Adult yoga

I'm a certified Oncology Yoga teacher, graduating from Yoga 4 Cancer the leading oncology yoga program. I help patients who have just been diagnosed, in treatment, survivorship and beyond, cope with their cancer through yoga, breath work and meditation. My focus is each patients safety, and where they can experience a compassionate and supportive environment.  Where students can build body awareness, confidence, and feel a sense of grounding. I listen to each students needs, and help them whether I'm working with a group class or with an individual client to practice safely, and to help them continue their practice at home.

The American Cancer Society states that cancer patients should exercise for 150 minutes per week. Yoga has been proven to help cancer patients cope with the side effects from the various cancer treatments, as well as anxiety, depression, and insomnia which are also experienced by cancer patients. Oncology yoga is a unique lineage of yoga that can help each patients unique diagnoses and treatment. A patient can start their yoga program at diagnosis, and continue their practice throughout their treatment and into survivorship. The practice meets the patient exactly where they are on any given day and moment! Each posture and practice is designed around the cancer patient whether in a group class or an individual one on one session. Props are used throughout the practice to help support the patients, and variations of postures are given throughout the practice so that all patients can participate in a safe way. Oncology yoga can help to bring body awareness, through the physical practice, practicing breath work, and meditation. Practicing oncology yoga not only is grounding for the patient, but it can also help boost body confidence. And when practicing with a group, it also brings together community support, or as we like to call in yoga "a sangha.

Not only do I bring my top notch certified oncology yoga training into my teaching, but I'm also certified in yoga for osteoporosis. And bone loss is a major concern with cancer patients undergoing treatment, as it's a major side effect from many of the treatments. Bone loss can be accelerated due to the treatments, and spinal fractures are the most common fracture with osteoporosis. Therefore, it's imperative that a yoga teacher is not only trained in oncology yoga but also knows how to strengthen bones in postures that are safely designed and executed for cancer patients. I'm also a certified iRest Yoga Nidra teacher, which is a trauma informed practice based on a self inquiry meditative practice, and pranayama (breath work). These practices have been used in many healthcare institutions, helping patients find a homeostasis while undergoing various treatments. 

Cancer Treatment Centers and Hospitals 

I can bring all my teachings to your institution, helping your patients physically and emotionally with their cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship through yoga that's taught in a safe and compassionate way promoting wellbeing, and community. I'd love to discuss with you how I can provide this service for your patients. Contact info 

As a certified Yoga for Osteoporosis teacher, and myself with a Osteopenia diagnosis, I understand the fear firsthand about doing yoga with low bone density. Not all yoga postures are safe for students with osteoporosis, and therefore being taught by a qualified teacher is imperative to a students safety and well being. Not only is it important to understand how osteoporosis affects the body, types of fractures can happen with low bone density, but also how cancer treatments and osteoporosis can affect each person. A key area in teaching yoga for osteoporosis, is to help  student's become aware of their posture. This is important not just in yoga postures, but is translated into everyday life, by helping students become consciously aware of their movements so they can do all the all the things they love to do in a safe way. I include various props, and variations of yoga postures that are practiced in a safe way whether as an individual or in a group practice.  

I've been teaching trauma informed/Sensative yoga for approx. 13 yrs, in various forms - Certified iRest Yoga Nidra Teacher (trauma sensativepractice), Accessible Yoga, and Street Yoga. I've taken the 20 hr TCTSY foundational course and will start my 300hr Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga in September 2024. This has been an area that is a personal interest to me, I've lived with childhood complex trauma, and DID for 38yrs, a Domestic Violence survivor, and a survivor of workplace violence! Teaching trauma sensitive yoga is very complex, invitational and choice based language, providing a safe space, students agency and empowerment, and non coercion, amongst others is part of trauma sensitive yoga...not one size fits all! If you would like to find out more about trauma sensitive yoga, please reach out to me.  

Yep, we all get there! Our joints might creek or become inflamed and painful, we might find ourselves not getting up from the ground like we used to, or the injury we got as a teen athlete suddenly starts to cause us problems 30+ yrs later. Aging is a privilege, though you might not think that when you look in the mirror! Adapting our practice to our evolving body is about honoring  our body where it is in the present moment, with grace and reverence for our body type rather than wishing it was different! I like to think about the quality of life that we'd all like to have, so we can continue to enjoy our hobbies, grandkids, travel, etc. Teaching yoga for aging, requires knowledge about how the aging process can affect our bodies, safety in yoga postures, and how various diseases can affect the body and what posture's can be contraindicative for various injuries or diseases.

Hatha Yoga can include:

• Alignment based Hatha Yoga
• Yoga for Osteoporosis
• Yoga for Healthy Aging
• Gentle Yoga, Slow Flow Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Therapeutic and Integrative yoga. 

My passion is to empower people through yoga, where they can come home to themselves and find the love, compassion, kindness and nurturing spirit that resides within all of us. 

My specialties are working with:

• Pre-beginners, beginners, and intermediate  
• Students working with certain health issues such as Cancer, Osteopenia/Osteoporosis, Arthritis, some postural issues and muscle imbalances, and aging related issues
• Students working with PTSD, and certain trauma related issues, for more information on trauma sensitive yoga such as TCTSY and iRest Yoga Nidra please click here. 

Alignment based Hatha yoga incorporates breath, awareness, and asana (yoga postures) in a way that allows each individual to start from where they are, and progress through their practice at their own pace. Learning correct postural alignment, or learning variations of poses can help to avoid injury or discomfort in a pose, and enable each of us to continue our practice of yoga no matter what age we are. My student's safety and well being are always at the forefront of my teaching, no matter what age!

I include meditation in all of my asana classes as way for students to transition into their practice. I find teaching a centering meditation at the beginning of class is a wonderful way to check in with yourself whether physically or emotionally, without any judgments. It's also a wonderful way for each person to be come aware of whatever is happening inside them, and bring that ability of awareness throughout their practice.

If you are dealing with a chronic illness, or certain health conditions, or mental health conditions, please consult a licensed health care professional before starting classes, to find out if yoga is a good fit for you. Please note I'm not a licensed health care professional and therefore cannot diagnose or treat any medical issues.