Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in East Vancouver

Early-morning classes for assisted, personalized self-practice

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in East Vancouver

Early-morning classes for assisted, personalized self-practice

first light yoga, geoff assisting a student with a standing posture in class, full class of students, cropped image

Join Anytime!

New Students are welcome every Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday: 6.00 or 7.00AM

Call to Reserve:
778 891 9642

April Workshop

Saturday, April 6th
Noon-3.00pm,
*Sea2Sky Wellness Club*


Join us for a deep dive into the dynamic transitions found in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga: jumping back, forward, through and much, much more!

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About the Program

First Light Yoga is an early-morning yoga program in Vancouver, BC, running classes 5 days a week. We teach our members a personalized self-practice and empower them to evolve at their own pace.

We practice yoga as a dynamic, meditative, morning self-care routine. It enhances our daily lives and fosters a greater sense of interconnectivity.

Our teaching is guided by the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga method, which we apply as a model, not a strict dogma. We value independence within the structure of a system.

We are located at Shift Power Yoga, a warm and welcoming sanctuary at 156 E 7th avenue, near Main St, Vancouver.

Your Guide

Geoff Mackenzie, with over 25 years of yoga practice, started teaching in 2004 and has been consistently guiding students since then. Drawing from a decade of intensive training with the Jois family in Mysore, India, he earned Level 2 teaching Authorization from Sharath Jois in 2012.

Geoff’s classes embody the Ashtanga Vinyasa method: tailored to challenge students while honoring their individual starting points and intentions. His priority is to foster mindful breathing, fluid movement, and focused presence throughout the practice.

Geoff was born and raised in the UK. After spending his late-teens and twenties snowboarding and surfing around the world, he has made Coastal BC his home since 2003. One of his greatest passions is motorcycling and he finds riding to be both exhilarating and meditative, simultaneously.

geoff mckenzie headshot, first light yoga ashtanga vinyasa yoga teacher
I have noticed a massive change in my day to day practice, I feel stronger and grounded and poses that I may have avoided before due to their difficulty I have confronted and gotten better each week with the help of Geoff. It’s stripped back, no pretences just showing up each week to improve yourself. I have found a lot more than a yoga class, I have found a place where I can work on myself, strengthen my body and realise my own power. Geoff is a wonderful teacher who sees an individual body, he knows when to push you to go a little further or when your body needs a time out, my practice has grown more in the last few months than in the past three years of practicing. I’m very grateful to have found first light yoga.
Jenni P.
I am deeply grateful for Geoff's experiential guidance, his straightforward approach and corrections that give me precious clicks and keep me inspired and aligned to my love of yoga. He is living this practice as his priority and clearly, as students, we see and feel the authenticity and integrity of it, inspired to do the same.
Supriti B.
I joined First Light yoga for my own practice, independence, and preparing for successful adventures! It’s a challenge, and is awaking atrophied muscles! I keep coming back every month because I'm willing to try.
Sean

The Method

  • The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice is a method of self-refinement. It combines postural, breathing and focusing techniques to clarify and balance the body, nervous system and mind. With these three layers in better alignment, the practitioner is better prepared to access the subtler realms of yogic practice.
  • The method is designed as a daily practice. It is taught individually to each student, in a way which honours their unique capabilities and predispositions. Not all techniques are suitable for every student.
  • In an “assisted self-practice” class, students are taught one-to-one, within the group setting. Each student learns and memorizes posture sequences at their own pace, according to their own capacity. This way of sharing creates a calm, quiet and meditative class space in which deep states of concentration can arise. Without the need to constantly address the class as a group, the teacher can move around freely to assist each student as required.
  • By memorizing the sequences, the students are empowered to swiftly become independent practitioners, capable of executing an effective practice in their own time and space, without the need to always attend a class.
  • Independent solo practice is essential for all serious students. It builds discipline and dedication and cultivates a meditative state. This combines well with regular periods of study with an experienced teacher.
first light yoga, the method, geoff assisting a student with a standing posture in class

The Method

  • The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice is a method of self-refinement. It combines postural, breathing and focusing techniques to clarify and balance the body, nervous system and mind. With these three layers in better alignment, the practitioner is better prepared to access the subtler realms of yogic practice.
  • The method is designed as a daily practice. It is taught individually to each student, in a way which honours their unique capabilities and predispositions. Not all techniques are suitable for every student.
  • In an “assisted self-practice” class, students are taught one-to-one, within the group setting. Each student learns and memorizes posture sequences at their own pace, according to their own capacity. This way of sharing creates a calm, quiet and meditative class space in which deep states of concentration can arise. Without the need to constantly address the class as a group, the teacher can move around freely to assist each student as required.
  • By memorizing the sequences, the students are empowered to swiftly become independent practitioners, capable of executing an effective practice in their own time and space, without the need to always attend a class.
  • Independent solo practice is essential for all serious students. It builds discipline and dedication and cultivates a meditative state. This combines well with regular periods of study with an experienced teacher.

Classes

Classes run five days per week, in person

Mon - Thurs

5:45 - 8:15am
Assisted Self-Practice

Doors open 5:45am
Latest start time is 7:15am
Class ends at 8:15am

Primary Series

6:00 - 7:45am
Led Class

*Every Friday*

Experienced Students Only

Full & New Moon Days

Rest Day
*NO CLASS*

New Students...

Students without prior experience of the traditional Ashtanga Yoga method are invited to 

BOOK A FREE ORIENTATION

This involves coming to observe the class in action and learning about the unique features of our class.

