Conference Schedule & Details

We have an incredible lineup of experts including physicians, researchers, PhD’s, physical therapists, coaches, senior yoga teachers, and therapeutic specialists!

Monday, August 7th

Morning Presentations

In this presentation we will shed light on an interesting biomechanical property: soft tissue stiffness. We’ll highlight different types of stiffness and explore the question whether stiffness is undesirable or something worth striving for in yoga and sports.

In this lecture you will:

  • Get an overview of factors that can impact soft tissue stiffness.
  • Get current input from research on modalities we can use to influence tissue stiffness.
  • Hear about current frontiers in research on monitoring soft tissue stiffness.

Katja Bartsch, BSc, BCSI, E-RYT 500

Katja is a fascia researcher and yoga teacher. She holds a Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Sports Science and is currently working towards her PhD under the supervision of Dr. Robert Schleip and the Fascia Research Project in Munich (Germany). Katja has authored several peer reviewed studies and book chapters in sports science and fascia research. Katja is certified as E-RYT 500, has been teaching yoga for over a decade and is teaching anatomy and fascia physiology in teacher trainings around Europe. She is also certified as Structural Integration Practitioner (ATSI) trained by Tom Myers and his Anatomy Trains school.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @katja_m_b
FB: Katja Bartsch
Website: Kalamana Yoga

According to International Diabetes Federation, we are expected to have more than 438 million people with diabetes by 2030. Curbing an escalating diabetes epidemic requires a multi modal approach which was once reserved with medications and diet. Now promising research shows how exercise and yoga can help mitigate the effects of this chronic condition.

Mariya Farooqi, PharmD, RYT

Dr. Farooqi started her training in Nutrition in Oxford, England, with a focus on maternal nutrition. After completing her studies in England she pursed a Doctorate of Pharmacy from University of Rhode Island followed by a fellowship in Clinical Toxicology with University of New Mexico. She is also a registered yoga teacher having undergone training with Yoga Medicine® and is on her way to complete 500 hour training. Mariya’s field experience through training, hospital, and community practices has focused on the understanding of chronic pain, gut health, importance of nutrition in mental health as well as nutritional deficiencies and excesses. Combined with more than fifteen year of client-interaction experience, Mariya’s additional knowledge in functional medicine comes from her certification with Institute of Functional Medicine. She has helped her clients come off medications by addressing the root cause of the symptoms.

Mariya is a global citizen of the world with having lived in 4 different countries and various cities she has a broad understanding of different cultural experiences including food and lifestyle choices. She is also married to a pharmacist and together they have two children with very different taste palates and personalities. She holds regular vinyasa yoga classes in her community and loves to talk about yoga, health care issues, and holistic living.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @drmariyafarooqi

The conventional approach to Vestibular Rehabilitation has a glaring gap: it ignores almost completely the importance of a well-regulated nervous system response in managing dizziness, coordination, proprioception and balance.

By learning from Case Studies of Yoga Therapeutics Clients presenting with Vestibular Irregularities and Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PP-PD) we will examine how Yoga Therapeutics can be an effective adjunct to the conventional treatment approach.

We’ll practice 4 Specific Yoga Therapeutics Techniques that greatly enhance self-reported levels of standing balance, gait coordination, eye tracking and proprioception for clients with cerebellar ataxia and acute transient vestibular syndrome (ATVS) post-stroke and discuss why these techniques should update Traditional Vestibular Rehabilitation Protocols.

Lisa Ash Drackert, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist

Lisa Ash Drackert is a Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist and a yoga studio owner based in Kansas City Missouri. She’s a teacher, a dreamer and an adventure-lover who believes the world would be a better place if everyone meditated and kissed doggies daily.

Lisa specializes in tailoring yoga and meditation protocols to help personal clients meet their exact health and wellness goals. Her specialties are Yoga for Mental Wellness, Yoga for Spinal Health, Yoga for Chronic Pain and Neural Health, Prenatal Yoga and Self-Myofascial Release.

Lisa’s education includes university degrees in Education, Psychology and Religious Studies, as well as a Master’s Degree in Education and Curriculum Development. She began teaching yoga in 2008 and has never stopped.

