Meredith Keith

Meredith has a strong commitment to both holistic healing practices and the arts; her passion for both lies in her belief that these fields can contribute to expanding human consciousness and generating a societal shift away from ego-based behavior.

Growing up in a small suburb of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Meredith saw first hand the pitfalls of contemporary living. Though the families in her neighborhood had achieved material success and lived in idyllic natural surroundings, everyone complained of being miserable; they wanted more. Her own family and the families living in her neighborhood took part in many destructive and dysfunctional behaviors: crime, addictions, deceptions, hoarding, violence and self-harm.

In a quest for a different way of life, Meredith moved to Ontario and simultaneously walked two career paths. In the arts, she owned and curated two different art galleries; the galleries featured work that challenged the status quo through mindful intention, using sustainable materials and addressing social issues. In the healing field, she has worked as an educator and administrator in the fields of yoga, holistic health and environmental sustainability.

While watching the continued degradation of the earth and hearing the ongoing propaganda of consumerism, Meredith has struggled to maintain hope for humanity. Her crisis of faith lead her to the next phase in her personal and professional transformation; she turned to the contemplative study of Mindfulness and the reflective practice of Dream Yoga.

She began studying Mindfulness at University of Toronto in the Factor-Iwentash Faculty of Social Work. One of her teachers, Michelle Chaban, shared her personal story of being hit by a drunk driver and having her spine severed in three places; she was told by her doctors that she would never walk again. Ms. Chaban utilized her mindfulness practice to learn to walk again, to forgive the drunk driver and to be grateful for the life that she had almost lost. This teacher embodied a very different mindset; Meredith wanted to know more so that she could spread the word.

Since her early twenties, Meredith has worked in the Yoga community and studied Yoga. She began her studies with Yoga and Meditation teacher and former ballerina Michelle Rief, who introduced her to Iyengar-style asana practice and Tibetan Buddhist meditation and philosophy. Meredith managed one of Toronto’s first yoga schools, The Yoga Studio, and administrated at the Yoga & Pilates studio Core Studio. She has conducted workshops and classes at diverse venues, such as Core Studio, Lakeside Naturopathic Clinic and Union Yoga & Wellness.

She completed her primary teacher training at Yoga Therapy Toronto, in the tradition of the great Indian yogi and healer Krishnamacharya. She is constantly adding to her skill set; doing additional trainings such Breath-Centered Yoga (with the charismatic teacher Leslie Kaminoff),  Yoga for Stress & Anxiety (with Scaravelli-style teacher Tama Soble) and Yin Yoga (with Cathy Keenan).

Her studies took a surprising twist at the Sivananda Centre, where she was introduced to the teachings of Swami Sivananda. Swami Sivananda and his disciple Swami Sivananda Radha articulated the profound practice of Dream Yoga; a method of dream interpretation that allows the dreamer access to a deep form of intuitive guidance. When Meredith found Dream Yoga, she knew that she had found her true métier. Dream Yoga allows her to combine her passion for interpreting symbol and narrative, that she developed while studying Literature at University of Ottawa, with her desire to connect people to a greater inner awareness.

Anyone who wants to take a trip inward can feel free to invite Meredith along if they want company.