What People Think

Anne L. 

I started going to Monika in 2015.  As an over 55 year old equestrian who works at a desk job I knew I needed to find someone to help me work through some hip issues I was having but wasn’t interested in a traditional gym.

With a little internet sleuthing I stumbled on Monika’s web page  read some of her posts.  I thought this woman sounds really interesting but she probably only works with dancers. I sent off an email and she said come see me. For a whole lot of reasons we clicked and  she’s been keeping my joints and body moving ever since.

I like training with Monika because she listens to what you say about your body, and listens to what your body tells her (often two different things).  She creates classes made up of movements that look so simple, but challenge you to push just a little bit further and to ask just a little bit more of your body.  I love that as an anatomy geek she is always willing to explain what how and why she is asking you to go something.

Monika is still my trainer because she has a great sense of humour,  a curious mind and is willing to let me quietly complain about working out while I work out (it really does help  lol).  She has made me stronger with a better range of motion  and often has more faith in my body than i do myself.  You gotta keep moving and Monika helps me do just that.

Linda B.

Three years ago I got injured doing yoga with bad technique.  While recovering with the help of a physiotherapist, I mentioned that I wanted to get stronger so I wouldn’t get injured as easily as I age.  The physio sent me to Monika and I wish I had met her years earlier!
I haven’t worked with a trainer before so I can’t compare but Monika’s approach is totally individual. It’s all about me and what I need that day to move forward – respecting where I’m at while encouraging me to challenge my limits. She has helped me unlock a range of motion I haven’t had in decades – if ever! – and build strength that I notice in the gym and in my daily life.
Working with Monika has truly changed my life and I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to build strength and technique for a lifetime of movement!

Sarah H.
Owner/personal trainer: Wellness by Design

It is my intention to provide all Wellness by Design’s clients with the best in the industry and Monika in my opinion is a true gem. From my experience, working with many massage and soft tissue therapists, Monika not only has a wealth and depth of knowledge and skill but also she is an artist.
As soon as her hands touch my body I fell an instance ease.  By the time she’s done I’m craving more.  She brings my body, mind and spirit into balance.  We so often live very stressed lives, Monika for me is an antidote. I can honestly say, not many massage therapists have this gift.

I. Hawkins

I started training with Monika while receiving physio for a hamstring injury. My short term goal was to get my hamstring back in shape however my long term goal has been to use my body properly so that I can remain active as I get older.

Thanks to Monika’s knowledgeable training and patient, persistent encouragement I have made tremendous gains in my physical capabilities. I am a stronger, more flexible athlete, less prone to injury. I am consistently having breakthroughs in how I use my body and can feel the difference in day-to-day life as well as during cardio training and my karate practice. This feels like preventive medicine to me.

Lizzy C. 

Since being more active and more aware of my body just in that last year or so (with the incredible help of one Monika Volkmar) I’ve found that keeping movement in my morning practice keeps my mind and body feeling calmer. I do several exercises I’ve learned with Monika everyday to build strength and flexibility, paired with yoga and some light cardio, to feel clear and calm.

The thing that blows my mind is that feeling of unease and tightness used to be my ‘normal’. It was a constant I was unaware was holding me back from being more active and feeling more joy in my life.

I am so grateful for being taught how to cultivate a movement practice. It makes my life better. I feel calm, I feel flexible, I feel that the freedom I get in my muscles translates to a freedom in my mind. I don’t feel worried in the same way. I feel I can ward off stress more easily.

If I am over-worked and feeling like I’m a little stuck on a project for work, there was a time when I would continue to work until I drove myself crazy. Now I might take 20 minutes to focus on my body to calm my brain and to re-configure my focus. I am able to get back to work with a refreshed perspective or simply realize that it’s time to leave that project alone to re-visit later.

Becky P.

Monika gets me! I am in my mid fifties, and have a list of autoimmune diseases, that affect every facet of my life. At the beginning of 2017, she started treating me with Thai Massage. After the first session, I knew she was going to be one of “my people.” It takes a long time for me to find someone who has all the skill, expertise and technique I’m looking for, as well as the ability to listen, learn, and teach.

Monika has such a wide breadth of knowledge and experience, but most importantly, she is extremely intuitive. Wise beyond text books and practiced therapies. She is always upgrading her intellectual property, which allows her to pull from whichever modality she needs to, during a treatment. I have also had her perform craniosacral therapy on me.

Monika keeps me moving. She is my vice!

Mikaela D.

My relationship with Monika and The Dance Training project started in 2012 when I stumbled across her blog. I immediately subscribed and began to receive informative and hilarious emails and newsletters. After a year or so of lurking, I decided to train with Monika during the summer of 2013.

Working out with Monika contributed to the dancer I am now in many ways. A deepened knowledge of anatomy and theories on the combination of strength training, flexibility and injury prevention challenged me and the ideas I had about what was “best practice.” The changes in my body and the ability to apply this knowledge more readily to my personal practice has helped me in the years since I have independently trained with Monika.

After working together during the summer of 2013, Monika and I started Dance Fuel at York University, a club designed to help bring this knowledge and opportunity to the dance students at York. I have continued to train with her and a dedicated group of students at York, and she continues to teach me new things and challenge what I think on a weekly basis.

Lastly, Monika gave me the simple courage of being able to walk into a gym and not feel lost. I know how to develop a training program for myself using body weight, resistance and weight training. Being a part of The Dance Training Project and training with Monika has been a rewarding investment.

