Jill is the proud owner and operator of Social Grounds, bringing over 17 years of experience as a Realtor in Calgary. With a passion for people, design, and planning, she thrives on creating meaningful connections and projects. Throughout her career as a self-employed professional, Jill often took on part-time roles, gaining valuable experience in sales, accounting, and community association work, all while staying energized and busy.

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A longtime admirer of Oakridge, Jill finally convinced her husband to make the move to the neighborhood 11 years ago. She believes it’s the perfect place to raise their two children and one dog, and she cherishes the sense of community that Oakridge offers. Outside of work, Jill enjoys socializing, walking her dog, spending time in the mountains or on the beach, crafting, decorating both her home and shop, and, of course, savoring a good cup of coffee.

Curtis is the owner of Social Grounds, however you won't see him making coffees too often as his busy schedule doesn't allow him too. Curtis has experience running his own business, which he sold in 2020 and is now in charge of Sales & Marketing for a supply company in the Oil & Gas Industry. He is Jill's "Silent Partner", however he isn't overly quiet and has no problem telling Jill when her business ideas are less than ideal. Curtis enjoys doing a wide array of activities such as skiing (downhill & x-country), hockey, baseball, mountain biking and basically anything outdoors & active. He often coaches kids sports & loves the mountains. He is a fan of ice cream & is the reason there is ice cream available at Social Grounds!

Lenita has called Oakridge home for the past 28 years. After the birth of her fourth child, she left her career in the oil and gas industry to focus on being a full-time mom and volunteering for her children's many athletic activities. It was at Social Grounds that Lenita discovered yoga, quickly becoming close with the baristas and owner. In the spring of 2024, she was thrilled to land a position as a barista. Known for her creativity and infectious personality, Lenita is always a joy to be around. Feel free to stop by if you have any questions about our classes—she’s tried them all!

Hillary is a perpetual optimist who loves interacting with people over a cup of coffee. Working at Social Grounds is a great re-introduction into the workforce after spending two years as a stay-at-home mom with her youngest son. Hillary has 2 kids, 1 husband and a doggo! She's been drinking good, bad and tolerable coffee since she was 11, so she knows a good cuppa joe when she tastes it & she thinks the coffee at Social Grounds is top notch. If you want to meet a true morning person stop by to see Hillary weekday mornings. 

The first yoga class I took was in 2006 and was immediately intrigued. Yoga challenged me in a way I had never experienced before. The connection to self, paired with poses that engaged me mentally and physically kept bringing me back to the practice.

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In 2017 I graduated from my 200hr teacher training with Yogadotcalm. About halfway through my yoga teacher training I injured both hamstrings, in a yoga class, and that injury completely changed the trajectory of my practice. I began to seek out further trainings in biomechanics, strengthening, critical alignment, and other movement systems to help people move better and ensure I could keep yoga in my life 

The yoga classes I teach are with an emphasis on exploration. I strive to meet students at their level, creating a safe space for anyone willing to learn.

I have been passionate about health, wellness, and fitness ever since I can remember. I finally got to follow my dreams of starting my teaching fitness journey after the birth of my second child and got my Alberta Fitness Leadership certification in portable equipment and group conditioning.  My interest has always been in functional movement – and so Barre, Pilates and functional strength training are the classes I enjoy teaching the most.

As a mom of two, I learned the importance of pelvic floor and core strength very early on. Fitness has been something that helped me both physically and emotionally when I needed to find a bit of myself otherwise lost in motherhood. I am an advocate for selfcare and self love and I encourage people to move, because they CAN, not as a punishment.

Lori is a mother of 3, who loves crafts, math and having fun.  Her love of crafting came quite young when she learned to knit, cross-stitch and crochet from her Mom.  Since then, she’s added quilting, scrapbooking and many other creative mediums to her repertoire of creativity.  She hopes to share this love of creativity with you at Social Grounds!