When she’s not in her studio, Lisa is on the trails with her daughter Eden, her furbaby RussellClive and her endurance athlete husband, Mike.  

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @Lisa.ash.yoga and @lisa.ash.drackert
FB: Lisa Ash Yoga
Website: Lisa Ash Yoga

Afternoon Presentations

The purpose of this presentation is to educate yoga teachers about the relationship between yoga practices and gut health. By exploring the impact of yoga on the gut microbiome, digestion and overall wellbeing, the presentation aims to empower yoga teachers with knowledge and tools to support their student’s gut health through mindful and targeted yoga practices.

Monisha Bhanote, MD, FCAP, ABOIM, YMTS

Dr. Monisha Bhanote is a quintuple board-certified physician, best-selling author, and founder of Wellkulå. With expertise in Integrative Medicine, Functional Culinary Medicine, Cytopathology, and Anatomic/Clinical Pathology, she combines ancient wisdom with mind-body science to support evidence-based holistic wellbeing. Dr. Bhanote holds dual degrees in Chemistry and Asian Studies from Binghamton University, and she continued further obtaining her medical degree and then completing training at NYU Winthrop University Hospital. She has also pursued multiple fellowships, including Cytopathology at Cornell University, Breast, Bone & Soft tissue Cancer at the University of Rochester, and Integrative Medicine at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine Arizona. In addition to her extensive training, Dr. Bhanote has certifications in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Plant-Based Nutrition, Culinary Medicine, Ayurveda, Yoga for Cancer Recovery, and as a Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist.

Dr. Bhanote’s whole-body approach to healing focuses on areas such as nutrition and the microbiome, stress and inflammation in disease manifestation, mindfulness as a lifestyle practice, and disease prevention. She is highly regarded as a health and wellness expert, providing speaking engagements and written commentary to various news media outlets and publications. Dr. Bhanote has diagnosed over one million cancer cases, provides health programs at DrBhanote.com, and leads wellness workshops and retreats worldwide. Featured in Shape, Reader’s Digest, and Martha Stewart Living, Dr. Bhanote serves on several clinical advisory boards and is a go-to health and wellness expert for Healthline, Psych Central, and Medical News Today. Dr. Bhanote aims to promote an integrative approach to evidence-based holistic wellbeing.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @drbhanote
YouTube: Dr. Monisha Bhanote
Pinterest: Dr. Bhanote | Wellbeing Doctor
LinkedIn: Monisha Bhanote
Website: Dr. Bhanote | Wellbeing Doctor

The bi-directional microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis is quickly becoming an exciting pathway in the approach to mental health. In fact, recent studies reveal that abnormal gut microbiota may change behavior through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis – a main component of the stress response. While much remains to be learned, we’ll discuss recent research on how promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle changes, including yoga modalities such as meditation and pranayama (which can affect both the vagal nerve and neurotransmitters suggested to also be affected by the MGB axis) may work to alleviate symptoms of stress and associated mental health challenges.

Valerie Knopik, PhD, YACEP

Valerie is the Ben & Maxine Miller Professor and Department Head of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University and E-RYT in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her research focuses on how our internal biology and our external physical environment (including yoga, mindfulness, and meditation) can interact to positively change our mental health landscape.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @valerie.knopik
FB: Valerie Knopik – Golden Gemini Yoga
Website: Golden Gemini Yoga

Yoga practices have a profound impact on gut health and specifically the Enteric Nervous System. This presentation provides an overview of common complaints relevant to a yoga setting, guidelines to consider when working with clients who suffer from gastrointestinal discomfort, asana and myofascial release practices to support the Enteric Nervous System.

