About & Testimonials

Deanna V. Mason has been practicing yoga for 25 years and teaching it for 10 years. She completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Himalaya Yoga Valley Centre in Cork, Ireland, and is certified as an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher by Yoga Alliance. She is also a certified Meditation Teacher, and she established Ahimsa Yoga in 2019 and opened a downtown studio in Camrose, Alberta, in August 2023. Her students, who range from young adults to seniors, appreciate her welcoming approach, thoughtful class planning, and gentle ability to guide practitioners towards the union of body, breath, and mind that is at the heart of yoga practice. She is passionate about encouraging everyone—regardless of experience level or physical ability—to take time, through yoga, to create a quiet, calm space in their life and experience the myriad benefits that arise from it.

Deanna’s love of teaching extends into her previous professional experiences, as well. She holds a PhD in British literature from Queen’s University, Kingston, and taught writing and literature at the university level for over a decade. In each of her classes and workshops, she embraces the great privilege of teaching and learning together with her students.

What the community says

“I have attended Deanna’s yoga classes for several years, even before she opened her studio. I tell everyone that her yoga is the best thing I do for myself. In her studio, Deanna creates an atmosphere of welcome, warmth, and non judgment. She teaches her carefully planned classes with compassion laced with a dollop of humour. It’s always great to laugh at yoga and I always feel better after my yoga class.” ~Betty

“I have been participating in yoga practice for many years and have been with Deanna since she started teaching in Camrose. Deanna is the most responsive teacher that I have had, as she intuitively and expertly knows exactly where her participants are at with their yoga ability and experience. She always gives an enriched experience that gently focuses on strength, flexibility and meditation. Deanna is the absolute best!” ~Chris

“I walked into my first yoga class about 10 years ago, skeptical that it could be my ‘thing’ but giving it a try to help me be a better runner. I kept going back and became a follower of Deanna: as a teacher I enjoy her well planned and carefully thought out teaching style! She has a quiet, gentle way of both challenging students and encouraging us to challenge ourselves and try new things. Ahimsa has been a wonderful community that nourishes everyone who comes for yoga but ends up becoming part of a caring wellness community. Being a part of this studio and the community it has created has made me a much better person and helps keep me grounded.😌🥰🫶🏻” ~Cindy

“Such an accepting group … you gotta try one of their trips. 👍😁” ~Lyndon

“With my late-in-life arrival to yoga, I feel supported and encouraged in the Friday Morning Glow class. Deanna sets a welcoming, non-judgmental, celebratory atmosphere. I appreciate the structure of Deanna’s classes, always a secure framework for working through a consistent and comprehensive yoga experience. But I appreciate even more the inclusion of variations on poses, small novelties Deanna brings to us that foster a new awareness of flexibility and form. In a world of clutter, and ideology, and busyness, Ahimsa Yoga offers a gentle place to be better. And to be at peace.” ~Terry