Book your Free Orientation

  • To help you decide if First Light Yoga is a fit for you, we want to present a clear picture of what we do differently to other yoga classes; and provide an opportunity to ask any questions that arise during your orientation
  • Come and experience the deep peace and focus of an early-morning practice session.
  • Orientations are at 6:30am, Monday thru Thursday, except on Full or New Moon days – One visitor per day
  • Allow at least 45 minutes for your visit.
  • If you like what you see, you can then book your first class with us. We enrol new members any Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, at 6.00AM or 7.00AM
first light yoga, geoff assisting a student in backbending, ashtanga vinyasa yoga
I was very skeptical about the 7am Mysore-style yoga practice. I thought I’d try it for 3 months just to change things up. It has been 3 years and I am not looking back. I still enjoy taking a flow class occasionally. If you have never tried a Mysore Ashtanga practice, it is something you have to experience for yourself.

Mysore style practice gives me the knowledge and awareness of my own body. I’m in control of my own yoga practice depending on how I feel on any certain day.

Learning the Ashtanga vinyasa system from Geoff is important to me. He sees every student as an unique person. He can guide students in a safe and progressive way to make yoga accessible and sustainable.
Sherry
I joined First Light yoga because I wanted to feel better in general. I knew I needed to take some time for myself and to take care of myself. I wanted to create more structure in my day and gain energy from doing this practice in the beginning part of each day.

I feel stronger in mind and body. This practice helps me to get through challenging moments in my day, it helps me to stay calmer and more present with my family, it makes my body strong and flexible and provides me with a greater sense of peace and calm in my life.
Natasha M.
My practice has greatly benefited from Geoff’s style of instruction as I now have an increased awareness of the possibilities my body affords me, my endurance has improved, and I’m more purposeful in my movements.
Maryam D.

Tuition Fees

Fees are paid directly to Geoff via cash, e-transfer or credit card
PassesFees
Monthly Unlimited$180 (+5% GST) BUY NOW
10 Class Pass (valid 60 days)$215 (+5% GST) BUY NOW
5 Class Pass (valid 30 days)$120 (+5% GST) BUY NOW
Drop-In Pass$25 (+5% GST) BUY NOW
Workshops$55 (+5% GST) BUY NOW

Need-based sliding scale fee options are available. Please inquire directly with Geoff.

first light yoga statue in studio, faq

FAQ

Always feel free to ask questions!
  • Students without an existing Ashtanga Vinyasa self-practice must schedule a Free Orientation Session and complete an Introductory Course before attending the weekday classes.
  • Commit to attending class at least 3 days per week for your first three months. To reap the benefits of the method it’s important to get into the habit and rhythm of consistent practice, even if you only do a few minutes each day.
  • Arrive to practice with an empty stomach, hydrated, showered, scent-free, with clean clothes, mat and towel.
  • Please keep phones silenced or off and out of the practice area. Photos and video are prohibited: we are practicing dynamic meditation, not performance art.
  • Latest start time is 7:15am. Students must finish practice and commence rest by 8:05am.

In 2017, as part of the ongoing #MeToo movement, the role of hands-on assists in the yoga room came into serious question in the Ashtanga Yoga community worldwide.

This was due to revelations of historical sexual abuse, under the guise of hands-on assists, inflicted by the late K.Patthabi Jois on some of his students.

Jois, who died in 2009, was the foremost modern authority and proponent of the “Ashtanga Vinyasa” method. From the 1970’s, hundreds of dedicated students from all over the world travelled to his yogashala in Mysore, India, to study with him every year. Some of these students received his blessing to teach in their home countries.

While many Ashtanga practitioners under Jois were oblivious to his abuses, to others it was an open secret, even something to joke about. Worse still, incidents involving female students were actively covered up and denied on numerous occasions by Jois’ senior students.

Even now, the Ashtanga Community worldwide continues to wrestle with these revelations.

My response has been to foster an increased sense of safety and a stronger culture of consent in my yoga room. I value the use of hands-on assists in class, but I also understand that they are not appropriate at all times for all students.

As such, I insist on the use of “Consent Cards” by all students. They are a simple, silent indicator by which the student can tell me, non-verbally, at any given time, that they would prefer to be left alone.

In addition to that, even if their card indicates that assistance is welcome, I consistently ask for permission to provide my hands-on support; especially when the student is in a vulnerable posture and may not even see or hear me approach them.

I have also made myself available to discuss any of the above matters and to assure students that they are in charge of their bodies and their practice - not me. If you have any more questions about any of the above, please feel free to ask me.

Geoff

Women are advised to rest from vigorous vinyasa practice for the first three days of their menstrual cycle, but are of course free to do as they feel. Grounding, restorative asana forms can be recommended if preferred. Please ask for more details.

The Full and New Moon days each month are taken as extra rest days. They are the peak and trough, respectively, of a natural monthly cycle. Just like the oceans, human beings are watery bodies affected strongly by the pull of the Moon’s gravity. By resting on these days we avoid the hazards inherent in doing a strong practice at these extreme ends of the cycle.

Click here for a list of Moon Days

Each day is a different experience. I have never felt better, stronger, or more at peace.
Christine

Take your first step on a path toward life-long practice

Join us for a no-pressure 45 min orientation visit and see if First Light Yoga is the right fit for you.

Take your first step on a path toward life-long practice

Join us for a no-pressure 45 min orientation visit and see if First Light Yoga is the right fit for you.

first light yoga call to action image, geoff assisting a student with an arm balance during class

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