Investment: $80. To ensure maximum attention and to deepen connection, I work with small groups of 3 people. Contact me to register through my website or on Facebook @Designs by Marika. Did you know? Wool is one of the oldest and most versatile natural fibers to work with. Did you know there are many benefits of wearing wool? Check out the list below: Lowering heart rate Being mostly non-allergenic Having a natural resistance to mildew Self-regulating temperature Being non-toxic Helping with arthritis Helping with allergies and asthma Helping with fibromyalgia Wool is also said to improve sleep, help with skin conditions, and have antibacterial properties.

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 there is so much beautiful work to be done here on Earth while I am here. And I can only tend to that if I cultivate a deep and loving relationship with myself.

As an immigrant from Hungary, 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).

Originally a teacher from Hungary with a Master's degree in teaching English and Russian Languages, I came to Canada more than twenty years ago to be with my Canadian husband whom I met while we were both studying in Russia. Building our life together and fueled by a shared adventurous spirit, we spent almost a decade living in the Canadian Arctic. Of all places, it was in the Arctic that I took my first yoga class on a large towel, in place of a yoga mat, on the linoleum floor of Arctic College. My practice started out in a most simple way and to this day I value simplicity: show up each day and make your practice relevant to YOUR life so it can support your ever-changing needs and circumstances and it can support you in tending to what you need to tend to in life.

Throughout my many years of study, practice and teaching yoga and meditation, my passion has been yoga for mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. I have taught in various settings and to various groups: seniors, children, veterans, people with disabilities. Fueled by deep curiosity and the desire to equip myself with the transformative tools of this ancient practice - both for myself and my students, I have attended numerous trainings and workshops pertaining to mental and emotional health. Some are as follows: Life Force Yoga® for Managing Moods with Amy Weintraub, Yoga for Emotional Balance with Bo Forbes, Yoga for Depression Teacher Training, Yoga for Anxiety Workshop, and Yoga for Chronic Stress Workshop through Esther Myers Yoga Studio. In addition to completing a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program at the Lotus centre (London, ON), I have also completed the 300-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training at the Soul of Yoga Institute (Encinitas, California) where I further immersed myself in the application of yogic tools for health, healing and resilience . I also hold certificates in Yoga for Kids and Families, Restorative Yoga and Prenatal Yoga.

I am also a Certified iRest® Yoga Nidra Meditation Teacher and received my certificate from the Integrative Restoration Institute. iRest is an ancient healing practice supported by clinical research. It is a body-centered guided meditation for self-regulation and self-care that focuses on physical, psychological and spiritual health. It 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.

My curiosity also led me to explore the practice of Mudras (ancient healing hand gestures). I studied the practice of Mudras, their therapeutic applications and the practice of Mudras with Crystals with Sabrina Mesko PhD. I am a devoted practitioner of these healing hand gestures and also a Certified Mudra/Hand Yoga Teacher.

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


  • Sydenham, Ontario, Canada