Tiffany Pridgen, MS, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Tiffany has a Master’s degree in Sensory & Systems Neuroscience from the University of Virginia and works professionally in gastrointestinal physiology research at NC State University. She studies translational models of Gastrointestinal diseases and the interaction of the enteric nervous system on mechanisms of repair in the small intestine and colon. She applies her professional training in science and research to teaching yoga through her detailed study of the human body & functional yoga for life. Tiffany is a Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist, Reiki Level 2 practitioner and lead trainer of Pro Power Yoga Teacher Training. She continues to see clients for private yoga & holistic wellness sessions as well as offering workshops & teacher training courses. Tiffany is an avid equestrian athlete competing locally and nationally in equestrian sports with her young Belgian Warmblood horse. She and her husband live on a farm in rural North Carolina and grow many of their own seasonal foods. She has a passion for innovation & knowledge and loves empowering her yoga clients through accessible and therapeutic yoga sessions.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @glowyoganc
FB: Glow Yoga
LinkedIn: Tiffany Pridgen
Twitter: Tiffany Pridgen, RYT 500 / Glow Yoga

Tuesday, August 8th

Morning Presentations

We take a look at corporeal conceptions from Plato to the post-pandemic body. We approach this material from a de-colonial perspective, understanding the need to remember, reimagine and then recreate our ways of being as it contributes to how we practice and apply yoga.

Charlotte Johnson

Charlotte is a trained yoga and mindfulness teacher and hold degrees in social anthropology and political sciences. She has worked extensively in research, development, community-story telling, creative place-making and wellbeing capacity building in high schools and universities – bringing together a keen awareness of history and social justice to co-create spaces for healing, liberation and forging the fabric of community wellbeing.

Firdose Moonda, E-RYT 500
 
Firdose is a South African of Indian descent, a yoga teacher, practitioner and researcher and passionate about issues of decolonisation and social justice. She is currently undertaking doctoral work titled Yoga, Politics and Possibilities for Social Justice at the University of Cape Town. She holds an MA Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and she is a registered E-RYT 500 teacher with Yoga Alliance. She also works as the Southern African correspondent for ESPNcricinfo, where she reports on cricket in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and beyond, and she is the women’s editor-at-large at On the Whistle, an African football podcast.
 
Her teaching style is steeped in historical knowledge, cultural experience, socio political curiosity and practical application. In her classes you can expect historical and philosophical discourse zoning in on particular periods in yoga’s storied development, anatomically intelligent postural practice which is also reflective of asana as it evolved over time and culturally relevant information on practices from the subcontinent which have evolved through a Western lens. She draws on a wide variety of sources including academic understandings and her own lived experience as a person of mixed heritage. She is both an African and an Indian and recognizes the shared suffering through colonization. Her work is centered on amplifying both Africa and India’s attempts to seek liberation – of their resources, their cultures and their bodies.
 
SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @firdosemoonda
Twitter: @FirdoseM

This presentation will explore the integration of polyvagal theory, also referred to as the science of connection and safety, into a yoga setting. We’ll explore simple and effective tools that can easily be applied during class or on the go in daily life. We will also discuss how this understanding can empower teachers to bring more agency into the way we care for ourselves, to foster co-regulatory spaces with increasing accessibility to connection and safety, and to approach teaching as a an embodied, relational meditation.

Aisha Fakhro, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, YACEP, LAPHP, LNRPC

Aisha is trained as a yoga teacher and psychotherapist, and has a deep love for accompanying students and clients on their journey to feel more comfortably at home within themselves and in the world.
 
When she found yoga and therapy, she fell in love with the doors of discovery both worlds supported her to explore, and became interested in how we can cultivate practices that honor our shared humanity so that their ripple effect can extend far beyond the mat (or therapy room).
 
Having immersed herself in a variety of embodied practices including vocal work, contemporary dance, the aerial arts, improv and mindfulness, she loves bringing together different elements from these worlds that can give us access to various aspects of ourselves in deeper and more meaningful ways.
 
Aisha is an infinitely curious student, and is very passionate about breaking down complex topics (such as anatomy, nervous system physiology, and the workings of the human psyche) into simple and accessible concepts that are easy to apply in day to day life. She works with students of all ages and backgrounds, with an emphasis on creating an integrative practice that nurtures curiosity, wonder, resilience, nervous system harmony and compassion.
 
SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @aishafakhro
Website: Aisha Fakhro

High rates of PTSD and poor outcomes with current treatment protocols have
contributed to an increased interest in complementary and alternative medicine in
veteran and first responder populations. The study being presented examined
the lived experiences and perceptions of veterans and first responders using a
consistent yoga practice for coping with the impacts of excessive stress and
traumatic exposures associated with their work.

