A place where adventurous wanderers can rest their tired feet.

A place where chronic illness warriors can delight in the calmness of curiosity and find patience and understanding.

Hi, I’m Kayla

My water navigation skills need some work.

Yoga teacher, storyteller, and savasana expert.

My tale begins, as many do, at twelve – my coming of age. Sports were my life growing up. I was a competitive swimmer and on every school sports teams. Then, one day, I couldn’t move in the water anymore – I felt like I was swimming with a tonne of bricks. I had to sit out P.E class. I couldn’t focus on my school assignments. Nobody knew what was wrong with me.

Finally, six months later, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

And so began my journey to wellness. At first, I had no idea what chronic fatigue syndrome even meant, let alone how to manage it as a teen. My doctor only knew slightly more than I did and in a last-ditch effort to help me, recommended a coke or chocolate bar at lunch if I was feeling low energy.

It didn’t work. So I bumbled my way through school, getting passing grades but not taking in as much information as my usually nerdy brain delighted in.

I had always dreamed of travelling the world and becoming a writer. I could see myself sailing the Aegean sea, hair and salt getting caught in my mouth, and haggling for mangoes in markets in Vietnam. As I moved into my 20’s, still ill with chronic fatigue, it seemed less and less likely that those dreams would be possible.

I began to wonder what would happen if I never got better. What if my friends and family couldn’t or wouldn't support me anymore? What would happen if I just Na-ma-stay in bed all day?

How would I deal with the physical pain and loneliness? What would I do if no one believes me or thinks it's all in my head? What if my friends don't want to visit with me even though I make pyjamas an acceptable dress code 24/7?

Having a chronic illness is really, incredibly hard. The emotional turmoil that comes along with it can make life almost unbearable.

And then I found yoga and meditation.  I found hope in my future by learning to live in the present. I took joy in what my body could do each day. And by creating the right environment for growth, I watched my body slowly begin to heal. 

I worked with a nutritionist and occupational therapist. I changed my diet and my entire perspective on what it meant to be sick or healthy.

I went on a solo trip to Prince Edward Island and ate blue mussels while reading Anne of Green Gables.

I further developed my yoga practice, carving out fifteen minutes every day to meditate.

I got a full time job (with my own office so I could close my door and take naps and meditation breaks during the day).

I wrote down a list of countries I wanted to visit on a round the world trip.

Modelling my Alpalca sweater at Machu Picchu

It’s now been nearly twelve years since I started a regular yoga practice and began feeling like I could manage my illness.

Since then, I’ve visited over 50 countries, written 4 books, run 3 triathlons, and continue to write about travel, health, chronic illness, and fictional stories that fill me with delight.

I now travel full-time (well, until the COVID-19 pandemic) and do two of the things I love most for work: write stories and teach yoga and meditation.

I want to help people uncover unconventional lifestyles that bring them more freedom, joy, and happiness. After all, happiness, and that time I found a bottle of Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac on sale, is one of the biggest factors in feeling well.

Welcome to Aroga Yoga – virtual yoga studio & bookstore.

I've taken everything I've learnt, and am continuing to learn, about yoga, meditation, sleep, stress, and chronic illness and condensed my knowledge it to go-at-your-own-pace books, courses, and classes. My goal is to help anyone suffering from chronic pain, chronic fatigue, lyme, PCOS, insomnia, stress, exhaustion, and other related conditions feel better with yoga. 

It took my years to find what worked for me and my health because there were so few resources about chronic illnesses when I was first diagnosed. Even now, it can be hard to find the right healthcare team and holistic practices to help you feel better. I've put together these resources in an attempt to make it easier for people with complicated diagnoses to find ease in their healing journey. 

So, where would you like to go today?

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