OUR MANIFESTATION

We are committed to empowering you to stand in your light & embody the fullest expression of yourself.

The Team Behind The Dream

Meet the collective that holds space for our community to take action towards living their most inspired life!

Susie Newson - Mocean Yoga

Our team

Susie Newson

Founder Of Mocean Yoga, 500hr E-RYT, Mocean YTT Lead Facilitator

Susie was called to yoga in 2002. The injurious life of a professional ballet dancer led her to yoga as a way to heal her body while continuing to express herself through movement. Yoga became more than a healing system and form of expression. For Susie, yoga was a life support system that offered the tools to cultivate a more intimate relationship with herself. Yoga continues to support her in navigating this wild journey we call life with more peace, grace and ease.

Susie began her yoga studies with Nicki Doane and Eddie Modestini (Maya Yoga) in 2008. She studied extensively with Nicki and Eddie and completed four Maya Yoga Teacher Training courses, including Maya Yoga’s 500hr YTT. In 2010 Susie organized and coordinated Maya Yoga’s first Canadian Yoga Teacher Training in Kelowna, BC. In 2011/2012 Susie accepted the invitation to live on Maui with Nicki and Eddie. There, she devoted herself to her yoga studies while managing Maya Yoga.

Her passion led her to coordinate and sell out Maya Yoga’s first 500hr Yoga Teacher Training course. In 2013 Susie completed her 500hr Moksha Yoga teacher training and was an integral part of the Moksha Yoga Kelowna sangha for over four years. Most recently, Susie completed 100hrs of Advanced Vinyasa Krama teacher training with Srivatsa Ramaswami. These various yoga studies have credited her over 2000hrs of teacher training, which have, in turn, inspired a devotion to sharing her studies for the past decade.

 

In 2012 Susie founded Mocean Yoga. Her intention and passion behind the vision of Mocean Yoga were to leverage her own light to help you stand in your light and embody your fullest expression. Susie has a profound love for creating yoga retreats and teacher training experiences in Canada, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and around the world that offer the tools to put your Manifestations in Mocean and live out your most magnificent existence. In 2016 Susie was drawn back to her roots on Vancouver Island. Here she answered the call to build and open the doors to Mocean Yoga Studio; a space in which others are encouraged to explore, experience and live their fullest expression through yoga.

Our team

Natalie Bishop

500hr E-RYT, Occupational Therapist, Medical Yoga Therapist,
Mocean YTT Lead Facilitator

Natalie was first introduced to yoga during her training as a dancer. Several years later in 2004, after being diagnosed with a genetic heart condition she fell in love with it. She trusts in the healing potential of this practice as it has been vital in both re-creating her own health and her work as an occupational therapist.

 

As an occupational therapist Natalie believes that quality of life is created through meaningful engagement in the activities that make up our days. She feels that the current health care system has some amazing strengths and that it can only be strengthened by the use of complementary practices – such as yoga – that have existed for thousands of years.

Natalie feels passionately that we are here for each other and her reverence for human biology (and its magic!) guides her to work and practice with kindness in order to restore strength and integrity to the body, mind and spirit. She believes there are therapeutic secrets hidden in all aspects Yoga.

Our team

Alli Mary Epp​

500hr RYT, Ceremonialist, Kundalini Goddess, Hypnotherapist, Ritualist, Mocean YTT Facilitator

Alli is always on the quest for new ways to bring adventure, creativity, and aliveness to her life and the lives of others. Her yoga journey began 15 years ago, in the sweaty jungles of Thailand where she immersed in her first classical Hatha teacher training. She was immediately captivated by the magic of this ancient practice and has been teaching numerous styles and offerings ever since.

In addition to her Hatha training, she has also trained in Vinyasa, Yin and prenatal yoga. Most recently completing her prenatal teacher training with the wild and wonderful Theresa Campbell at Semperviva.

The style of yoga that is perhaps most revered to her and holds a special place in her heart, is the path of Kundalini. Alli completed her kundalini 200-hour teacher training through Yoga West, and is constantly inspired by the power of breath, movement and chanting that this form offers.

 

Alli is excited to be part of the sparkling crew at Mocean Yoga, and looks forward to practicing with you!