Nicole McKenna, PhD

Nicole grew up in Panama, New York. After retirement from the U.S. Army in 2011, she settled in Garner, North Carolina, where she currently resides with her dog Daisy. In her first career, Nicole was fortunate to be trained as an Army Master Fitness Trainer and began her advanced education and yoga training after her retirement from Ft. Liberty (formerly named Ft. Bragg).

Nicole earned her BS in Psychology from Columbia Southern University and her M.Phil in Forensic Psychology and Ph.D. in Forensic Psychology with a concentration in crisis response from Walden University. She completed her 200HR Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200 HR) training with CorePower Yoga; her Pilates Basic and Advanced Mat Instructor Training with Pilates of North Carolina, (RYT-300 HR) training with Yoga Medicine, and is a Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT) through The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @gratefulwarrior8

Afternoon Presentations

Peak athletic performance requires mastery over one’s body and mind, but the mental component is often an afterthought. In this presentation, we’ll explore how the yoga sutras, particularly the yamas and niyamas, can support an athlete’s mental training.

Daya Alexander Grant, PhD, MS

Daya Alexander Grant is a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC), neuroscientist, and yoga teacher who helps athletes train their brain for elevated performance. She has contributed articles and expert opinion to several media outlets, including Triathlete magazine, Yoga Journal, Peloton podcast, and Yoga Medicine. Daya lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two young sons. 

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @dr.dayagrant
Website: Dr. Daya Grant

As yoga teachers, we know very well the benefits of the therapeutic practices we teach and the massive impact those practices, when done consistently, can have in the lives of our students.

But curating a therapeutic practice for them is only half the equation. We also need our students to do the practice regularly and that can be a challenge with everything else our students already have on their plates – which can be incredibly frustrating – for both the teacher and for the student.

So how do we get our students to do the practices we prescribe so they can feel the positive effects we intend to create? Fortunately, there’s lot of science to help us there.

In this presentation, we’ll explore mindfulness-based approaches, practical tools, techniques, and strategies that teachers can use to help their students turn their intentions into actions in powerful ways that help them achieve their goals on and off the mat.

Alison Heilig, CPT, CES, E-RYT500 & Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist

Alison Heilig is an accomplished ultramarathoner and weightlifter. She’s a strength, conditioning + nutrition coach for people who want to be more active, athletic, and durable through midlife and beyond.

Alison is the author of The Durable Runner, the founder of Miles To Go Athletics, a Level 2 RRCA-Certified Running Coach, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Certified Nutrition Coach, and a Yoga Medicine® Registered Therapeutic Specialist.

She has extensive training in anatomy, physiology, injury management, therapeutic exercise, nutrition, and pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal women’s health.

Alison has been featured in articles on Women’s Running, Competitor, LiveStrong, MyFitnessPal, POPSUGAR Fitness, and Prevention for her expertise in running, strength training, injury management, nutrition, and yoga.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @itsalisonheilig

Sustained high performance hinges on having cohesive teams. In this presentation we’ll connect key research findings from sport psychology, social neuroscience, and yoga philosophy. We’ll explore applications of yoga for team building in athletics and discuss possibilities for yoga interventions for team cohesion beyond athletics.

Margaret Smith, PhD, RYT-500, TCTSY-F

Margaret (Meg) Smith, PhD, RYT-500, TCTSY-F uses yoga with elite athletes, military service members, and other high performers to deepen the mind-body connections that enable sustained high performance as well as healing from trauma and chronic stress. Meg is the sport psychology provider for Team USA Wheelchair Rugby among other teams and athletes in Olympic, Paralympic, and collegiate sport. She’s supported USAWR through two Paralympic silver medals and multiple international titles and from 2016-2020, supported the University of Alabama Adapted Athletics toward seven national championships in three sports. She has provided services for Team Navy Wounded Warrior and the Warrior Games since 2016. A former NCAA DI athlete, she has a PhD in social psychology and teaches for Auburn University’s Alabama Prison Arts and Education Program (APAEP) and the US Army’s Master Educator Course.

