Our Instructors

Exhale’s talented team of instructors are here to guide you through your journey. Each instructor brings their own unique teaching style to class, but all share in a common love for our community. Through quality, creative and careful instruction, we are here to help you: to answer your questions, support your practice, and to make your practice a cherished time in your life.

Helen Killorn


Yoga / Barre / Pilates

Helen is a certified Yoga, Barre & Pilates instructor who has been guiding & inspiring students for nearly a decade. Struggling for most of her life with severe anxiety, Helen found herself coming to her mat not only for her physical body, but also for the effect it was having on her mental & emotional health. As she started to feel the transformation yoga had in her life, she felt inspired to share the gift of yoga with others.

In 2013, Helen travelled to Costa Rica where she received her first 200Hr Yoga Alliance certification with focus in Vinyasa. Since then, she has completed thousands of teaching & training hours, received her Barre Instructor Certification at BARREast in Halifax, Nova Scotia and completed the Mat Pilates Instructor Certification through Body Harmonics International.

Over the years, Helen has taught & practiced at multiple studios across the country. She now calls Fort McMurray home alongside her husband and daughter, and is the proud owner of Exhale Yoga & Barre.

Helen believes the mind, body, soul connection is a sacred one, and one that should be nurtured and inspired. With that mentality she teaches her classes from her heart, creating an uplifting, safe environment for students to begin to explore and expand within their own body and consciousness. With a background in dance and performing, she strives to bring a sense of fun and freedom to her classes, with a strong emphasis on breath and alignment, and hopes to impart nuggets of yogic wisdom along the way.

Jen Toutant


Yoga

Jen was born and raised in Fort McMurray and can still remember taking her very first yoga class in a basement studio in 2011. She was so nervous but the intimate setting, the heart-opening practice, and the freedom-encouraging teacher absolutely sold her and later the following year she embarked on her own teaching journey. Jen is now registered as an experienced 200-hour teacher (e-RYT200) with a specialization in prenatal yoga (RPYT) and is a continuing education provider (YACEP) through the Yoga Alliance. She is also a Certified Lifestyle Meditation Teacher, has taken numerous continuing education workshops and is currently at the tail end of her 300-hour and 95-hour registered children's yoga studies.

Being introduced to yoga was all Jen needed to begin an all-inclusive journey of getting to know her higher self. As a mama of three, and being the owner of Shine Kids Yoga, she spends most of her time sharing the gift of yoga and mindfulness with children and their families. When she’s not teaching kids, however, you can find her balancing our busy lifestyles by teaching healing, restorative classes. Jen is passionate about sharing her wisdom and kindness with people who don't quite think they’re able to practice yoga because they don’t "fit the part". She loves inspiring people of all shapes and sizes to have the courage to walk into a yoga studio, get on their mat and simply breathe…because if she can do it, so can you! It's the first step that's the most important one and she looks forward to meeting you there.

Fort McMurray Barre Instructor

Megan Johnson


Barre / Fitness

Being born and raised in Fort McMurray, Megan understands the feeling of community. After moving to Edmonton twice, she managed to find her way back ‘home’, except the second time was with a little boy in tow and a new sense of direction. Megan has been involved in the fitness world since 2009, however after Westyn was born, she decided to change her career path and became certified to teach group fitness classes. She obtained her Fitness Instructor Specialist certification through CanFitPro in 2016. She is also certified in Pre & Post Natal, BodyShred, Barre Above and has her Healthy Eating & Weight Loss Coaching certification. Megan loves all types of fitness, from functional training and weight lifting to anything dance related and choreographed. She can’t wait to meet you at the Barre!

Brooke McMillan


Yoga

Brooke began practicing yoga as a young dancer growing up in Fort McMurray, with her teacher Julie Funk. She was initially drawn to yoga as a form of expression through movement. As yoga wove its way into her daily life, she learned it is so much more than a physical discipline – it provides a foundation for greater compassion towards all beings.

Brooke has been teaching yoga since 2014, completing her 500hr Yoga Teacher Training with Kaitlin Armstrong and Pattie Dwyer. She has since completed the Yoga For All Teacher Training with Dianne Bondy and Amber Karnes, specializing in accessible yoga for diverse bodies and communities. She has studied meditation with Mandy Trapp and is a certified meditation educator. Brooke gratefully honors her teachers and humbly teaches from the seat of lifelong student.

Brooke is a passionate advocate for diversity and body positivity within the yoga community and media. She strives to create classes that are inclusive to people of all shapes, sizes, abilities, identities, and backgrounds. Brooke’s classes focus on creating space for self-care and community through gentle movement and breath. Her classes provide a space to take pause from the daily demands of life and turn our attention inward, embracing ourselves exactly as we are in each moment and remembering our interconnectedness. Her intention is to support all people to rise from their practice with a little more freedom to be. Brooke’s other passion and creative outlet is food and she is a cooking and nutrition educator.

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Taralynn McIver


Yoga

Taralynn was born and raised in Fort McMurray and is proud to be raising her family in our wonderful community. 