Our team

Caela Gillies

375hr Chakra Yoga TT, 100hr Yin and Restorative TT, 200hr Mocean Yoga TT, Registered Massage Therapist, Craniosacral Therapist

Caela found yoga in 2007 when she was travelling and beginning her journey of self discovery. In 2009 she went to Thailand for her first (375 hour) training, studying Chakra Yoga at the Pyramid Yoga Centre. She became a Yoga Teacher and embraced a nomadic lifestyle as she explored the world and deepened her relationship to herself through yoga, meditation and ceremony.

 

Working and living at a Yoga Retreat Centre in Guatemala, Caela was exposed to bodywork and energy healing and the transformative impact it could have. In 2012, she decided to expand her offering by returning to BC and completing her training to become a Registered Massage Therapist. While in Massage Therapy school, Caela discovered Craniosacral Therapy.

She was fascinated by the power of gentle touch and present awareness. In 2018 she completed a 2 year Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training with Body Intelligence. Through Craniosacral Therapy Caela realized the importance of regulating the nervous system which drew her to study Yin and Restorative yoga. In 2019, Caela completed a 100 hour Yin and Restorative advanced training at Yandara Yoga in Todos Santos, Mexico.

 

Caela was led to Mocean Yoga in 2017. She fell in love with the practice and how good it felt in her body, heart and soul! She completed her 200 hour Mocean Yoga Teacher training in 2020 and has been teaching for Mocean Yoga since. She is honoured to be here as a support, teacher and (forever) student.

Our team

Diana Newson

Moceans Red Seal Culinary Creative, 500hr RYT

Diana is a dreamer, creator, lover, adventurer and most commonly known as the Culinary Goddess on the Mocean Yoga team. Her yogic journey began deep in the jungle of Maui with Nicki Doane And Eddie Modestini at Maya Yoga. Shortly after this time on Maui, she headed south to Nicaragua where she dropped deep into a 200 hour intensive teacher training with Julia McCabe.

Diana has been blessed to teach yoga to many over the years and feels deeply grateful for the tools and skills she’s learned through the practice. Growing up a fisherman’s daughter, Diana has always had a great respect for local sustainable ingredients and where they come from. She actively continues to participates in commercial fishing.

She loves to forage her own food and is passionate about supporting local farms and artisans. Her culinary career began with Mocean Yoga, catering the first retreats her and Susie ever created. To compliment her offerings, she took up studies with Meghan Telpner at the Academy of Culinary Nutrition. This course opened her eyes to the value of the work she was doing, nourishing and educating others about nutrition and the importance of good healthy vibrant foods. It became clear to Diana that she should follow the whispers of her heart in the Culinary Creative field. She went on to study at the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver and acquired her her Red Seal & Diploma in both Culinary Arts and the Art of bread and pastries with NWCAV.

Diana believes that yoga and nutrition are a masterful dance that allow you to create a stronger connection to mind, body and breath. Moving through the ebbs and flows towards a greater state of consciousness. She aspires to create a supportive warm and welcoming experience for anyone who cares to roll out their mat or pull up a seat and join her.

Our team

Shealeen Marie

200hr Mocean Yoga TT, Behind The Scenes Magician (Assistant Manager), Joy Keeper, Cacao Goddess

Shealeen began her yoga journey long before she’d realized it was yoga – with the practice of conscious breath. Keen to deepen her yogic learnings and practice, she sought a studio and instructor that spoke authentically to her, to the practice and to the teachings. At the end of 2017, she was called to Mocean Yoga. After becoming an avid practitioner at the studio, she dove into a 200hr intensive training with the intention to develop a deeper understanding of Yoga and inspire an effective home practice.

Throughout a span of 15 years, Shealeen has worked on and off with coffee and tea. It is when these two paths crossed, that she developed her deep love of cacao. Today, she shares cacao in our collaborative ceremonies as a modality to take us deeper and hold us along the way.

In 2022 & 2023, Shealeen studied with Keli Carpenter becoming certified in her Level One TOSA Breathwork Training; an integrative and comprehensive path to personal awakening and conscious breathwork facilitation.

Shealeen is here to hold safe space for you through conscious breath, deep presence and compassion.

“Dear every single person, ever. I think I love you.”