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Our Team
Meet our multi-talented team of experienced instructors! Each of us brings a unique background and personality to the mat - we hope you will try a wide variety of classes from our different instructors to get the most out of your experience at ALIVE!
Stefanie Beitel
My journey to my Yoga and Pilates practices began about 15 years ago as a means of maintaining my flexibility, balance and strength. As I deepened my practice, it became much more than physical exercise, but also brought me patience, self-acceptance and confidence. This love for the practice drew me to complete my teacher training in yoga, Pilates and group exercise so that I could share these amazing systems with others. I am the co-owner and founder of ALIVE - it’s the place where I feel the most at home and I’m so happy to be sharing my love of movement and building community with you! My classes are challenging while keeping them fun, light-hearted and accessible to everyone! Let's move together!
Kirsten Jacob
Co-owner
I'm thrilled to announce my return to the ALIVE community as co-owner alongside Stef, bringing with me 12+ years of experience in the fitness industry as a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor. My classes are all about keeping you motivated and engaged, encouraging you to conquer physical challenges that parallel the mental hurdles we face daily. I bring a light-hearted, laid-back, and fun approach to teaching, with a little spicy twist to keep it interesting. My personal fitness journey transformed my life through self-love and exercise. High school was a turning point for me when I joined a gym, shifting my focus from limitations to celebrating what I could do and control. I embraced various forms of movement, including yoga, which offered the mind-body connection I had been searching for. This dream led to the creation of The YOGA GYM, a fusion of strength, yoga, Pilates, mindfulness, and efficiency. Can't wait to see you in class and help you feel truly ALIVE!
Tammy McIntosh
Hello, I'm Tammy, and my fitness journey spans over a decade. My deep love for Pilates set me on this path long before I made it my way of life. Today, my focus is helping you reach your fitness goals and more. I'm not your typical Pilates instructor; I seamlessly blend Pilates with high-intensity interval training (HIIT), combining resistance and cardio for a well-rounded fitness experience.
My expertise caters to diverse client needs, from enhancing flexibility and strength for mature individuals in elderly fitness to providing specialized Pilates for expecting and new moms, strengthening their core during pregnancy and aiding in safe post-pregnancy recovery. I thrive on challenging you to exceed your perceived limits, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned athlete, expanding your boundaries. My aim is not just to instruct but to be your partner on your journey to a healthier you.
Together, we can unlock your full potential, whether you're aiming for toning, better posture, or simply living a healthier life. Let's turn your fitness dreams into a reality; your future self will thank you.
Michelle Hiller
I am on a quest for optimal wellness, not only in my own life but also for the lives of others. I am a sought-after educator, speaker (TEDx), and published author in the field of wellness and movement education. Over the past 20 years, I have impacted millions of lives with the message of "when you move YOUR way, you can't get it wrong!" through large crowd presentations, workshops, trainings, content creation, and one-on-one coaching and experiences. I am a certified yoga, breathwork, and meditation teacher, dance/movement specialist, and recovery coach, and have been on faculty at Ontario Tech U in the field of arts education and personal wellness. Post-pandemic, I seamlessly merged all my passions, skills, qualifications, and personal experiences to create Breath & Fire, a platform to share my message with individuals, groups, and organizations. I live in Toronto with my son, who is my greatest teacher. I am thrilled to be part of the ALIVE team to help people awaken their flames!
Dana Rogers
I started my yoga journey in my 20s as a way to cope with addiction and mental health challenges. I've accumulated over 1000 hours of training in various yoga modalities, including Aerial and Yin yoga. Additionally, I'm a certified clinical somatic educator and a somatic embodiment coach. Currently, I'm in the process of completing my training as a registered somatic movement therapist.
My primary goal is to assist individuals in amplifying their innate wisdom and embodied awareness through intuition and playful exploration. I aim to help people tune into the messages their bodies are communicating about achieving overall health, finding joy within themselves, and fostering a deep connection with the world around them.
Alaina Galati
I am a certified yoga instructor with foundations in Vinyasa, Restorative Yoga, and Sound Meditation. For me, movement is a place to be fearless and present, without getting caught up in expectation. As a long-time yoga practitioner and instructor, I use breath and posture to shift my awareness inward and balance my nervous system. My dedication to various types of movement, including yoga, HIIT, pilates, and weight training, is rooted in finding my inner strength and deepening my connection to myself. My classes inspire mindful movement in order to create new spaces for me to feel, accept, grow, and shift.
Elizabeth Vecchio
With a passion for movement spanning 25 years, I've immersed myself in traditional ballet, contemporary, and modern dance. In 2010, I earned my BFA Hons in Movement and became a Yoga Instructor. Introduced to yoga by a close friend, I now lead creative flow classes, seamlessly blending consciousness with movement and breath. My unique approach, rooted in ballet, contemporary, and modern dance, emphasizes safety through a strong anatomical focus. Encouraging students to explore the deeper facets of movement, my classes invite introspection, offering powerful flows, balletic musicality, strength, and relaxation—a dynamic experience for everyone.
Sandy Francone
Hi, I'm Sandy, a dedicated fitness professional with over 25 years of experience inspiring others to lead healthier lives. Currently, I'm sharing my passion as a high school fitness educator, where I'm fortunate to combine my love for teaching with my commitment to overall wellbeing. With a personal lifelong dedication to wellness, I've found Pilates to be my favourite modality, a discipline that resonates deeply with me for its transformative benefits. I love fusing my love for music, creativity and fitness to inspire all I teach. In addition to my role as an educator, I continue to expand my knowledge and expertise through ongoing training and professional development, staying on top of the latest trends and techniques in fitness instruction. I am grateful to join the ALIVE team as a member of the local community where I live; I love the being near the lake with my kids, hubby and adorable pup who all share my love of being outdoors and active!
Amanda Caskie
My passion for movement started when I was young. I was always outside being active in nature. It continued with playing many sports in school, extracurricular activities in my own time, and competitive sports in adulthood. And then I found yoga. The many positive physical and mental benefits I experienced in both my body and mind, inspired me to share it with others. I became a Vinyasa Yoga instructor and fell in love with sharing movement. I have since grown my teaching repertoire to include Pilates, Personal Training, Perinatal Fitness and Yoga, Strength Training, Hiit, Restorative Yoga and Reiki. I approach teaching movement with compassion and empathy. In my classes, prepare to safely move, to breathe and find space, to grow stronger and feel ALIVE!