Wednesday, August 9th

Morning Presentations

We will explore the intricate interconnections between the pelvic floor, hips, feet, and thoracic spine, and their profound influence on core stability and pelvic floor function. Learn effective strategies to address common pelvic floor dysfunctions like prolapse, overactive bladder, hypertonic pelvic floor, and pelvic pain, by adopting a whole body approach and understanding these connections. Gain insight into how to enhance pelvic health in your yoga practice.

Melissa Oleson, DPT, RYT, CDNT, INHC

Melissa has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is also an Integrative Nutritional Health Coach. She is an orthopedic and pelvic health physical therapist that has been blending yoga and PT to help individuals build a solid foundation by learning how to move for optimal performance. She is the founder of MSUNN Yoga + Wellness, a mobile and virtual physical therapy + yoga practice focusing on helping people relieve pain, increase strength, and gain mobility to do what they love without limitations. She loves being active, getting outside, and a good matcha latte.

SOCIAL LINKS
YouTube: Dr. Melissa Oleson
IG: @drmelissaoleson

As yoga teachers working in a therapeutic setting how do we approach someone stuck in the negative cycle of pain and/or suffering? What is the science behind this pattern of pain and how can we help facilitate greater self-efficacy and resilience in life. Individuals come asking, sometimes pleading for help. They are so sensitive and it just seems like everything hurts and everything makes them worse. They feel hopeless. We might feel powerless and yet want so much to be helpful. That’s a lot of pressure. So, how do we get started; what is our ultimate mission; how do we navigate flares and successes; when and how do we ask for help?

Marnie Hartman, DPT, CSCS, RYT

Marnie Hartman, DPT owner and operator of Body IQ Physical Therapy and Yoga lives and practices in Haines, AK. As a Doctor of Physiotherapy with more than 20 years in diverse practice. It is her deep passion to guide individuals into growing their own unique Body IQ – the development and true understanding of body, mind and spirit, specific to each individual. She earned her 200 hour-yoga teacher training under the instruction of Tiffany Cruikshank in 2011. Marnie continues to study with Yoga Medicine. Marnie’s yoga classes, retreats, and one on one PT sessions act as bridges. She uses the art and science of western medicine/physical therapy and exercise physiology together with the art and science of yoga to create connections and understanding of the holistic self. Marnie also teaches yoga teachers and healthcare practitioners as an author of Pain Science – Yoga – Life: Bridging neuroscience and yoga for pain care. 

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @bodyiq
FB: Body IQ Physical Therapy and Yoga
Website: Body IQ – Physical Therapy & Yoga Medicine

Afternoon Presentations

Neurodiversity is a social term used to describe having experiences of ADHD, autism, executive dysfunction, and/ or mental health conditions. In this presentation participants will have a better understanding of  how neurodiversity impacts the individual and their nervous system. Participants will learn yoga tools and techniques that can be supportive for the neurodiverse and how a regular practice and understanding of these practices can benefit the individual.

Shannon Reilly, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist

In addition to teaching yoga and studying with Yoga Medicine, Shannon is a Certified Professional Organizer, a member of the Institute for Challenging Disorganization, and has completed her training courses in ADHD Coaching. Shannon’s expertise is in working with people who are neurodiverse and/ or experiencing life transitions, injuries, or just a sense of overwhelm and burnout. Shannon creates a safe space for these clients through using the tools she’s acquired through her training, experience, and personal experiences.

Explore how to approach teaching yoga through the lens of “full-brained” leadership methodology with a deeper analysis and discovery of how yoga teachers can plan and deliver class experiences that incorporates not only the coordinated rational aspect of left-side brain function but also include the relational right-side function of the brain within the practice of yoga.

Sandy Raper, E-RYT 500, RYS, YACEP, Yoga Medicine® Therapeutic Specialist, Podcast Host, Author

A modern yogi, Sandy finds life balance as a wife and mother of three while cultivating longevity as a yoga teacher, trainer, and mentor for over two decades. Sandy is passionate and driven to equip, encourage and inspire yoga teachers to tap into their unique teaching path in order to make an impact in their community and serve others through the most worthy endeavor of teaching yoga.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @sandyraperyoga
FB: Sandy Raper Yoga
Website: Sandy Raper
Podcast: Beyond Yoga Teacher Training Podcast

Balance training is an essential component of any exercise program to improve equilibrium, stability and to prevent falls. Balance training requires a multimodal and multilayered approach which honors individual uniqueness, proprioceptive and kinaesthetic awareness. In this presentation we explore the clinical research and scientific reasoning to consider when and how to implement and challenge or support balance training into our classes.