Michelle R. 

michelleI am very happy with the results have achieved by working with Monika.  She listened to my specific goals and was also knowledgeable enough to address movement limitations I didn’t know I had.  I no longer suffer from post-baby back pain and am noticeably more fit.  In addition I have learned that despite professional dance training, working with Monika during my dance career would have allowed me more movement capabilities, fewer injuries, more ankle range of motion and a stronger dance career.  I highly recommend her as a trainer of dancers alike.

Olivia F. 

I had been following Monika since she began the Dance Training Project two years ago. After enjoying so many of her blogs and seeing and hearing about her clients’ results, I knew I wanted to give strength training a try. What pushed me beyond my breaking point was living with chronic pain all over my body daily, and knowing Graham work (requiring ample strength all round) was in my not-so-far-off future, once I returned to school. And quite honestly, I needed a break from dancing to focus on taking care of my body.

What I really enjoyed about training, was how personalized it was! Monika’s passion for her work really stands out with her genuine care and close attention to detail regarding what your body requires at any time during your training.

While training, Monika ensures that you understand the purpose of whatever you are working on, really instilling the importance of safe movement practices. For example, if you are in pain, whatever you are doing is immediately put to a halt until you and Monika figure out the root cause of the problem. Only then, will Monika develop/ modify your training to fit what your body requires.

Throughout training, Monika is super supportive and encouraging with everything you do. Although she may be hard at times, and you may want to throw in the towel; you don’t. Because you know that doing that last set of reps is going to pay off huge in the long run. To sum it up, Monika is the best.

The knowledge I have gained from working with Monika is invaluable. It is incredibly advantageous for a dancer to understand the importance of taking care of your body; as opposed to other dancers who have yet to realize the importance of cross-training.

Monika helped me to learn to tune into my body to listen to what it needs; for instance, distinguishing between good and bad pain and knowing when to stop when I feel bad pain! Now, from much experimentation and discovery this past summer, I know the majority of the root causes of my aches and pains; and how to remedy them with certain exercises, etc. Monika has taught me. Also, I learned how to correctly perform fundamental exercises such as squats and push-ups!

Upon returning to school, I was both anxious and nervous to see how I would perform in my placement classes after going five months without dancing. However, I was ecstatic to discover my technique had considerably improved once I began to dance. I have noticed many aspects of my technique have improved (too many to name!), so I’ll just list a few major ones: core activation/ strength/ stability, breathing, motor control, arms/ hips/ back range of motion, and muscle activation.

Overall, I believe that everyone can benefit from this program if they are committed to it. And if you are a dancer reading this who is afraid of strength training and/ or believes that daily pain is a normal part of life…do yourself a favour and train with Monika. I used to be that person, and I will never look back because #strengthtrainingissexy!

Zoe D. 

I worked with Monika for almost a year, and it made an incredible difference in my dancing. The strength training we did has changed the way I dance in more ways than one.
It equaled out my muscle imbalances I had from working incorrectly, which in turn changed my alignment. It taught me how to activate different muscles instead of constantly relying on the ones I had overdeveloped (mainly quads). It also helped significantly with my range of motion and flexibility.
For example, when I learned how to activate my glutes properly my hip flexors could relax and lengthen, thus giving my hips more range of motion. Another example would be learning how to properly use my back and engage my lats, something I “sort of” did while dancing.
Exercises she did with me in the weight room gave me knowledge that transferred over to the studio and I was able to work correctly and efficiently, lengthening my spine, widening my chest and back, and actually lifting my arms properly into a fifth en haut, something that I hadn’t done properly before.
It sounds simple but strength training made me stronger. It’s amazing how much my jumping has improved, how my plies have deepened, how I use my core more efficiently with my proper alignment. I really recommend it for every dancer.

Samantha R.

 testimonialI had such an amazing experience training with Monika. Through a combination of yoga and weight training I FINALLY began to feel what it meant to stand in proper alignment. I had been told for years to pull my shoulders down and “hold my core,” but no one ever told me how. I would forcibly pull my shoulders down and try to stand up straighter, but all that did for me was put more tension in my upper body while incorrectly stacking my torso. After working with Monika, it felt so empowering to understand what I had been told for years and years to fix. I could feel muscles working that I didn’t even know were there.

Training sessions would start off with some cardio work and yoga to warm up, and then we would progress to weights and lifting some heavy stuff (which always feels really badass). It was always hard work but never unbearable. Monika gave me lots of positive reinforcement and was always related the exercises back to dance and explained how they were important for me. She would explain to me how the muscles worked in an anatomically correct way, and if that didn’t work she would demonstrate until I got the idea. Then after all the hard work, she would do some Thai Yoga Massage stretching with me to alleviate any soreness, which was always awesome!

When I started to notice a change in my dancing, I was thrilled. I was finally on my leg, turning better, balancing better, jumping better, basically just better! Now when I am in class, I feel strong, centered, and more confident in myself. I am also able to translate my corrections into my body better because I understand how everything works. I believe the biggest gap in my training, and probably dance training in general, is that teachers never explain the how or why. Yes, I’ve been told to hold my posture, but now I know how to do it and why it is important.

Monika fills the gap in dance training in a fun and positive environment, and makes you feel smarter about your body. I am so grateful for the time I spent with her this past summer, and I will definitely continue my training with her so my improvements.