Let Me Tell you About Myself
I am a lifelong yoga practitioner, having grown up with a mother who taught yoga and creative movement, and passed on to me her kinesthetic way of being in and understanding the world.
As I began to train professionally as an actor when I was a teenager, and later at The Theatre School at DePaul University, my study of yoga deepened too. I began teaching in 2001 while pregnant with my first child and received my certification from Eight Limbs Yoga in Chicago in 2003.
Today, I am a yoga therapist certified by The International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT). In addition, I am registered with Yoga Alliance at the E-RYT 500 level and as a YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider): and in August 2018, I received my Advanced Teacher of Yoga Therapy Certification from Kripalu’s School of Integrative Yoga Therapy.
My Teachers
I have studied under a wealth of remarkable teachers in many eclectic traditions including the Iyengar, Viniyoga, Ashtanga, Anusara, Vijnana, and Integrative Yoga Therapy traditions. My most influential teachers and and inspiration come from multiple disciplines and include: Dr Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani,Dr Kavitha Chinnaiyan, Acharya Shunya, Joseph Le Page, Gabriel Halpern, Reverend angel Kyodo Williams, Dr Sara King, Anjali Rao,Eric Small, Garth McLean, Marlysa Sullivan, Dr Stephen Porges, Amy Wheeler, adrienne maree brown, Sonya Renee Taylor, Mathew Sanford, Jivana Heyman, Resmaa Menakam, Per Erez, Prentis Hemphill; and most especially, my students and clients.
The Heart(s) of My Mission
I began teaching in 2001 while pregnant with my first child and went on to receive my certification two years later from Eight Limbs Yoga in Chicago under the guidance of Per Erez, Miguel Latronica, and Carla Douros. After completing my initial certification I went on to assist with teacher training, as well as presenting modules on prenatal and postnatal yoga. My work with pregnancy and following pregnancy spiraled into to a fascination with the therapeutic applications of yoga and this led me to apprentice with Iyengar teacher Gabriel Halpern for two and half years and to begin my own private practice, often adjusting the practice for therapeutic needs.
Now, almost 25 years later, I am privileged to create specialized practice for people navigating multiple sclerosis, cancer, and postnatal mental health challenges through Swedish Medical Centers. In addition, I partner with The Dove Project to create yoga therapy offerings to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence, and have a private yoga therapy practice specializing in interpersonal trauma. My passion is discovering and co-creating unique practice with each person whether in-person on Vashon Island or the greater Seattle area or on-line with clients all over the world.
I use my extensive understanding of physiology and the nervous system in an experiential way to guide my students to explore the story and the process of their body system, uncovering, unwinding and also celebrating the asymmetries that make us human.
“Deborah, Words cannot express. I feel like my body parts are all talking to each other in the same language and my brain is on ‘stand down’ alert. And to be with others who know what it is to live an adaptive lifestyle and not feel ‘less than’. . . well, for every class, mentor, reading and practice you ever took or participated in to make you the teacher you are, I am incredibly grateful. It makes me feel strong and empowered to tackle other goals with new zest.”