I wanted to update my review because Kelsey contacted me in the wake of it and reimbursed me in full for the class. It restored a sense of agency to receive that refund from her. She offered to meet with me to discuss what happened and made it clear that she cares about my sense of safety. I was unsettled by the earlier experience such that I have not been comfortable to accept her offer to meet, but I really appreciate the integrity and care in how she reached out and feel grateful for the resolution she offered. read more

A five star rating is not nearly enough for Kelsey. I would give her 10 stars if I could, and a moon for good measure. Kelsey is deeply gifted in dealing with somatic trauma and combines an intuitive kindness with vast experience to truly hold and care for her clients. She brings her whole self to each session and is perfectly aware of when to listen, advise, guide or just breathe. The tone and environment she sets creates a cradle in which to explore and heal. I have worked with Kelsey in my home privately for about two years and her reliability, timely communication and professionalism make scheduling and working with her stress free. I have grown enormously as a person in my time working with her. I am more aware of the relationship between my mind and my body and she has certainly equipped me to deal with inevitable bumps that come with the healing process. She has inspired me to consider how I can use use yoga to help others and has made a profound impact on my ability help my daughters with their everyday stress through yoga, breath and mindful movement. She has been instrumental in my recovery from a traumatic breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, but her impact on my life will continue long after the scars from that experience fade. read more

I booked an appointment to see Kelsey after hearing her talk about trauma-sensitive yoga at a trauma conference that I attended. I was interested in meeting with her for personal reasons (e.g.; I have been thinking about pursuing yoga more regularly and was curious about body-based techniques I could use to work with difficult internal material). In addition, as a psychotherapist who works with patients who have been traumatized, I was curious to learn more about ways the approach might benefit this population. Kelsey started by asking what I was hoping to get out of the session. I explained that I was looking to learn more about trauma-sensitive yoga. She said she'd been under the impression that I was there to learn about yoga more generally. She said that most people who wish to learn about trauma-sensitive yoga either sign up for multiple sessions, or they attend one of her classes. She also said she typically first speaks by phone with those interested in trauma-sensitive yoga, and asked if I'd read her website. I had not read he website carefully, and acknowledged this. I revisited her website after the session. In the section on individual sessions, she writes: 'Great for folks working through trauma, injury or wanting to advance their practice.' So the website did not explain the difference clearly. When I booked the appointment, there was no communication from her asking what I wanted from our session. In the end, she gave me an overview of trauma-sensitive yoga. We also practiced yoga together. I did not experience her as present, engaged. She seemed to be looking at the clock frequently, and yawned multiple times. After this experience, I would be reluctant to send my patients to Kelsey. She seems like a nice person, and maybe I got her on an off day, but I would not trust that she could be attuned and supportive of a vulnerable, traumatized person. read more

Kelsey is a skilled yoga teacher whose trauma-sensitive yoga series helped me heal some of my past trauma. I enjoyed the series so much that I hired her for some privates to deepen my yoga practice. My experience there was mixed, and overall painful. While she was great during the sessions, outside of the sessions, her support was not as promised. Only after I reminded her about it did she share the recording of a session for home practice. Supposedly the original share did not get to me, though I check my spam folder regularly. Stuff happens, so I didn't think much of it. What really turned me off was how she treated her cancellation of the last session of a 5-pack. Before the end of 2015, she had suggested two dates & times that we then agreed on for the two last sessions. At the beginning of 2016, she informed me that she could only honor one of those times (never mind that she had originally suggested them). We tried a few times to reschedule my last prepaid session, again with crossed communication where a time she suggested was all the sudden no longer available when I picked it. Tired of the back-and-forth, I finally requested a refund for that session since it was her cancellation. I've made that request three times now. She has neither acknowledged it, offered an alternative, or given me a refund. This whole experience left me frustrated, confused, and hurt - not what I expected to get from interacting with a yoga teacher trained in trauma-sensitive approaches. Her heart is in the right place but her actions need to be in better alignment. Update: Because I noticed the pain that arises in my system from my interactions with Kelsey and because she still owes me a private, I'm changing my review to two stars. She is sending me a message that says "I do not care about the effect my actions have on you." This is not a message I want to receive from a person who teaches trauma sensitive yoga! read more

