Stretching to new heights

There’s another version of Oxana Kirsanova—a past version—who would have told you at one point in her life she couldn’t stand the idea of yoga.

The CEO and founder of Sea2Sky Wellness Club—which had a ribbon cutting in May—goes back to a class she did 19 years ago, and the memory sticks out like a sore thumb.

“My friend was like, ‘oh, there’s this Bikram yoga class.’ I will never forget that day,” she reminisces with a chuckle, reflecting on the pungent carpet in the room where the class was being held.

“I remember standing, looking around and going, ‘what is this? It’s hot! The teacher is loud. She’s not doing a class with us.’ This is not how I understood it on TV. So 90 minutes—I don’t even remember how I felt—I think my brain was just so preoccupied going, ‘what the hell is this?’”

Once she and her friend left the class, she thanked her friend for bringing her, but in the same breath vowing to never return.

But fate had other plans.

“24 hours later, the owner [of the studio] called me—later we became really good friends—she called me, ‘hi, just want to follow up on the phone, on the first class,’ and I was like, ‘oh, I’m not coming back. This is not yoga! The lights are bright, the teacher is yelling…I need chill yoga!’”

Her love story with yoga evolved further after a car crash. In the crash, she suffered a concussion, soft tissue damage, and shoulder and spine injuries. Post-crash, she had a scary morning where she says her right arm completely quit on her. She went the usual route of chiropractors and physiotherapists, but something still wasn’t right.

“They were fixing the surface, just the symptoms, but not the root of the problem.”

Somehow, the idea of returning to the hot yoga class popped into her head. Over time, it went from being a range of movements to a practice that Kirsanova says healed her in more than just a physical way.

“I’ve been teaching since 2013. I fell in love with it—I actually thought it would heal my body—but it healed me in the head, my mind.” Kirsanova says when people ask her what she’s gained from yoga, she’s eager to rephrase the question. “It’s about what I lost: stress and anxiety. I just fell in love with that.”

Today, Sea2Sky Wellness Club offers a variety of classes that touch on the importance of the mind, the body, and the spirit: from aerial and restorative yoga to quick, full-body workout—and even spin classes—there is something for everyone, and at all levels.

There is also the option to access counselling, massage, hot and cold therapy, nutrition, meditation, and breath work workshops—as Kirsanova believes a range of holistic, diverse practice deliver the best results.

That diversity spills into her past life: she adds she initially went to school to become a lawyer. “I finished law school and I remember my mom and dad said, ‘this is the good job. You’re going to make a lot of money, it’s popular, do this.’ And it was fun, I loved my university. I entered university when I was 16. I finished when I was 21.”

She ended up travelling, going to Japan, then Canada. As she reflects on her life, she points out some intriguing signs.

“Every time I was thinking about going back to law school, or doing my bar exam, something would just kind of, pull me back,” she explains.

Then the car crash happened. As a life-long dancer, Kirsanova says it was a struggle to find ways to move her body that would work for her. With time, practice, and teaching, she says she’s learned that movement only makes up a part of the triad: a practice that embraces the body, mind, and soul.

“We don’t just focus on the image because that’s popular; that’s marketing. There’s nothing wrong with having a great looking body because it takes a lot of effort and discipline. However, to build that great body, you have to have a great mind and great discipline,” Kirsanova explains, adding that the mind and discipline portions are transposable to a variety of components in our lives.

As for why she chose New West?

“I think New West picked me. This space, it just feels like home. It’s the first time—it’s not my first business—but this time it feels like home. Like I’ve been here before.”

Thinking back to when she first stopped to look at the building Sea2Sky Wellness is now in, she said everything just felt right. “Everything just started to fall into place, and this became a spot for connection.”

For Kirsanova, if there’s one thing people hope will take from her story, it’s that we as individuals are much stronger than we think. “We give power away. We give power to somebody else to tell us what to do, to tell us, what you eat, where we shall exercise. There’s too much noise, so you have to listen to what’s good for you and what’s best for you.

Additionally, Kirsanova hopes people will give themselves the opportunity to try everything—and to not hold back.

“Everything is within you. It’s up to you to change things, to make changes, to start, to quit. It’s up to you to start living the way you want…and gaining that power back is so empowering. It’s contagious.”

And as for those who are curious about any sort of fitness class—albeit scared to give it a try—she has this to offer.

“Those feelings [of being anxious, nervous] are totally normal. But do you want to make your decisions dwelling on those feelings?” Kirsanova asks, adding that she too still gets nervous all the time.

As she writes this chapter in New West, Kirsanova looks forward to meeting as many people as she can in the city. “I want to know everybody’s story,” she explains, adding that whether it’s a story that results in a laugh or a good cry, the door is open. “We want to hear it, because you’re not alone.”

Sea2Sky Wellness Club has a number of events coming up: they’re offering free reiki group sessions on Saturday, June 3 (sign-up is required) and will also be hosting an open house on Sunday, June 4.

To keep up with Sea2Sky Wellness Club, take a look at their schedule here, or follow them on Instagram and Facebook.