Author of Letters From The Yoga Masters: Teachings Revealed through Correspondence from Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Sivananda and Others published by North Atlantic Books.
Marion (Mugs) McConnell was first introduced to yoga in 1973. Her passion for this ancient practice led her to study under the late Swami Vishnudevananda where she graduated from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre as a Yoga Acharya in 1978. Later, in 1979 she became a live-in disciple of the late Dr. Hari Dickman, who was a direct disciple of Swami Sivananda and Paramhansa Yogananda. Her more recent teachers she has trained extensively with include the late Namadeva Acharya in Mantra and Erich Schiffmann in Freedom Style Yoga.
“Mugs”, as most people know her, is the owner of the South Okanagan Yoga Academy (SOYA) with her husband Robert. She served as the Canadian Representative for the International Yoga Teachers’ Association (IYTA) from 1982-2016. She co-created SOYA’s Teacher Training Program (RYS200/300) in 1995 which is based on IYTA and Yoga Alliance standards. She is a Registered Teacher with Yoga Alliance (E-RYT500), and a member of the Yoga Alliance Board of Directors and Standards Committee.
“Mugs” has presented workshops in Canada, United States, Spain, Mexico and Australia. She has been teaching yoga for 38 years. In 2012 she received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for representing yoga in Canada and abroad for nearly 40 years. In 2013 she received a Certificate of Appreciation from the International Yoga Teachers Association of Australia for outstanding dedication and contribution of service. Her passion is combining mudras and mantras with asana. If you would like to know more about workshops and Yoga Teacher Training with Mugs, please go to www.soyayoga.com
Marion (Mugs) McConnell:
Certified Yoga Siromani (Yoga Teacher), Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, 1978
Certified Yoga Acharya (Yoga Master), Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, 1978
Full Teaching Member International Yoga Teachers Association, IYTA Australia, 1978
Student/Disciple of Yogiraj Dr. Hari Dickman, in San Rafael, CA 1979
Canadian Representative for International Yoga Teachers’ Association, 1982-2016
Teacher Trainer for the South Okanagan Yoga Academy since 1995
Founder of SOYA, Registered Yoga School, RYS200/300, 1995
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher, E-RYT500, Yoga Alliance, 2002
Student of Mantra Yoga with Namadeva Acharya, 2007 - 2010
Student of Erich Schiffmann, 2006 -2015 and ongoing
Registered Senior Yoga Teacher for YogaBC, 2008 and ongoing
Senior Teacher with Yoga Association of Alberta, 2012 and ongoing
Served on Yoga Alliance Task Force for Distance Learning, 2009-2010
Serves on Yoga Alliance Standards Committee, 2012 and currently serving
Serves on Yoga Alliance Board of Directors, 2015 and currently serving
Ongoing student of Erich Schiffmann in Freedom yoga, Satyabhama Ashley-Farrand and Bill Barry in Mantra yoga, Martin Kirk in Anatomy, and Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani in Classical Yoga.