Sava Papos, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist

With nearly two decades of experience as a yoga instructor from Perth, Western Australia, Sava possesses a deep understanding of the transformative potential of yoga in the realm of healing. Sava’s passion lies in utilizing yoga therapeutics to address chronic pain, an area he has dedicated himself to exploring.

Currently in his third year of pursuing a degree in Exercise and Sport Physiology, Sava is committed to expanding his expertise in the field. Collaborating with Pain Titled Physiotherapist, Simone Berzen, he has co-created a comprehensive 6 week mindful movement program to aid individuals experiencing chronic pain. Driven by a thirst for knowledge and a desire to contribute to the clinical realm, Sava actively engages in ongoing education with Yoga Medicine and university studies in health sciences. 

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @savapapos

Simone Berzen, APA Pain Physiotherapist

Simone is working in Perth, Western Australia as a Clinical Facilitator for a multi-disciplinary Chronic Pain Management Program. Together with Sava Papos, she has developed a 6 week Mindfulness and Movement Program, specifically designed for individuals living with persistent pain.

Simone has completed training in Yoga for Embodiment and Healing and her growing interest lies in the neuroplasticity of the neuroimmune system, and the interplay between movement, cognitions, emotions and pain. Simone’s current focus involves completing a psychoneuroimmunology coaching course.

This course will enable her to delve deeper into the intricate connections between psychology, the nervous system, and the immune system to enable the homeostasis and balance which the body seeks.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @sensingmovement

Thursday, August 10th

Morning Presentations

This session will explore Caring with Awareness, a 6-week mindful self-care course for the cancer community that Dr. Bismark developed and led, both in-person and virtually, for Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY. It will include a history of the program, influences, program components, research findings, and implications. This presentation was previously presented as a Grand Rounds at RPCCC in Fall 2023.

Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH

Dr. Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH is a mom, writer, and physician specialized in preventive medicine. Inspired by her explorations of lifestyle medicine, Ayurveda, energy healing, and mind-body therapies, she is a certified yoga educator and mindfulness meditation teacher whose clinical work is focused on facilitating mindfulness-based programs to support whole health. A dedicated student-practitioner of yoga, she has guided contemplative practices for over a decade and contributes to meditation curriculum for Yoga Medicine teacher trainings online and across the globe. Finding Om, illustrated by Morgan Huff and published by Mango and Marigold Press, is Dr. Bismark’s award-winning picture book debut that shares practices of mantra, mindfulness, and meditation for kids and their grown-ups.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @rashmibismark
Website: RASHMI S. BISMARK, MD, MPH

This presentation explores the significance of ritual in both one’s personal yoga practice and the therapeutic yoga and health care environment. We aim to inspire one to see the mundane or repetitive actions in life as sacred, ritualistic practices enlivened with presence and intention.

Steph Wall

A lover of the unseen, insatiably curious and forever diving into the darkness, Steph owes much of her knowledge to the whispers yoga gave her to keep discovering, unravelling and growing amid her darkest days. Always learning from life itself, Yoga has become the container she uses to hold herself in as she reclaims the wild, mysterious, essence inside of her. 

Steph feels a deep and powerful call to translate the complex and rich tradition of Yoga to the modern-day human looking to develop themselves consciously, authentically and deeply. She continually expands her knowledge in several different domains of Yoga to grow with the tradition as it grows with her. Standing side by side with the tradition, her students, nature and the mysteries of life, Steph dives deep into the unknown to discover the complex, intricate and potent curiosities of life.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @stephwallyoga

Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH

Dr. Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH is a mom, writer, and physician specialized in preventive medicine. Inspired by her explorations of lifestyle medicine, Ayurveda, energy healing, and mind-body therapies, she is a certified yoga educator and mindfulness meditation teacher whose clinical work is focused on facilitating mindfulness-based programs to support whole health. A dedicated student-practitioner of yoga, she has guided contemplative practices for over a decade and contributes to meditation curriculum for Yoga Medicine teacher trainings online and across the globe. Finding Om, illustrated by Morgan Huff and published by Mango and Marigold Press, is Dr. Bismark’s award-winning picture book debut that shares practices of mantra, mindfulness, and meditation for kids and their grown-ups.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @rashmibismark
Website: RASHMI S. BISMARK, MD, MPH

When our aura is healthy, we maintain healthy boundaries with our students and remain energized during and after teaching our classes. When our auras are weakened or unhealthy, we tend to have poor interactions with our students and leave feeling drained or tired after our classes. In Energetic Boundaries for Yoga Teachers, Kat Fowler, teacher, speaker and author of The Ultimate Guide to Energy Healing, will explain our basic energetic makeup, beyond what we have already been taught in our yoga practice and dive deep into the biofield of energy that surrounds us, and each living thing, our aura. We will learn a few key signs to identifying the current health of our own auras and energetic boundaries, and learn different simple practices and ways to heal and maintain healthy auras and energetic boundaries through short, guided meditations. 

Kat Fowler

Kat is an international teacher of spirituality, meditation and yoga, an Energy Therapist, an Akashic Records reader, a Reiki Master Teacher, the author of The Ultimate Guide to Energy Healing and host of The Soul Awakening Podcast. Kat is a teacher’s teacher with over 2,000 hours of certifications and training in yoga, meditation and the healing arts and over 13 years of teaching and mentoring students of all levels in New York City and internationally. Her life’s work is dedicated to raising the frequency of the collective through sharing spiritual practices and healing teachings to help you discover the truest wisdom of your Highest Self, within.
 
SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @katfowler
Website: Kat Fowler

Afternoon Presentations

Creativity has been shown to reduce stress, improve mental health outcomes, boost cognitive function, enhance immunity, and increase subjective well-being. Yoga nidra is a practice that can be used to enhance creativity in very specific ways. This presentation explores the relationship between yoga nidra and creativity through the lens of neuroscience.

Caroline Wybar, 1000-Hour Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist, E-RYT 500

Yoga made possible a miracle of healing in me. Gratitude and a sense of wonder are what animate my teaching today. I believe passionately in the power of yoga to restore health to the body, equanimity to the mind, and vitality to the soul. I love what I do, and I feel a genuine excitement about sharing this practice with others. My hope as an instructor is to create an environment in which students can connect to a sense of wholeness within. It is my honor to witness each person’s unique journey and to serve as a gentle and affirming guide along the way.

I am a 1000-hour Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist and E-RYT 500 with over 10,000-hours of yoga teaching experience. My three primary teachers today are Tiffany Cruikshank, Kia Miller, and Jill Miller. I am forever grateful to these brilliant women for their indelible and ongoing contributions to my learning and growth. I live in Stonington, Maine and am thrilled to work full-time leading yoga teacher trainings at the 300-, 500-, and 1000-hour levels.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @carolinewybaryoga
FB: Caroline Wybar

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition increasing disability, morbidity and care giver burden throughout the world.

Treatment is often about arresting the symptoms once a diagnosis is made and providing better quality of life for those affected.  High amplitude training and cardio is often recommended but this does not take into account if the person is already in a chronically stressed state.

This presentation will look at the role of Yoga, mindfulness and somatic movement in helping to alleviate symptoms as well as some considerations of what could be included in a yoga practice to make it even more beneficial for those in the early stages or newly diagnosed with the disease.

Kylie Rook, ERYT-500 YACEP, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist

Kylie is an Auckland New Zealand based Yoga Teacher.  She runs 200 hour and 300 hour RYT programmes, mentors teachers, has a one to one studio and an online yoga platform with over 500 classes and regular livestreams. She is a natural born teacher with a unique style that fuses western science with eastern philosophy and tradition. She has a passion for biomechanics, breathing physiology and neuroscience and is currently studying Hakomi Somatic Psychotherapy. When she is not teaching yoga you can find her skating or surfing.

SOCIAL LINKS
IG: @Yogawithkylie
FB: Yogawithkylie
YouTube: Yogawithkylie
Website: Kylie Rook Yoga