About Celeste Shirley
Ba. Honours Kinesiology
Since 1984 Celeste has inspired individuals to fit exercise, yoga and relaxation management into their busy schedules when it doesn’t seem possible. Celeste is a Kinesiologist having studied at York University in Toronto. Celeste’s knowledge of the body is derived from her active life as a triathlete, competitive bodybuilder and overall avid exercise enthusiast who acts like a pied piper springing neighbours, friends and colleagues into a more active life without them knowing what hit them. Celeste imparts that living a rewarding professional life includes taking really good care of your body and scheduling exercise time like office hours. Her constitution is simple: personal health management is the most important tool you have to reach all your personal and professional pinnacles while still having the energy for relationships at work and in your personal life.
Celeste raised her daughter on her own from birth and understands the challenges of running a business, staying leading edge in your business, while prioritizing the challenges of your parental role. In fact, it was this balancing act that taught her how to play more in life and to make exercise time soulful and playful and she clearly draws on this while teaching. Celeste is described as a delightful, energized teacher.
Celeste began teaching in 1984, working with coaches and elite athletes in university and colleges to improve their performance and reduce personal injury. Since that time, Celeste has inspired many populations to become strong in their bodies and at their best in life following motor vehicle accidents, surgery, and those starting a new life like paraplegics and young single mothers. Celeste is a kinesiologist, which is the person you would see if you were in a physiotherapist’s office or medical clinic, after you have passed the acute stage of your physical injury. The role of a kinesiologist is to use exercise to rehabilitate you after an injury, or surgery or any other acute stress to the body. With this background, Celeste educates her clients about anatomy and physiology in a non-text book way that helps them understand why they need to do certain exercises and how to be safe, yet work their edge to improve. By educating her clients, and participants in a class, individuals feel more of a physical strength and confidence in their body that they may not have realized had they just followed the teacher. In this way, clients and students alike build on what they can do and start to actually feel their physical abilities. (And become less symptom focused).
Celeste’s diverse teaching background draws on a variety of exercise forms including yoga, pilates, weight training, meditation, breath work, Thai Massage, Partner Yoga and funnily enough, laughter yoga. Celeste combines conditioning exercises, (ie: core training) and body movement practices like yoga, to integrate the flexibility and energy enhancement benefits when conducting group and individual exercise sessions.
Celeste teaches private workshops/classes in her beautiful ravine yoga studio, The Yoga House in Toronto, and trains individuals in-home, on the beach, in the corporate sector, and workshop settings. Workshops include health management for organizations such as The Ontario Fitness Council, The Toronto District School Board, G.E. Canada, T.D. Waterhouse, The Young President’s Club, The Addiction Research Foundation, and The Ontario Fitness Council.
Organizations Celeste has taught for
1. Bell Canada
2. Canada Life
3. G.E. Canada
4. Ontario Fitness Council
5. York University
6. Humber College
7. Toronto District School Board
8. Centre of Addiction and Mental Health
9. City of North York
10. Granite Club
11. Young President’s Club
12. Bellwood’s Health Services (addiction Hospital)
13. TriFit Inc.
14. Canadian Professional Trainers Network
15. Jewish Community Centre
16. Merle Levine Academy (Private School for children with special needs)
17. Luna Lodge, Costa Rica!
You can reach Celeste at:
info@theyogahouse.ca
416.690.8966
7 Copeland Avenue, Toronto
