About
Carly Henkelman-Leavoy
(RYT-500)
Carly grew up in Arnprior, where community and connection were at the heart of daily life. At a young age, she discovered the power of movement as a conversation between body and being, studying ballet and dancing into young adulthood. For Carly, music and motion have always been ways to release energy, find balance, and nurture the nervous system - a lesson she now brings into her yoga teaching.
Alongside movement, Carly grew up with a love for words. Reading, writing, and storytelling shaped her understanding of the world and the ways we connect with one another. These practices continue to influence how she teaches yoga, bringing a thoughtful, reflective, and heart-centered approach that encourages students to explore their own stories through movement, breath, and stillness.
Having studied Psychology & Sociology at the University of Ottawa, Carly is deeply connected with the way our thoughts and emotions impact how we experience the world and form relationships. Her background in mental health informs her teaching, weaving insights about the mind and nervous system into practices designed to help students reconnect with their bodies, quiet the mental chatter, and cultivate inner clarity.
As an accredited member of both the Yoga Alliance and the Yoga Alliance of Canada, Carly has been teaching the art of yoga for approximately 4 years and committed to her own practice for nearly 15. Yoga became a quiet haven for Carly during a period of intense life transition and struggles with her own mental health, offering a space to turn inward, reconnect and find steadiness amidst the challenges of motherhood, grief, and personal growth. Her experiences with recovery from substance abuse, and deep self-inquiry inform her teaching, allowing her to guide students with compassion, presence, and gentle encouragement.
For Carly, yoga is never just a physical practice. It is an invitation to come home to oneself - to cultivate peace, to find balance and create a deeper connection to the life force that flows through us all. Each class she offers is a space to explore, feel, and remember who we truly are.