Taralynn was first introduced to yoga by her teacher Julie Funk almost 20 years ago, and has continued to love everything it has to offer. Yoga has become, over the years, a practice of mind, body and soul. In 2013, Taralynn completed her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training with Patti Dwyer and Kaitlin Armstrong and immediately began teaching. Her passion is for Hatha/Vinyasa Flowing classes where the breath is your pilot and you can find movement, depth and mindfulness. 

Taralynn, in collaboration with Christina Aaron and Jen Toutant, has created Mindful Yogi Mamas as a means of introducing yoga, meditation and mindfulness to moms. Sharing tools to help with the struggles and challenges that being a mom brings. 

When not guiding classes, Taralynn can be found working at the hospital, and right now on the front lines in the Emergency department as a Registered Nurse.

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Shauna MacDonald


Yoga

Shauna’s yoga journey began in 2012 as a way to improve flexibility and strength. It quickly became so much more than that. After completing the 200 hour YTT in 2017 to further her own practice, she surprised herself and decided to begin instructing.

Shauna enjoys teaching powerful flows..loving the way it forces you to slow down and be still while challenging your body. She hopes people will leave her classes loving the effect on their mind and body....feeling challenged, energized, strong and wanting to come back for more!

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Matt Clements


Yoga

Matt was born in a small town in Ontario and moved to Fort McMurray in 2013 for work. Matt was first introduced to yoga by his wife, doing random classes on the internet to stay fit. He began to fall in love with it and noticed how it helped to gain more patience and ease his anxiety.

Matt completed his 200hrs with Shari Dale at Yoga Temple in March 2019. Since then, on top of teaching yoga classes, he has hosted 3 arm balance workshops and participated in the Maga Boyz 2019 event, guiding grade 6 boys through various yoga classes. He has also guided private groups in multiple styles of yoga.

Matt's passion is in vinyasa and power yoga. He enjoys using his breath and strength to float from one asana to the next.

When not on his yoga mat, you will find him in nature with is family and dogs sharing his Love of Life with everyone he meets.

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Brandy Hepditch


Yoga

Brandy found yoga in 2013 while searching for something to help calm her anxious mind and help her learn to appreciate and love her own body. Despite fears of not fitting in and feeling very awkward, she ventured into her first studio only to be met with endless kindness and complete acceptance. She quickly fell in love with the process of moving the body while quieting the mind and the studio became her safe place. In the fall of 2019 she took a leap of faith and enrolled in a 200hr Yoga Teacher Training program. This program challenged her to find her voice while also inspiring her to hold space for others to also fall in love with themselves, their breath and their bodies. Brandy plans to continue her studies in the future with an immediate focus on trauma informed yoga & yin yoga. She hopes to be able to give back to the community that has given her so much.

Melanie Asher


Yoga

Melanie’s yoga journey began twenty years ago when she took a yoga class to stretch out and work on her flexibility. She quickly began to experience many other benefits that went far beyond flexibility. Mind, body, soul, and life balance. She is a certified yoga teacher, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor/resistance leader holding several designations, and has been teaching fitness and yoga in Fort McMurray since 2010. Becoming a yoga instructor was a natural progression for Melanie in her life journey, so she completed her 200-hr yoga teacher training in 2018. She believes in creating the life you want to live and is excited to share her energy and passion for wellness!

Amanda Horning


Yoga

Amanda was born and raised in beautiful British Columbia where she developed her deep love of the outdoors. Amanda has a degree in Forestry and she loves being outside with her family and friends. Living in Fort McMurray for over 10 years, Amanda has a rich life with her husband, son, and dogs. Amanda did her first yoga training in 2013 in Hatha Yoga and has continued the journey taking additional training in yin, restorative, and Kundalini yoga. While not on the mat you may find Amanda involved in volunteer groups with children, dog sports or moving her own body. "Movement is medicine" is Amanda’s motto, and she looks forward to sharing her passion with you in class.

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Cat Downie


Yoga

Cat Downie began practicing yoga over 12 years ago in search of a physical challenge and an excuse to practice handstands. But it wasn’t until she traveled to India for a research project that she truly began her yoga journey. In 2010 she completed an Ashtanga Yoga Immersive Practicum and Indian Religion & Philosophy course in the Himalayas of India. The seed was planted and Cat continued to practice with a focus on Ashtanga yoga, completing her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training with In Balance in 2015, and continues to study under Ashtanga masters Manju Jois and Tina James.

Caitlin strives to honour authentic movement linked with breath for a moving meditation. She offers classes that encourage cultivating ease and peace even in the midst of chaos or challenge. Her passion for diversity and inclusion continues to inspire a deep appreciation for the practice and commitment to yoga as advocacy.

