The yoga tradition has existed for several millennia, from its origins in ancient India about five thousand years ago, all the way to the present day, where it has become a global billion-dollar industry.
Over the years the tradition and practices have evolved quite a bit. What started as primarily a spiritual and philosophical practice has become more focused on physical fitness and stress reduction, especially the form of yoga we practice in the United States.
With all of this history, evolution, and different lineages, it can be hard to know what to expect when you walk into a yoga class. Each teacher has their own style – their own unique blend of tools, poses and techniques they like to use.
So what can you expect when you take one of my classes?
I usually teach simple physical postures, including many “traditional” yoga poses like “downward facing dog” and “cat and cow,” but I frequently blend in other movements drawn from functional movement, Pilates, and other somatic movement traditions.
I often include creative props, such as a resistance band for extra strength building, or a therapy ball for doing self-massage.
In my classes we focus on moving with our breath, and I always allow 5-10 minutes of time for “savasana”—a final resting pose—to allow you to relax and let your body and mind absorb the effects of our movement practice. Sometimes I include longer restorative yoga poses or guided meditation.
My goal is to make the physical, mental, and emotional elements of yoga approachable and adaptable so that people of all ages and levels of experience feel welcome and included. This might mean using a chair or the wall to make poses more accessible, slowing down the pace of a class, or even referencing scientific research to help you understand a concept.
I don’t teach hot yoga, or a “power vinyasa flow.” I don’t include complex physical postures like headstands, arm balances, or binds. I try not to promote pseudoscientific claims that are unfortunately quite common in the wellness world, and I don’t usually discuss mantras, meridians, chakras, or the more philosophical tenets of yoga.
My aim is to make movement joyful, fun and pain-free for my students. If you attend one of my classes, I hope you walk away feeling more grounded and calm, with more vitality to move through your day. I believe yoga is for everyone and every body.
I also believe in life-long learning. My teaching continues to evolve based on the education and experience I gain. Here is a list of the courses and certifications I have taken over the past 13 years to give you a sense of the different teachers who inform my work:
- 2024 – Resistance Band Training with Threes Physiyoga
- 2024 – Yoga and Politics: Holding the Essence of Yoga with Firdose Moonda
- 2023 – Yoga Nidra 100-hour certification with Caroline Wybar
- 2023 – Restorative Yoga 90-hour certification with Jillian Pransky
- 2022 – Mindful Yoga for Chronic Pain with Kimberly & Jim Carson from Duke University Health
- 2021 – Yoga for Seniors with Kimberly Carson & Carol Krucoff
- 2020 – Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra certification with Jennifer Reis
- 2020 – Therapeutic Yoga Intensive with Doug Keller
- 2019 – Roll Model® Method Practitioner certification with Lillee Chandra
- 2019 – Therapeutic Yoga Intensive with Doug Keller
- 2019 – 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Daniel Orlanksy and Liz Owen
- 2018 – Tom Myers’ Anatomy Trains in Structure and Function with Joanna Welch
- 2015 – Hands Free Thai Massage with Mariko Huette
- 2013 – 100-hour Orthopedic Massage Therapy Certification with Tom Karis
- 2012 – Levels 1, 2 & 3 Surya Thai Bodywork with Slava Kolpakov
- 2011 – Certification in Massage Therapy from the Cortiva Institute – Massachusetts state license
