Studio Teachers

Jules Payne, Co-Owner & Director of Teacher Training, ERYT-500, C-IAYT (Yoga Therapist)

Jules co-founded Ajna Yoga in 2008 and has been training yoga teachers since 2004. Her foundation is rooted in yoga therapy, anusara, ashtanga and vijnana yoga. Jules has a special interest in teaching 50+ yoga and injury rehabilitation. She teaches group classes, private yoga therapy sessions and teacher training. Jules’ classes are an equal mix of education, therapeutic applications and fun.

Michelle Schroeder, Co-Owner & Primary Instructor of Teacher Training, E-RYT-500, C-IAYT (Yoga Therapist)

Michelle co-founded Ajna Yoga and has been teaching yoga classes in Victoria since 2001and training teachers since 2008. She is trained in Hatha, Pre/Post Natal, Ashtanga and Vijnana yoga~where she completed her 800-hour training with Gioia Irwin and Orit Sen-Gupta. She teaches group yoga classes, private yoga therapy sessions and Ajna Yoga’s Teacher Training. Michelle loves to share her passion of yoga with her easy going personality. Her classes focus on alignment, pranayama (breath), and connecting to the divine self.

Linda Lemay, RYT-500, C-IAYT (Yoga Therapist)

Linda traveled to Rishikesh, India—the birthplace of yoga—where she completed a month-long 200-hour training in Kundalini and Hatha Yoga. This immersion deepened her connection to yoga’s roots and sparked a transformative journey.

She shares yoga with a client-centered, therapeutic focus— supporting bone health (Iyengar Yoga), with a certification in Yoga for Osteoporosis, healthy aging, back health, sound therapy, pranayama, meditation and mental health. Linda teaches both group classes and private yoga therapy sessions Learn more www.lunaremedies.ca

Viktoriia Shkurupii

Viktoriia’s journey into sound healing began with the need to heal from her own trauma—specifically, the experience of unexpectedly fleeing her home country, Ukraine. She had to leave her planned and predictable life behind in a rush, packing only the essentials. Yet one item she knew she couldn’t leave behind was a beloved Ukrainian instrument whose sound mimics waves. It had always brought her calm, and she sensed I’d need it more than ever.

Over time, Viktoriia’s interest expanded to other instruments and ultimately to crystal singing bowls. As she experienced the transformative effects of sound healing—especially how vibrations and frequencies helped soothe the nervous system and lift he from the depths of PTSD—she knew I had to share this gift with others.

Today, Viktoriia is honored to guide people through immersive sound journeys. These sessions offer a space to deeply relax, reset the nervous system, and let go. She continues to use that same Ukrainian wave instrument in her sessions along with crystal bowls—a reminder of both her past and the healing it has sparked.

Sarah Holmes de Castro, ERYT-500, C-IAYT (Yoga Therapist)

Sarah is a therapeutic yoga teacher and trainer specializing in yoga for trauma, mental health and addiction as well as an experienced non-profit program coordinator with over 10 years of experience in volunteer management and program delivery as well as curriculum development. She is certified by the Trauma Center in Brookline, MA as a Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator (TCTSY-F) and a certified Integrative Yoga Therapist and Functional Yoga Therapist. Sarah is also proud mama of 3 children who inspire her to keep growing, exploring and learning.

Laura Benson, RT-200

Laura has always been interested in movement. She studied dance and gymnastics as a child; fitness and strength training as a teen; and in her twenties was a Personal Trainer. A decade after being introduced to yoga, it became an essential life practice that helped her heal a chronic illness. From appreciation of yoga’s profound impact, Laura shares this ancient wisdom as a way to connect back to the Self. She honours the teacher in everyone and encourages a safe, supportive and accepting environment. Certified at Moksana Yoga Centre in 2012, she is currently enrolled in Ajna Yoga’s 500 hour Advanced Teacher of Therapeutic Yoga program. Laura guides yoga classes with a mix of dynamic flow and strong long holds to enable mindfulness; empowering you to Be where you are.

Madhu Nagarajan, Yoga Therapist in training

Madhu Nagarajan (Maddy) has been practicing yoga since childhood, deeply influenced by the teachings of her grandfather. Well-versed in the Vedas, she blends traditional wisdom with modern therapeutic techniques to create personalized, trauma-informed yoga practices. After experiencing the profound impact of trauma and emotional struggles in her own life, Maddy rediscovered yoga as a powerful tool for healing and self-care. Currently working towards becoming a Certified Yoga Therapist at Ajna Yoga Center, Maddy offers yoga therapy that addresses both the body and the mind. She works with veterans, seniors, individuals with chronic pain, and caregivers, guiding each student with a gentle, adaptable teaching style rooted in compassion. learn more about Madhu’s work- www.madhu-vidya.com