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Kyla Rainey


Yoga

Kyla's journey into Yoga began with a mindful parenting course. After finding it difficult to balance taking care of her needs and the needs of her family, she decided to invest in herself. Kyla studied mindful parenting, and in that time established a regular physical yoga practice. A new understanding of what yoga truly is opened her up even further, and she knew her journey was far from over. As she began to lead with her heart, releasing any expectations of outcomes, she signed up for her initial 200 hour RYT certification in town with Yoga Temple. Upon completing this certification, Higher Health Yoga gave Kyla a wonderful opportunity to start guiding classes. Since then, she has had the opportunity to study with many wonderful teachers, toning her

understanding of yoga philosophy, movement and meditation. Kyla feels honoured to share her passion for yoga with everyone she meets. She loves helping people connect with their body through movement and mantra, honouring the sensations and emotions they experience. She has overwhelming gratitude for all of the divine teachers, past and present, who have impacted her life. The practice may not be the goal, but it ultimately sets you free. Kyla is so grateful to join this magical community and looks forward to seeing you on the mat. Hari Om

Chantelle Christensen


Fitness / Yoga

Meet Chantelle, a bubble of energy who takes pride in delivering effective, challenging and scalable fitness classes. Breathing, moving and sweating has had such a positive effect on her mental and spiritual health, that in 2014 she became a certified personal trainer and has been leading transformative fitness classes ever since!

Chantelle has dedicated her career to providing education and body positivity, while teaching proper activation, lifting techniques & mobility methods to find sustainable change in the way your body feels. She's a big believer in cultivating a healthy relationship with food & exercise, and she believes movement is a gift, our bodies should be celebrated, and it's never too late to get started on working-on-working out. Your best is always enough, and she is here to push you forward while honouring and respecting yourself.

When Chantelle is not in the studio, you can find her with her daughter, husband and dog, probably cooking (with a glass of wine) or biking within our beautiful trails. She can't wait to get to know you at Exhale!

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Melissa Redden


Yoga

As a senior Embodiment Yoga Teacher, Somatic Thai Massage practitioner and intuitive healer, Melissa is deeply committed to creating space for self-reflection and healing through compassionate and embodied practices where students can feel nourished, supported and encouraged. Melissa is passionate about using yoga to help students find safety in the body, learn to manage discomfort and experience spaciousness in their physical, mental and emotional bodies.

CYA-RYT 500

Morgan Chisholm


Yoga

Morgan moved to Fort Mcmurray when she was four years old and has been practicing yoga & tai chi since the age of 10. She fell in love with using the breath in harmony with the body to calm the mind and create an inner sense of peace. Morgan has her RYT 200 certification from the South Okanogan Yoga Academy and is also a Reiki practitioner.

Nicole Hefferan
Fitness

Nicole's journey to becoming a Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer has been in the making for about 10 years.

Growing up in Fort McMurray meant being heavily involved in winter sports, and she spent a lot of time at the rink and getting in as much sun as she could in the summers. When she switched to working out in a gym as opposed to playing group sports, a passion was ignited, and she has been continuously learning about Health and Fitness while pursuing other careers.

Having spent the last decade working in the Travel & Restaurant industries, Nicole made the decision to leave all that behind in October of 2021 and received her Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach Certification with the ISSA. She hopes to provide fun, and effective workouts while focusing on teaching proper movements and nutrition advice to encourage a balanced & fit life. Being physically active is such an important part of Nicole's life, and she is excited to share what she loves with the community that she was born and raised in.

Fort McMurray Yoga Instructor

Amanda Paulson


Yoga

Yoga has been a part of Amanda’s life for over 25 years, and her practice has helped her grow stronger, more flexible and balanced, both on and off the mat. Yoga inspires her to live each moment more mindfully.

She completed her 200 hour yoga training at the Sivanada Ashram in Val Morin Quebec, and her 500 hour advanced training with SOYA. She continues studies with Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani in India. She will always be a student of the practice and is deeply grateful for the wisdom that has been shared from the gurus of the various yoga lineages.

She believes strongly in the power of the breath to nurture the body, mind and soul, and enjoys working with a variety of pranayama and asana practices to leave one stepping off the mat feeling refreshed, nourished, and balanced.

Laura Lynch
Yoga

Laura has always had a deep understanding of the body and with a love for movement, she naturally found yoga. Her asana practice has evolved over the last ten years and is heavily influenced by the Ashtanga, Katonah, and Kundalini lineages. She completed her 200 hour teacher training through Love and All is Coming and Katonah Yoga training through Sky Ting Yoga.

With a lifetime background in dance and her work as professional ballet dancer, she believes that with dedication, focus, and a healthy amount of discipline, you can achieve anything.

Beyond the physical practice, yoga has changed Laura’s life. Her hope as a teacher is to share these tools for people to take along with them into the world, to help them better understand themselves and take hold of their own lives.

Amanda Clements


Barre & Fitness

Originally from Collingwood Ontario, Amanda has called Fort McMurray home since 2014.

Like a lot of people, her fitness journey has not been a straight line. It has been up and down, forwards and backwards, and sometimes at a standstill.

In 2019 she decided to immerse herself in the fitness industry to help gain more control over physical and mental health not only for her own benefit, but to help others as well. Amanda has earned her Fitness Instructor Specialist certification through canfitpro as well as certifications in Barre, Cycle, Pre & Post Natal Fitness and Fascia, Movement & Assessments.

Amanda strives to create a safe and welcoming environment for everyone that shares her space and believes that fitness is for every body.