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Gurmukh Aujla | he/him
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Hello! I’m Gurmukh.
I’m a Yoga teacher and I teach meditation through movement.
My parents immigrated in the mid 70’s from Punjab, India to a small town in the Cariboo called Williams Lake, BC. I was raised in the Punjabi Sikh tradition. Growing up in a small town wearing a dastaar (Sikh turban), and having parents with an unusual accent, made me constantly question where I fit in the western environment. My experiences at a young age forced me to learn about life in a very unconventional way. It was only recently that I understood my upbringing as a collection of gifts. The gifts of movement, music, discipline, dedication, and devotion to a higher purpose. My lived experiences, including this unconventional upbringing, are what bring me here, to you and a life dedicated to service.
Seva (selfless service) has the power and the potential to create positive change in a community. I left my humble roots for the Lower Mainland to serve as a Community Counsellor at a shelter for the unhoused while studying Criminology and Counselling. My experience at the shelter led me to a career in emergency medicine as a licensed Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) where I served in both rural/back country and metropolitan communities.
As I reflect on my time as a Community Counsellor and ACP over the past decade and a half, I think about the collection of moments that fuel the urgency and passion with which I start the next chapter of my life. My journey so far has taught me that EVERY person, deserves to heal their body, mind and spirit. I hope to share my journey of healing and the lessons that I have learned through meditative movement to help those that are ready for the same.
From connecting to your somatic body to elevating your fitness. I got you
I’m a Yoga teacher and I teach meditation through movement.
My parents immigrated in the mid 70’s from Punjab, India to a small town in the Cariboo called Williams Lake, BC. I was raised in the Punjabi Sikh tradition. Growing up in a small town wearing a dastaar (Sikh turban), and having parents with an unusual accent, made me constantly question where I fit in the western environment. My experiences at a young age forced me to learn about life in a very unconventional way. It was only recently that I understood my upbringing as a collection of gifts. The gifts of movement, music, discipline, dedication, and devotion to a higher purpose. My lived experiences, including this unconventional upbringing, are what bring me here, to you and a life dedicated to service.
Seva (selfless service) has the power and the potential to create positive change in a community. I left my humble roots for the Lower Mainland to serve as a Community Counsellor at a shelter for the unhoused while studying Criminology and Counselling. My experience at the shelter led me to a career in emergency medicine as a licensed Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) where I served in both rural/back country and metropolitan communities.
As I reflect on my time as a Community Counsellor and ACP over the past decade and a half, I think about the collection of moments that fuel the urgency and passion with which I start the next chapter of my life. My journey so far has taught me that EVERY person, deserves to heal their body, mind and spirit. I hope to share my journey of healing and the lessons that I have learned through meditative movement to help those that are ready for the same.
From connecting to your somatic body to elevating your fitness. I got you
Dr. Melissa Jay is an Indigenous, Nehiyaw-Métis member of the Métis Nation of Alberta. Canmore Counselling is located Châ Ûpchîchîyen Kudebi (translated from Îyârhe Nakoda as “shooting at the willows”), colonially known as Canmore. The physical location of Canmore Counselling & the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology is in the beautiful Rocky Mountains, which is considered Treaty 7 land and home of Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III, and the traditional territory of the Îyârhe Nakoda, including the Bearspaw, Chiniki, and Wesley First Nations, as well as the Tsuut’ina First Nation, and the Blackfoot Confederacy, including the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai First Nations. As an act of reconciliation and commitment to decolonization, we are committed to the TRC's Calls to Action.
At Canmore Counselling, we are also privileged to be yoga students, practitioners, and guides. Our offerings centre on the root of yoga as Indigenous to South Asia, and we are grateful to learn from and amplify the South Asian practitioners and teachers whenever possible. We are grateful for the eight limbs of yoga, as taught by Patanjali. It is a joy to walk alongside our incredible alumni of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School as they create opportunities for care, connection & curiosity within their communities.
We believe wholeheartedly that community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism are inherent to trauma-informed care. Thank you for being here.
At Canmore Counselling, we are also privileged to be yoga students, practitioners, and guides. Our offerings centre on the root of yoga as Indigenous to South Asia, and we are grateful to learn from and amplify the South Asian practitioners and teachers whenever possible. We are grateful for the eight limbs of yoga, as taught by Patanjali. It is a joy to walk alongside our incredible alumni of the Trauma-Informed Yoga Psychology School as they create opportunities for care, connection & curiosity within their communities.
We believe wholeheartedly that community, social justice, decolonization, anti-oppression, and anti-racism are inherent to trauma-informed care. Thank you for being here.