Karen Caruana The Yoga Factory |
Author: Susan Pomfret
Photos: Karen Caruana
November 2018
Photos: Karen Caruana
November 2018
Karen with her sons, Martin and Thomas, 2017
Karen Caruana is a woman of many talents. Her list of titles rivals anything one might hear on Game of Thrones: Teacher of Yoga, Translator of Languages, Mother of Goats, Collector of Eggs, Keeper of Bees, Grower of Vegetables, Planter of Trees, Herbalist, Renovator, Outdoor Adventurist, Craft Artist and Upholder of Germanic Traditions.
She grew up on a 10-acre hobby farm in the Markham/Stouffville area, long before it was urbanized. Her parents were small animal veterinarians who immigrated to Canada from Germany just before her birth. Although she enjoyed helping out at their clinic, her allergies to furry, four-legged creatures persuaded her not to follow in their footsteps.
“When I went to Kindergarten, I could only speak German,” she recounts. “I then "forgot" German, as my parents thought it might be better to only speak English with me, but my mother taught me the alphabet in German. And then one day, I started reading out loud from one of the many German books my grandparents sent from Germany.”
She grew up on a 10-acre hobby farm in the Markham/Stouffville area, long before it was urbanized. Her parents were small animal veterinarians who immigrated to Canada from Germany just before her birth. Although she enjoyed helping out at their clinic, her allergies to furry, four-legged creatures persuaded her not to follow in their footsteps.
“When I went to Kindergarten, I could only speak German,” she recounts. “I then "forgot" German, as my parents thought it might be better to only speak English with me, but my mother taught me the alphabet in German. And then one day, I started reading out loud from one of the many German books my grandparents sent from Germany.”
Karen holds a BA in French and German and an MA in French and Translation. She lived in each of France and Germany for a year as part of her studies. “When I finished my MA, I worked as a translator in Ottawa. This led to work in Toronto with a company selling machine-based translations doing customer support. This was before the days of Google Translate. I survived several different corporate mergers and ended up as a technical writer and instructional designer.”
She and her partner Matt moved to their current home in 2004 when Karen was pregnant with her second son, Thomas. They had purchased their property the previous year and made the drive from Toronto every weekend to test the waters. Located on St. Mark's Road in Stirling, their acquisition consisted of an old cheese factory, two houses and a barn. “We finally decided to go for it,” Karen says. They moved on Canada Day to allow some settlement time before her eldest son, Martin, started third grade in the fall.
“We started out living in the former cheese master's house beside the old cheese factory, which was built in 1907. During this time, we renovated the old brick farmhouse built in 1889, which we were finally able to move into in 2008.” she explains.
She and her partner Matt moved to their current home in 2004 when Karen was pregnant with her second son, Thomas. They had purchased their property the previous year and made the drive from Toronto every weekend to test the waters. Located on St. Mark's Road in Stirling, their acquisition consisted of an old cheese factory, two houses and a barn. “We finally decided to go for it,” Karen says. They moved on Canada Day to allow some settlement time before her eldest son, Martin, started third grade in the fall.
“We started out living in the former cheese master's house beside the old cheese factory, which was built in 1907. During this time, we renovated the old brick farmhouse built in 1889, which we were finally able to move into in 2008.” she explains.
Porcupine Creek Farm Products by Karen Caruana
“In our first years on the farm, we grew certified organic herbs, which we made into herbal teas, culinary blends and herbal body products. After a few years, we realized that planting, growing, weeding, harvesting, drying, packaging and selling the products was a lot of work and not a lot of return so we stopped the teas and culinary blends. I still make the herbal body products under the name of Porcupine Creek Farm, but on a very small scale.” Karen’s creations include lip balm, calendula cream, baby bottom balm and herbal healing balm.
“While we were growing our organic herbs, we took part in WWOOF, Worldwide Opportunities On Farms, a program directed at young people travelling across the country and stopping to work on farms in exchange for room and board. We hosted about 40 different people, called WWOOFers,” she laughs. “They came from all over the world including Japan, South Africa, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Canada.”
Cheese Factory renovations 2012
Matt and Karen rented out the former cheese master's house once they were able to move their family into the renovated brick farm house on the property. Their first tenants were Canadian WWOOFers who decided to move back to the area after working their way across Canada. A subsequent tenant was also looking for commercial space to rent, so they converted part of the cheese factory into a usable studio. “They moved out shortly before I finished my first 200-hour yoga teacher certificate so the timing was perfect for us to complete the conversion of the studio space for our own use,” Karen says.
