Dana discovered yoga in the mid-1990?s as a way to strengthen and de-stress the body in a safe, low-impact way. She even used her yoga practice to to help rehabilitate herself following a debilitating head injury in early 2007. However, the practice of yoga is an evolving one and her own experience led her to a profound sense of inner peace and understanding.
For Dana, yoga has become a means to “connect the dots” authentically on a physical, mental, and energetic level– not only internally, but with whatever experience life brings. She lives and breathes with gratitude the connectedness to life and spirit that this practice gives, every day. Her goal is to help students, if they are willing, achieve those same benefits. Dana has been teaching yoga since 2008.
Recognizing that the benefits of yoga would help people in all walks of life and noting that the existing Richmond yoga community is at once vibrant, compassionate, and service-oriented, she was honored and excited to begin working with Jonathan, Michelle, Wendy, and Pam in late 2010 to found Project Yoga Richmond, Inc. (“PYR”).
Her own practice today is a slow, intentionally mindful, alignment-based Vinyasa flow, but she also enjoys a meditative, still practice like Yin or Restorative. She also practices Bhakti yoga– the yoga of devotional chanting and mantra and recently learned to play the harmonium. She is grateful to have learned from amazing teachers including Rolf Gates, John Friend, Judith Lasater, Kathryn Budig, Nikki Myers, Leeann Carey, Seane Corn, and Krishna Das. She received her 500-hour level certification with Rolf Gates in 2011.
She offers both Vinyasa yoga classes as well as Restorative and Yin yoga instruction for the student seeking a stiller, more quietly meditative practice. In addition to teaching through PYR, Dana also works privately with individuals in their homes and leads regular weekly group classes at Om On Yoga in Richmond.
When not practicing asana, Dana enjoys vegetarian cooking; she finds bliss while riding her blue scooter, Dorothy, throughout Richmond; but most of all, loves spending time with her husband Ben and their two dogs, Fritz and Lila, both of whom give her lots of opportunities to practice yoga principles “off the mat”!