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When not at Social Grounds, you can find Lori crafting Mittens & Bags for our retail corner and tutoring Math to all the neighborhood children.

Bridgette is a senior teacher in the ISHTA lineage and has been initiated as a Sadhaka Yogini by Kavi Yogiraj Alan Finger. In the last 25+ years she has received over 1000 hrs of training and countless hours of practice and teaching.Her love for  deep rest and relaxation led her to specialize in Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Restorative Yoga. She discovered Critical Alignment Therapy, CAT, 14yrs ago and experienced such relief from chronic back issues that she got certified to share it with others. She now teaches the practice in her Yoga for Backs classes and includes different breathing techniques, visualization and meditations in order to help her students manage their stress which plays a huge role in how pain shows up. 

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Bridgette is also 1 of 3 women in all of Canada to be certified by the 98 yr old creator, Dinah Rodrigues, in Hormone Yoga Therapy, HYT. It is a practice that helps reduce or eliminate the symptoms of hormonal imbalances experienced from peri-post menopause. HY also helps with PCOS, Hypothyroidism and PMS.

I'm Rachelle Pantaleon, a Certified Sound Healing Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in health and wellness. My work weaves together the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the power of sound and vibration therapy, and a deep understanding of human physiology to support holistic wellness.

With care and intention, I offer immersive sound healing sessions designed to quiet the mind, soothe the nervous system, and restore a deep sense of balance.

The experience goes beyond relaxation - inviting participants to reconnect with their mind and body, release blockages, and cultivate clarity and inner calm.

I deeply believe that when we care for ourselves, we uplift those around us - our families, our community, and the world beyond.

At the heart of my practice is a simple purpose: to facilitate wellness that ripples beyond each session.

Hope to see you in class!

Michelle is the founder of Pivot Your Wellness, a women’s health and movement coaching practice that supports women in moving from pain and frustration to strength, ease, and confidence. 

Through her personal challenges around body image, surgery, and chronic pain/inflammation alongside 10 years of clinical experience as a Kinesiologist, she guides women to come home to themselves, and claim the life they were meant to experience here. She believes wellness, especially movement, unlocks an untapped human potential within us all.

Michelle loves dogs, peanut butter, and witnessing people win. Come join us for Mobility Mastery. We'd love to have you!

Mary's heartfelt expression of Yoga is infused with her authentic zest for life and easy laugh, creating a joyful atmosphere of connection and inclusion to support healing and transformation. Her classes are thematically inspired with the inclusion of breathwork and meditation. Mary skillfully guides all levels through intelligent and creative breath-led sequences while suggesting alignment-informed modifications to either support or deepen the experience in the postures. Above all, Mary seeks to guide you towards embodying your own inner wisdom and unique expression of body, mind, and spirit.

Amber Pavey is an experienced educator offering mindfulness & yoga to kids, teens, and adults. Her mission is to help individuals thrive, and not just survive in our ultra-busy, fast paced world. When you meet Amber, you are immediately drawn to her calm, attentive approach. It is grounding. 

Trained as a teacher, Amber champions all things wellness. Her secret sauce is a curious mindset, always thinking about possibilities and how we can deepen our resilience. She is sure to help you bring wellness to mind. 

I first encountered yoga as a student in theatre school where it was used to warm up the body and focus the mind. Intrigued by the practice, it wasn’t long before yoga became an integral part of my life. I established a regular practice and I began to use yoga as a tool to become grounded, centered, focused and relaxed in all areas of my life. Yoga has always brought me a sense of unexplainable magic and I knew it was something I wanted to share with others.

In 2020 I completed my 200-hour teacher training and have since completed my 500-hour teacher training as well as becoming a certified meditation instructor.

On my yoga path, I have practiced many styles of yoga, with vinyasa flow always at the core. I strive to bring a calm welcoming energy to my classes, providing a safe space for students to explore. I look forward to meeting you on the mat!