Welcome OHM
I have been visiting the Comox Valley since I was a child, and moved here full-time in 2017 with the idea of creating a gathering space for wellness. When I came across the OHM property, I knew immediately that it was the perfect place to build a dream studio (or two!) for hosting classes, workshops, and retreats with a focus on wellness, creativity, and nature for myself and others. And now that I have finally built it, I can hardly wait to share it with students and teachers alike, offering each individual the chance to find a deeper connection with self, community, creativity and the astounding nature around us.
OHM rests high above the ocean, boasting a magnificent view across the Georgia Straight to the snow-capped mountains in the distance. I find myself gasping in awe every time I see it. One day, I stood on the edge of the high bank waterfront with my arms opened wide. I felt the sun on my face and the wind in my hair. My heart danced with joy, and I found myself singing OHHHMMMMM….. known as the ‘primordial sound of the universe’. The name Open Heart Mind came to me at that moment, and we started planning.
OHM is where my heart is and I look forward to sharing it with many others.
Martha Carter
Director — OHM Centre
Martha Carter — Director / Teacher
Martha is a therapeutic movement specialist with a background in dance, music, yoga and somatic techniques. Focusing on back care, scoliosis and spinal fusion, her gentle teaching approach is appreciated by students of all levels. Martha’s classes are a combination of mindful breathing techniques and creative movement explorations, facilitating each student to sense themselves more deeply, leading to a better understanding of their own movement potential.
The goal is to find ease, confidence and pain-free mobility.
Martha is the founder and director of Twisted Outreach Project for Back Care and Scoliosis (TOPS), a Canadian-based non-profit that since 2010, has provided a range of holistic and creative approaches to working with back care, primarily through its resource-filled website www.twistedoutreachproject.com. In 2013, Martha deepened her knowledge by studying Hatha Yoga (RYT200). Since then, she has become certified in both Yoga for Scoliosis (2017, BKS Iyengar-based) and Essential Somatics™, based on the teachings of Thomas Hanna (2021). She has studied intensively with acclaimed back care experts Elise Browning Miller (California Yoga Centre) and Deborah Wolk (Samamkaya Yoga Collective, New York) and also at the Iyengar Institute (RIMYI) in Pune, India. For over 20 years she worked as a teacher and choreographer with her own company, Marta Marta Productions, as well as touring internationally as a director for the acclaimed Montreal group, Compagnie Marie Chouinard. She is forever grateful for the many insights and therapeutic techniques she has gained by working with brilliant movement artists throughout her career. Starting in Spring 2023, Martha is looking forward to concentrating most of her teaching activities at OHM and can hardly wait to host students, teachers, artists, nature lovers and more.
Shannon MacGregor — Site Manager
Shannon is a Transpersonal Trauma Counsellor, working with clients in her own practice, Soul Fire Counselling. With a background as a Registered Counsellor, Clinical Supervisor, and Life Coach, she also has experience in administration and leadership, management of an international massage school, owning and operating personal businesses and more. Shannon has recently relocated from Victoria to the Comox Valley to bring her wealth of experience to OHM with the intention to support guests by creating an environment of communion and growth.
Having grown up in BC, Shannon loves nature and enjoys mountain biking, skiing, kayaking and backpacking as well as renovating and gardening which makes her a perfect fit for overseeing the beautiful OHM property!
Website: soulfirecounselling.com
Tanya Harmon — Teacher
Tanya’s journey with movement has been lifelong – from a water-baby as a kid to aerobics in the ‘80s, running marathons in her thirties, and eventually discovering the restorative power of yoga. Tanya found deep healing through somatic yoga, an experience that profoundly impacted her and inspired her to share this practice with others.
As a movement teacher, Tanya believes in the power of slowing down and tuning in — more connection, less effort. Through mindful movement and breath, she helps students reconnect with their bodies, ease their minds, and create space for healing. Her extensive training includes Hatha, Yin, Restorative Alignment, BioTensegrity, and Gentle Somatic Yoga, each offering its own unique qualities.
Yoga has been a source of healing, growth, and transformation in Tanya’s life, and it’s her greatest joy to help others experience these benefits as well. She looks forward to sharing the practice with you and guiding you toward stillness, connection, and healing on the mat in the tranquil setting at OHM.
Website: tanyaharmon.ca
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the ancestors of the E’ikʷsən tribe whose relationship with these lands and waters reaches back into the mist of time. We further acknowledge the E’ikʷsən Chief, Wedlidi Speck, for sharing a healing and welcoming spirit with those of who have settled on the land in recent years. We raise our hands in friendship and mutual respect for his people and the land.