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The old cheese factory now houses Karen’s business, The Yoga Factory. Her passion for yoga was inspired by Caroline Owen of Wavelengths Yoga in Norwood. “She offered her first teacher training program shortly after I started taking classes with her,” she recalls. “I completed my 200-hour training in 2012 and went on to complete my 500-hour certification with her two years later.” The Yoga Factory offers a varied schedule of classes for all ages and Karen is adept at modifying the practice to accommodate the needs and abilities of her students. She also provides community outreach programs, teaching Chair Yoga as a volunteer at Caressant Care in Marmora as well as occasional classes at Marmora Public School whenever invited by the teachers. “The most inspiring volunteering I have done started five years ago,” she says, “teaching yoga to inmates at the Warkworth Men’s jail through a program called Freeing the Human Spirit. Founded by a Zen Buddhist Catholic nun more than 40 years ago, the classes combine yoga and meditation.” |
Wavelengths Yoga, graduating class 200-hour, 2012
Entrance to The Yoga Factory studio
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Karen returned to translation a few years ago when high speed internet became available in her area. She translates from French and German into English, and has worked on a wide variety of topics including legal documents, manufacturing texts, marketing materials and a full website of veterinary products. “I even have my name published as the translator of a book written by a Quebec man who sailed around the world alone in the late 1970’s,” she notes. “I just signed a contract to translate five volumes of fiction based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, from French to English. While bigger, creative projects are not my bread and butter, I certainly enjoy this creative outlet more than the dry technical subjects I usually translate.”
 Indigo
The Caruanas share their property with a menagerie. They adopted the feisty, acrobatic Australian Cattle Dog Rufus last September and have recently added Indigo to the family in hopes of breeding the pair. Two cats, Limestone and Felix, are also in residence along with goats, pigs, chickens and bees. The couple produced their first honey in 2010. “We have 8 goats,” she says, “which started as a gift of two goats to my oldest son Martin, as a Grade 8 graduation gift. They have had kids, and for a few years we were milking them, making all sorts of yummy goat cheese, but now I'm too busy with my translations and teaching yoga to milk and make cheese. I hope to get back to it one day!” |
Mom Lily with Tulip and Petunia
Homemade Goat Cheese
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Although Yoga with Goats has been an unlikely trend in the industry over the past couple of years, Karen has resisted the concept. She was, however, persuaded to offer one open-air class with goats last June to celebrate the arrival of summer. “If you have long hair,” she warned her students, “you might want to tie it up!”
Mom Edith Steinbeck, Karen, son Thomas at the Cavan Country Run 2016
Karen has always been passionate about fitness and she taught aerobics throughout her university days. She has instilled that love in her family as well. In a memorable three-generation family moment, Karen completed the 4.7 km Cavan Country Run in September 2016, along with her youngest son and her mom, Edith Steinbeck. “Mom was probably the oldest participant,” Karen smiles, “and she walked and jogged to complete the route. That was the first time that Thomas and I took part in an organized run. He placed 9th in the youth category, crossing the finish line just under a minute behind me, and I took 4th place for the women!”
It is tradition in the Caruana household to travel to Ottawa each February to mark Karen’s birthday with a skate on the Rideau Canal. “I had an amazing birthday with my favourite people doing things I love doing!” she enthused on her facebook page. “Skated 17 km of the Rideau Canal on Friday (end to end and back, and then some). And then cross-country skied about 40 km on Saturday while Thomas and Matt downhill skied.”
All members of the family enjoy travel and outdoor adventures. They spent this year’s summer vacation in British Columbia where they marvelled at the giant cedars, went mountain biking and slid down a glacier sans toboggan. “It was fun,” Karen remembers, “but a little ouchy.” Karen notes that the air was hazy from the rampaging forest fires there at the time.
A camping trip to North Frontenac Park on Round Schooner Lake is another tradition they honour every year. Karen and her youngest, Thomas, enjoyed their first mother-son camping and canoe trip there in August 2017. The spring of 2016 saw the Caruana clan on an extended European vacation, touring Germany, Rome and Malta.
Pysanka and egg bread at Easter
Family and heritage traditions are important to Karen as well. She makes ‘
Stutenker and Stutenhuhn each Christmas. Pysanka, traditional Ukranian Easter eggs decorated by hand, adorn her celebratory German egg bread. She enjoys handiwork, one of her most labour-intensive projects to date being a granny-square afghan that was three years in the making.
The Yoga Factory Christmas Market 2017
As the year winds down, Karen is looking forward to the festive season at The Yoga Factory. She opens her studio hallway to local artisans each year so they can display their handcrafted wares to her members. Last yuletide season, she hosted the creations of OmSaha Jewellery of Campbellford as well as organic products from Beez Wax, Suzanne Towne and The Ole Factory Soap Company. The books of renowned children’s author, Jan Thornhill, were also on display.
She is contemplating a traditional German Christmas with her family and they are all eager for the company of her eldest son, who will be home from his studies at Queens for the holiday. That means real candles on the Tannenbaum and, no doubt, plenty of Stutenhuhn.
She is contemplating a traditional German Christmas with her family and they are all eager for the company of her eldest son, who will be home from his studies at Queens for the holiday. That means real candles on the Tannenbaum and, no doubt, plenty of Stutenhuhn.
Karen's translation of the Quebec author's book about sailing around the world alone is available through Amazon at
https://www.amazon.com/Jean-du-Sud-Magick-Byrd-Yves-Gelinas/dp/099928780X.
https://www.amazon.com/Jean-du-Sud-Magick-Byrd-Yves-Gelinas/dp/099928780X.