What We're About

With her gurus Sunil Sharma and Kamal Singh at Tattvaa Yogashala, Rishikesh, India

Major Yoga & Fitness is dedicated to helping all people reach their healthiest potential through a variety of modalities. We offer:


Melissa Major

Melissa (The Major) found a deep passion for moving her body about a decade ago and has been in motion ever since. She teaches a wide variety of classes, including her Major branded classes Major Power Yoga, Major Power Core, Ginga Dance, Dance Fitness & Sargeant Major's Bootcamp & HIITT.
She received her advanced 500-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training Certificate at the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yogashala in Rishikesh, India and was certified as a Zumba Instructor, from the ZIN Network, as well as a Mindful Living Coach from the Steiner Academy in the UK, specializing in Mindfulness, Meditation and Sound Healing.

Her teaching began in Toronto, at a wide variety of studios and ad-hoc locations including Kula, Fireflow Yoga, 99 Sudbury, Studio Blue, The Yoga Lounge, Aiyoku, CSI, Collective Studio, Republic, Twist Gallery, Urbancore Fitness, Benchmark Fitness, and Republic. She also developed a yoga program where she has taught yoga to teachers and students in the Toronto District School Board.

She continued her career teaching at many luxury resorts in Dominican Republic (i.e. Marival Armony, Paradisus, Royalton Chic, Sanctuary, Cicle by Melia, Viva Wyndham Samanaá, and Al Sol Luxury Village) and for local wellness companies such as Toque Holistico and So Good Fitness.

This experience also lead her to teach for several months in Granada, Nicaragua at the Mansion de Chocolate and Surfing Donkey Hotel, while she performed as an acrobat and aerialist in the Berrinche Ambientale Festival of Circus.

Wanting to continue seeing the world and reach a broader engagement, she then began teaching at sea for luxury cruiselines, working as a Mindful Living Coach onboard the Seabourn Odyssey, specializing in yoga classes and sound healing. She then spent several years working in Entertainment for Carnival UK onboard Cunard's Ocean Liners; The Queen Mary 2, The Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Victoria, where she hosted many entertainment activities, deck sports, danced, and instructed classes in Chairobics and Dance Fitness.

Melissa's goal as a yoga and fitness teacher is to bring a big smile to the practice and challenge students to reach their maximum potential within a solid framework of technique comprehension and safety.

Testimonials

Teaching yoga at Chic Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

"Melissa is a superb yoga instructor. Her strong commitment to yoga and knowledge of tradition shine through immediately. Throughout the class, she combines concise explanations with intuitive adjustments, which has greatly enhanced my own personal practice. With a fun energy and engaging manner, she also makes challenging asanas possible - yet creates a calm and relaxing space. In my experience, it's rare to get all of these qualities in one teacher. I highly recommend her classes."  ~ Melissa Benner

"Melissa is a gentle and generous instructor. She is patient and positive, and makes everyone in her class feel comfortable, wherever they are on their physical journey. Melissa knows how to meet the needs of all of the learners in her class, and is able to support her students with ease. Melissa is deeply committed to learning, as well as teaching, and her enthusiasm for growth and possibility is contagious! I also appreciate that Melissa respectfully acknowledges the historical and cultural origins of her practice."  ~ Velvet Lacasse

"Melissa has a teaching style that makes you feel extremely comfortable, right from the moment her class begins. Whether you are a beginning or experienced yogi, her relaxed, knowledgeable and playful personality gives you a wonderful yoga class every time. I would definitely recommend her classes to anyone! She also gives a short yoga massage at the end of class, that really seals in your practice, and leaves you feeling incredibly relaxed and soothed."  ~ Jordann Zaza

"While browsing the Yoga Community Toronto Facebook page I came across Melissa Major's section announcing her Led Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga. It was being offered at an accessible space, at a time of day (early evening) when I like to practice and her fee was reasonable. I was not disappointed that I made the effort to seek out her class. Mellissa has recently studied with Kamal Singh at the Tattvaa Yoga Shala in Rishikesh India. Her training had served her well. She was thorough in the practice and was available to highlight the aspects that I wanted to deepen. She was ardent in the names and pronunciations of each of the poses. She was patient but thorough in her teaching but mainly it was her adjustments which I most appreciated. Melissa has a healing touch and an ability to ease you into poses you thought inaccessible. Melissa has learnt well and is generous in sharing her knowledge. I was very grateful for the encounter. Namaste."  - Margaret Lamarre

With Kino McGregor in Toronto, Canada

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