Hi, I'm Hira
A yoga teacher, writer, recovering perfectionist, and certified overthinker living in Toronto.
I’ve been practicing yoga for over 12 years, teaching for 3, and still learning—daily—how to actually listen to my body. I hold a 200-hour certification from Soma Yoga Institute in California, and I’ve taught in both Toronto and Lahore, including group classes at AimFit during a post-grad “what am I doing with my life” spiral that led me (accidentally) into teaching.
Turns out I didn’t love the performance of leading a class—I loved the process of helping people feel safer, more curious, and more at home in their bodies.
My Yoga Story
I didn’t find yoga on a spiritual quest or at a life-changing retreat. I found it at 18 because my back hurt, doctors had no answers, and someone handed me a mat.
At first, yoga was just a physical thing. But it slowly became a space where I could slow down, feel my body, and actually hear myself think. It helped me understand my anxiety—before I even had the language for it—and gave me tools to meet it with less panic and more compassion.
Yoga didn’t “fix” me. But it definitely helped a lot!
What I Teach (And What I Don't)
I teach small group classes—maximum 8 people—because I genuinely believe the experience should feel personal.
I teach slow, breath-led, beginner-friendly yoga rooted in Hatha tradition and grounded in science—not pseudoscience. My classes are trauma-aware, alignment-supportive, and centered on how you feel—not how you look. You won’t be told to “push through” or chant things you don’t understand. You will be invited to rest, to modify, to notice.
This is not about optimization or performance. It’s about reconnecting with your body, exactly as it is—on your terms.
My classes are designed for the skeptics, the anxious minds, the folks who’ve felt out of place in traditional studios. If you’ve ever felt like yoga wasn’t “for you,” I hope this spaces changes your mind.
Teaching Between Cultures
I won’t lie—there are still moments when I wonder if I’m “doing it right,” or if I even belong in the yoga space.
I grew up in Pakistan, in a deeply conservative and patriarchal society where women were taught to shrink—especially in their bodies. Now I teach in a Western yoga world that often strips yoga of its roots and repackages it as a lifestyle brand.
It’s complicated.
I teach from a place of cultural awareness, feminist unlearning, and anti-capitalist values. I try to hold space for contradiction—for being Pakistani and critical of tradition, for honoring yoga’s origins while challenging the way it's been commodified.
Yoga isn’t a product. It’s not a self-improvement project. It’s breath, presence, and a way back to ourselves. I want to teach a version of yoga that feels honest, grounded, and deeply human.
Still Unlearning...
Perfectionism. Hustle culture. The myth that productivity = worth. The shame of inhabiting a body that didn’t always feel like mine. The hyper-polished version of yoga I thought I needed to perform.
Teaching and practicing yoga are part of how I stay grounded. This is how I come back to myself—again and again. I don’t have it all figured out, but this is the work that helps me show up anyway.
A Bit About Me (Off the Mat)
I’m a little bit nerdy, a little bit neurotic, and always trying to self-therapize like it’s a side hustle. I love a good debate (especially if I win), have a massive sweet tooth, and want a dog—but also have commitment issues, so we’re not there yet.
I feel most like myself with bare feet on grass, ideally halfway up a trail I already regret starting. I love reading fiction, and I’m convinced baked goods (wink) are a valid form of coping.
I started Yoga Bytes because I wanted a space for the thoughtful, messy, low-stakes side of practice—not the performative version, just the real one.
How to Practice With Me
Weekly online group classes (Zoom, max 8 people) – Free/pay-what-you-can
Private sessions – 1:1 guidance, tailored support, introvert-friendly
Seasonal in-person classes – Usually in High Park when the weather’s kind
OfferingTree