Everything you need to know before your first class — and a little of why this practice works the way it does.
In community classes and online offerings, I teach a range of gentle, nervous system-supportive practices including yin yoga, slow hatha-based yoga, restorative yoga, and somatic movement. While these are community practices, they're rooted in the same therapeutic principles that guide all my work: nervous system support, interoceptive awareness, and whole-person care.
I teach a functional approach to yoga, meaning I'll guide you on where to feel sensations — think along the backside, outer thighs, inner hips — while offering pose variations and prop suggestions to help you find comfort in each shape. Whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for years, labels like "beginner" or "advanced" don't really apply here.
My approach is rooted in the work of Paul and Suzee Grilley, who developed yin yoga and the functional framework I teach. It draws from the Hatha yoga tradition, Daoist yoga, Classical Chinese Medicine, and fascial science.
Set up a cozy floor space with a yoga mat or soft rug. Keep a set of blocks and a blanket nearby. You can easily substitute props with household items: a pillow or rolled-up blanket as a bolster, a robe belt or scarf as a strap, thick books as blocks.
If the practice includes self-myofascial release, the ideal setup is one loose tennis ball, two tennis balls tied in a sock (this creates a "peanut" or twin ball for spine and neck work), and one yoga block.
Both practices use time — not force — to create change. Both draw circulation to the tissues, mobilizing fluids and energy. Both are thought to affect the energetic channels of Chinese Medicine. And both create conditions for pleasurable movement and touch, which triggers the production of oxytocin — a hormone that supports the nervous system and feelings of safety. Women may experience particularly strong effects due to oxytocin's interaction with estrogen, making self-touch and pleasurable movement especially supportive for whole-person care.
In yin yoga, we use time — not muscular effort — to create change in the body. Aim for "middle effort," settling at about 50–70% of your range of motion. A note on movement within stillness: if you feel called to gentle swaying or small exploratory movements, lean into that instinct. This is why I often refer to this as somatic practice — it supports nervous system fluidity, not just tissue release.
Pelvic Rocking (Mini Tilts) — lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. On an inhale, slowly tilt the pelvis forward to gently arch the lower back. On an exhale, curl your tailbone under to soften the low back into the floor. Continue slowly for 6–8 breaths. Let this be exploratory, not performative.
Stillness & Body Scan — after rocking, settle into stillness. Slowly scan from feet to crown, noticing what arises without judgment. There's nothing to fix. Just notice.
These practices ask you to slow down, listen, and feel — which can be both simple and challenging. There's an invitation here to find wisdom in stillness and strength in softness. Spending this time with ourselves can sometimes bring up resistance or unexpected emotions. Try to meet whatever arises with curiosity and openness. If you have questions or want to discuss your experience, please feel welcome to reach out.
Personally, this practice has helped me cultivate a lot of self-compassion — for my body and my emotional self. Yin yoga, especially, offered me a way to find rest and introspection through doing.
If you find yourself drawn to more individualized support — whether for stress, chronic pain, sleep, life transitions, or deeper somatic work — community practices like these create the foundation. 1:1 work goes deeper →