HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPERTS
CHARLOTTETOWN YOGA SPACE AND MARITIME YOGA A Place to Make Space By Brianne Hogan Photos Bobby-Jo Goudreau
Erika Killam and Samantha Sambrooke, two Islanders- by-choice, have been pivotal figures in Charlottetown’s yoga scene since making PEI their home. Hailing from Darien, Connecticut, and Vancouver, British Columbia, respectively, both women bring years of yoga experience to the Island. After meeting on Sambrooke’s first visit to PEI, the pair quickly became friends and collaborators, teaching and coordinating yoga classes in local studios. In 2013, Sambrooke fulfilled her dream of opening a yoga teacher training school, Maritime Yoga, and invited Killam to join her as a lead instructor. Maritime Yoga has been offering its popular 200- hour Yoga Teacher Training Program for 10 years, with the 12th intake of students
beginning in September 2024. This training attracts individuals from diverse backgrounds—mental health professionals, school teachers, retirees, and those simply looking to deepen their practice. Graduates have gone on to integrate these skills into their professional settings as well as teach classes in studios and community centres across PEI. Sambrooke, also a certified Yoga Therapist, offers specialized sessions, focusing on holistic health that encompasses physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Sessions include customized Somatic Yoga (SomaYoga) movements, which manage chronic pain and improve mobility as well as breathing, and meditation techniques. These therapeutic sessions are offered one-to-one as well as in a group setting
at the Charlottetown Yoga Space.
Starter Week package allows new students to explore multiple classes. With Killam's recent opening of a second location, The Space at Blackbush in Tracadie, and Sambrooke expanding her teacher training, the duo continue to offer a peaceful, welcoming environment for Islanders to find strength, balance, and connection one breath at a time.
Meanwhile, Killam, who along with David Whitty, co-owns Charlottetown Yoga Space, a vibrant studio that offers a variety of yoga styles, from deep-stretching Yin to dynamic flows and meditation classes. Killam’s teaching philosophy focuses on creating a supportive space where students can engage and interact with each other while continuing to evolve their yoga practice. The studio, which Killam nicknamed “The Treehouse” for its proximity to the sky and “the energy our students and teachers bring to the space, how you and your friends would fill a special place with shared treasures,” fosters a sense of community, with classes designed for all levels. The
CHARLOTTETOWN YOGA SPACE 49 Pownal Street The Space at Blackbush Grand Tracadie
charlottetownyoga.com
MARITIME YOGA maritimeyoga.ca samanthasambrooke.com
PEI LIVING MAGAZINE / 38 / VOL 8 . ISSUE 2
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