Kelly Hilton had an intriguing career. After studying film at Carleton University, she moved to Hamilton to work for a publishing company. Eventually, she opened her own yoga studio, which has become highly popular within the Cotton Factory family. Subsequently, Kelly became editor of a publication focused on feminism and began doing projects for women’s shelters advocating social justice.
Kelly created the “Seeds of Hope” project for women’s shelters and collected stories from eight shelters worldwide, then bought land from local institutions to plant the seeds from different countries. This provided an on-site outreach for these centers and a place for people to seek help. Due to Kelly’s work, she was invited to speak at an international conference about using landscapes for social justice purposes. In addition, her writing has been featured in art shows in Toronto and Hamilton. To manage stress from homeschooling four children, she took up yoga and meditation while also finding Prana Yama through a Hindu community – a type of breath control practice.
When Kelly’s youngest child left for college, she decided to pursue her passion for yoga and enrolled in a teacher training course. Before completing the program, she was offered a studio space on Barton Street and took the opportunity. The system they used was similar to Café 541’s button-based payment system, but instead of buying food, people could use buttons to pay for their yoga classes. Unfortunately, many people in need weren’t taking advantage of the studio and after several years Kelly realized it was time to try something new. She joined forces with five other women and formed Aviva Yoga Studio – which they eventually moved into the Cotton Factory 6 years ago. They felt incredibly lucky to be there!
Kelly starts her day at 5:30 with an Ashtanga practice at the Cotton Factory. Afterwards, she teaches classes in the dedicated yoga space. Kelly loves the healing atmosphere of the Cotton Factory, as well as all the people she has met through this journey. Even though she devotes most of her time to yoga now, Kelly still has a passion for writing.
Aviva Yoga is located in Studio M207 located on the 2nd Floor in the Mill Building at the Cotton Factory
To learn more about the classes Aviva has on offer call: (289) 208-2753
This article was written by Kylie Sylvester, Coop Student, Glendale Highschool, Hamilton Ontario