about priya
Through my own quest for education during my pregnancy and the birth of my son in 2017 and daughter in 2020 I uncovered a deeper level of understanding and inspiration for the human body and its extraordinary capability to create life. The small yet powerful inner voice that I learned to connect with through labor and delivery stayed with me and fueled a deep curiosity to nurture and support that inner knowing that felt more accessible to me during pregnancy than at any other point in life up until then.
Surrounding myself with those doing this work in Toronto for many more decades than myself, I have received teachings from birth and yoga teachers, Crescence Krueger and Isabel Perez. I learned about the patience, humility and Trust that must be developed to support one in this deeply intimate experience. As a volunteer at the Midwives Collective of Toronto I also fielded client requests and became present to the requests, fears and needs of Toronto’s birthing people.
I furthered my birth education and doula training certification and mentorship under Haize Hawke.
I have been leading dance, yoga and movement programs for 20 years to children and adults. Prior to birthwork, I was a pioneer in bringing Bollywood inspired dance globally as co-founder and co-creator of the Bollywood dance fitness series on Apple TV, Doonya: the Bollywood Dance Workout and as a Reebok Global Dance Ambassador. My programs have been featured on various international media outlets including The New York Times, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Women’s Health.
My perspectives on birth education are also shaped by my varied life experiences and educational backgrounds. I have a B.S. in Foreign Service from the Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service as well as an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. I derived a value for a global perspectives through work as a researcher at the World Bank and as a social entrepreneur working in East Africa, India and Pakistan.
WHAT CLIENTS HAVE SAID ABOUT PRIYA AND HER COACHING
“I’m a nut about preparedness and precision, especially when it comes to something as important as bringing my baby into the world. Priya was on my side to guide, counsel, and help me train my entire self to walk the journey of becoming a mother. Her gifts transferred to me gave me strength in mind, body and most of all, spirit.
I remember Priya unexpectedly calling the morning of my delivery and speaking to both me and my husband. I didn’t know I needed that call, but it set the tone for the day. It helped me become the most calm I’ve ever been; and that calmness helped bring me into the perfect sense of presence I needed to experience the birth of my first child.”