I am a very "left brained" analytical lawyer person, approaching 50, who felt a barrier or disconnect between my brain and my body. I wanted to reconnect but felt overwhelmed to the point of tears by the fast instruction given at most yoga classes -- it was totally inaccessible to me. I had met Julie at a Wesleyan alumni event, and had held on to her card for nearly one year. I thought, a person who's both a yogi and a therapist! And who is available for private sessions! What a great combination. And I was right!
Over about two years, Julie was able to work with me one on one to teach me the basic yoga moves in a supportive and positive setting. She is extremely knowledgeable about yoga and anatomy. She is amazingly skilled at adapting instruction to reach the person with the most rudimentary skills (me!) all the way up to a person who is a skilled athlete. She is adept at changing the words or using demonstratives to reach the person who has difficulty with geometry or spacial relations (again, me!). She also adapted the instruction to my body's injuries (hip and knee issues, shoulder injury).
I so enjoyed Julie's teaching that I joined a group trip she organized to India, a yoga retreat, in the summer of 2013. Our group included several novices like me, all the way up to two experienced yogis who themselves teach classes. Julie could teach all of us, and in the same group. It was a great trip, and I never would have done it without Julie.
I am now able to attend a "regular" introductory yoga class and follow the instruction, with adaptations for my injuries. I also still attend small classes held by Julie.
I cannot recommend Julie highly enough. She is the real deal. She has loads of fancy education and has spend years studying yoga, including months and months in India. She is also a licensed therapist -- although we did not do therapy, you can tell that Julie knows how to interact and communicate in an appropriate therapeutic way around all issues related to the body (body image, trauma, injuries, stress, energy, body processing, somatic everything, etc., etc.). She knows all of the religious and cultural background and history to yoga, and has met yogis around the world. She studied yoga before it was cool. She is down to earth. She is nonjudgmental. She understands about aging and injuries. She is affordable. If you have any interest in studying yoga, you cannot go wrong with Julie. She is the gold standard. I feel lucky to have had the chance to meet her and to work with her. read more