I was taking a yoga for stress relief class with Kelsey at Square One yoga in Emeryville. The class was so good: 90-minutes of deep, slow poses designed to release stored emotions. Kelsey was great at selecting a theme for each class, a specific area of our bodies -- quads, neck, upper back, etc. -- and Kelsey helped describe which areas of our bodies tend to hold tension for different reasons. I walked out of every class feeling physically and emotionally lighter. I immediately signed up for a donation-based 3-day yoga retreat in Yosemite that Kelsey led with another instructor. Another phenomenal experience. Kelsey is an amazing yoga teacher. She has helped me better understand my practice through deep poses always supported by compassionate adjustments. The best part about taking a class with Kelsey is the inevitable feeling of intense emotional release afterward. She puts a lot of love and spirit into her yoga practice, and it shows in the meaningful way she teaches others. read more

Thank you Lord and Light and Love and Goddess for giving us Kelsey! Kelsey is an incredibly passionate, fired-up, down to earth, and real life Yogini. I savor the moments I spend with her, juicing her wisdom and loving the loop of us learning from one another. She gets it. We're all just here to love each other. That's why doing YOGA with her is so amazing. She understands the body incredibly well, and understands yoga from an impressive number of perspectives. I'm continuously inspired by her commitment to deepen her own practice, to open herself in myriad mysterious ways, and to share what she learns with others. Most importantly, I TRUST what she asks me to do with my body, because of her apparent knowledge and dedication to practice. I went on the retreat she hosted with Marissa Weitzman in Lake Tahoe celebrating the fall equinox of 2012. I've also taken bass yoga with her, and am excited for more! May her practice continue to thrive and grow, and may we all be fortunate enough to bask in its glow! read more

My life has been profoundly impacted by the time I spent at Kelsey's yoga retreat at Lake Atitlan. What an incredibly passionate and wise woman! Not only did her Forest Yoga open and strengthen my body in ways that I hadn't experienced before, but she opened my eyes vastly in the way of ceremony and prayer. We learned powerful songs to that have had a lasting impact on my life. I continue to sing them daily and share them with others! Kelsey's teaching methods are structured yet flexible, and she really takes consideration of everyone in the group. I recommend anything that she offers whole -heartedly! read more

I have taken two of Kelsey's trauma-centered, trauma-informed classes: Reclaim Your Body and Reclaim Your Pleasure. I can't recommend Kelsey more highly. She is a complex trauma survivor with deep knowledge of the effects of trauma on body and brain. Kelsey understands how the brain can re-wire itself and heal years after trauma -- one tiny step at a time. She pre-interviews students/clients to ensure that our motivations for signing up are aligned with the goals of the class. And she requires that students have outside support from a therapist. Working with trauma survivors is a huge responsibility and Kelsey understands that. She respects the boundaries and privacy of each student while creating a remarkably safe space for us to share our present-moment experiences and reactions to the material. What Kelsey teaches draws on some yoga but it isn't yoga. It's a practice to help trauma survivors feel our bodies after years of dissociation and disengagement and, through mindful awareness, reclaim the ability to be present and to practice self-care. She is one of a kind. She has broadened her practice recently so that she can be more fully herself -- and that only makes her sessions more powerful and authentic. Thank you Kelsey! read more

I attended Intention 2013 in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala where Kelsey was one of the organizers and yoga instructors. It was such a wonderful yoga retreat and my first, a wonderful soul-searching and connective beginning for me. I couldn't have asked for a more nurturing, connected, spiritual and focused person to lead this retreat. Kelsey teaches with a gentle heart and a focused mind. Her meditations were insightful and fun. I recommend her highly, not just as a yoga and meditation teacher, but as a human being who is such a pleasure to be around and learn from. She has so much to give, and she gives of herself generously and wholly. Looking forward to the next one! read more

Kelsey makes yoga FUN. Too often Yoga has become an all too serious practice, suffocating the joy in a vain attempt to "become spiritual." Kelsey flips this nonsense on its head and laughs at it, making the practice a SILLY and yet still physically and emotionally grounding endeavor. The best part is.. she is willing to do Yoga anywhere, as Yoga in its root definition is UNION with life. I've done Yoga with her in a lake, on a beach, underwater, in a car, listening to heavy bass, and oddly enough, never in a studio (although I'm sure the flat ground helps ). She is always sensitive to the needs of the group and the moment, allowing us the space to be AUTHENTIC in whatever state we are in, whether that be an emotional wreck or a laughing Buddha. I recently went on a Yoga retreat with her to Yosemite and she nailed it. The retreat taught me that Yoga is a way of life, and her embodiment of this practice has inspired me to bring mindfulness to all aspects of my life. Morever, Kelsey is just an incredibly amazing human, and she's super accessible, so track her down and smile! read more