Brooke McMillan

Teacher, yoga instructor, and accessible yoga advocate Brook McMillan is dedicated to building community.

She recently chatted with YMM about her work, her accomplishments, and what motivates her.

YMM: What is the most rewarding part of your career?

BM:

For me the most rewarding part of being a teacher is being a witness to youth becoming themselves and uncovering what inspires them in the world. I think as a teacher of any subject, it is important to walk alongside students as a guide on their path and to model what living passionately in your purpose looks like. I love that I get the opportunity to inspire joy for cooking and sharing food, and to empower my students to develop positive relationships with food and their bodies. My favourite part of my teaching career is a small moment at the end of a class when I get to watch all my students enjoy eating the meals they cook together, seeing them smile with satisfaction at what they have created, seeing their look of surprise when they try something new and love it, and seeing their pride when we cook traditional foods from their cultures. My heart is filled by the sense of community we are building with one other and with the rest of the school through our connection to food. I wish that heart feeling for all of my students in whatever life direction they choose to pursue. Nothing makes me feel more rewarded and proud than to see my students and former students following their passions.

YMM: What motivates you?

BM:

Queer and Trans youth! They are my greatest teachers, inspiration, and motivation to get up each morning and remember who I am. They are such a sacred gift. They motivate me to do all I can so they inherit the world they deserve. One that is free from oppressive binaries, hierarchies, and ignorance. One that sees and embraces the infinite possibilities of the human experience.

YMM: What accomplishment are you most proud of?

BM:

I am most proud of myself for getting to a point in my life where I am living my truth and embracing my authentic self. That internal self-work has allowed me to then impact my external community and create meaningful connections with others. It is a very personal accomplishment that has rippled outward into how I show up to all of my roles and my advocacy: being an openly queer teacher and creating safe, loving spaces through GSAs for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, being an advocate for Eating Disorder awareness, stigma and body image, creating programs for food security at my school, teaching accessible, inclusive yoga, and creating opportunities for 2SLGBTIQA+ representation and celebration, as well as allyship education, as the Vice Chair of Pride YMM.