About me
Kim Dawson
Teaching yoga since 2008
“Yoga does not just change the way we see things, it transforms the person who sees.”
— B.K.S.Iyengar
Yoga…It all started with a baby…
While I’ve always dabbled in fitness, spirituality and yoga (VHS videos with Lilias Folan anyone?) it wasn’t until my first baby was born that yoga truly found a place in my heart and in my life.
Babies are a blessing, a gift, a wonder… and the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. I was three months into mothering a colicky baby, living in a new town, in the dead of winter, with no vehicle, that my calling arrived in the form of an advertisement from the local recreation department for a yoga class.
“If I take this class, I can have an hour and a half break a week,” I luxuriantly mused and began counting the days until the class was due to begin.
And then the phone rang with the devastating news that the yoga class, my only chance for a small reprieve from the crying, the diapers, the feeding, the crying, the bouncing, the crying and my crying disappeared like smoke in the wind…but then a thought wormed its way into my mind and refused to wriggle back out again. It started out small, a tiny little voice- barely audible, that whispered, “you could teach that class.”
“PFFFFT- as if,” I spat, and continued to bounce, change diapers, feed and cry.
“You could teach that class,” the voice persisted.
“Why on God’s green earth would the rec director let ME teach that class?” I argued.
“You could teach that class,” The voice was getting annoying. I called my friend and yoga teacher, Cory for some advice.
“Yoga found you!” she beamed from three provinces away. Somehow her belief in me, her radiant gut knowing, her unfaltering affirmation seemed to transfigure my vehement self-doubt into a tender, “maybe I could try.” Another phone call to the rec director confirmed that I would be granted to opportunity to lead the yoga class.
And so not long afterwards, with a shaking voice, sweaty palms and some very forgiving students, I took the first step on my journey home.
A yoga teacher training followed along with plenty of practice and self-study. And more than a decade later, I continue to be called to share my version of yoga with the world. It has been such a wonderful ride so far, with plenty of lessons and challenges and gifts. I’ve met some of the most amazing people and learned more than I ever thought I could.
Knitting…The best self-care
My journey as a knitter was a little more straightforward and started off very slowly. I can remembering painfully knitting a red and white scarf for our fledged French exchange student in between esthetics clients at the spa I worked at in my early 20's. It took months to knit and was hideous, but he faithfully sent a picture posing in his red and white Canadian 'foulard.' Later, when my babies arrived I was still trying to 'master' knitting with a how-to-knit book as my guide. It was also painful and extremely frustrating and I muddled through as best I could but oh how I wished I knew someone living who could teach me how SSK was supposed to work. And then Youtube came to the rescue and the rest is history. I'm a naturally fidgity person (Vata- a plenty) and between knitting (busy hands) and meditation, I truly feel like I've arrived at my happy place.
Food…Inspired by nature and guided by health
Food has also been my passion for as long as I can remember. Taste is such a fun sensation to play with, because food never needs to go to waste and it's such a delight to experiment, enjoy and share the fruits of my labors. For several years I authored a blog about food and had a monthly food column published in a few prairie newspapers. It was an exciting time and creating/ testing new and different dishes never felt like work. Yum!
“Yoga Found you!”
— Cori Everette, Soul Health
Classes have evolved from those early days, when I would leave the baby, one evening a week and practice yoga in the Souris United Church basement. Since then, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to try new things and develop a style that truly resonates. You see, Yoga isn’t just a physical practice…While it does stretch away the cobwebs and strengthen the body, it also tones the lungs, trains the mind, uproots energy blockages and opens the heart. Every class with Turning Ground Yoga is designed to support the whole of your human experience- honoring body, mind and spirit.
Yoga is not a religion, but it is spiritual. A focused practice will produce positive changes in every facet of your life. You will come to experience deeper peace and greater joy.
I look forward to practicing yoga with you.
Namaste