Yoga Therapy and Heart Disease
I came to yoga in a real way during my bachelor’s studies in Health and Wellness. At that time, I wasn’t just learning in the classroom—I was also navigating struggles mentally, emotionally, and physically. Yoga gave me a way to reconnect with myself. It taught me how to move with awareness, sit with discomfort, and find steadiness in my breath. Over time, it became both my healing process and my anchor. The Pranayoga community gave me a place to belong, to be supported, and to grow—truly holding me while I found my own footing.
Since then, yoga has guided me through every season—through nonprofit leadership, where I’ve witnessed the power of partnerships and human development to transform lives, and through motherhood, where my daughter Omelia (Om) continues to be my greatest teacher. She reminds me daily that yoga is about presence, not perfection.
Today, I serve as a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) and Sattva Yoga Therapist, blending my background in health and wellness with the depth of yoga therapy. I also serve as Chief Wellness Officer at a nonprofit wellness center dedicated to holistic health, developing partnerships, and meeting people where they are. These experiences shape the way I hold and share space—with compassion, practicality, and heart.
My work as a yoga therapist has allowed me to support a wide range of people and conditions. I have experience working in diverse populations, from heart conditions, cancer, EDS, and neurological conditions, to post-operative healing and chronic pain; with prenatal and postnatal clients navigating birth, postpartum, and motherhood; and with individuals healing in and with trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. I also specialize in working with developmental frameworks across the lifespan—from children to older adults—bringing together yoga therapy, human development, and community wellness in an integrative way. Whether in one-on-one sessions, group classes, or community partnerships, I hold and share space for people to reconnect with their strength, find balance, and cultivate resilience.
As a Lead Faculty member at Pranayoga Institute’s Yoga Therapy Institute, I guide students in learning how to apply the principles of yoga therapy with compassion, evidence-based knowledge, and sensitivity. I teach on the integration of Eastern with Western health sciences, on group and individual adaptations, and on weaving developmental frameworks into therapeutic practice. My non-profit leadership, training in human development, and experience in developing partnerships and grant-writing, brings unique qualities to our Institute that support our students holistically. My aim is to help future yoga therapists not only build skill but also embody presence—holding space for transformation in clients, community, and themselves.
I believe that when we allow our dukkha (suffering) to become medicine (through life-long learning, growth, compassion)—for ourselves and for others—we transform it into sukha (ease) and light. My life’s work is to reflect that healing light: to ignite, inspire, and illuminate the potential that already lives within each person. For me, yoga is about creating spaces where people feel supported, seen, and empowered to reconnect with their wholeness. We journey back hOMe, together.
Share
Research has proven yoga’s ability to fight stress and balance hormones that raise the blood pressure and heart rate. Learn tools and techniques to lower the risk of heart attack as well as rehabilitation for those who have undergone heart procedures. Learn protocols for different stages of heart disease .
Upon successful completion of this module students will be able to:
Understand:
· Common medical terminology
· And reference healthcare providers
· And ability in designing, implementing and evaluating group programs for preventing heart disease as well as rehab after surgery for all levels.
Explain:
· Benefits of yoga therapies for heart disease and working in vinyasa krama for rehabilitation.
Describe:
· Contraindications and language for meeting care-seekers where they are.
Define:
· Commonly used drugs and surgical procedures pertaining to heart disease.
Required reading: The Healing Path of Yoga by Nichala Joy Devi.
I came to yoga in a real way during my bachelor’s studies in Health and Wellness. At that time, I wasn’t just learning in the classroom—I was also navigating struggles mentally, emotionally, and physically. Yoga gave me a way to reconnect with myself. It taught me how to move with awareness, sit with discomfort, and find steadiness in my breath. Over time, it became both my healing process and my anchor. The Pranayoga community gave me a place to belong, to be supported, and to grow—truly holding me while I found my own footing.
Since then, yoga has guided me through every season—through nonprofit leadership, where I’ve witnessed the power of partnerships and human development to transform lives, and through motherhood, where my daughter Omelia (Om) continues to be my greatest teacher. She reminds me daily that yoga is about presence, not perfection.
Today, I serve as a Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) and Sattva Yoga Therapist, blending my background in health and wellness with the depth of yoga therapy. I also serve as Chief Wellness Officer at a nonprofit wellness center dedicated to holistic health, developing partnerships, and meeting people where they are. These experiences shape the way I hold and share space—with compassion, practicality, and heart.
My work as a yoga therapist has allowed me to support a wide range of people and conditions. I have experience working in diverse populations, from heart conditions, cancer, EDS, and neurological conditions, to post-operative healing and chronic pain; with prenatal and postnatal clients navigating birth, postpartum, and motherhood; and with individuals healing in and with trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. I also specialize in working with developmental frameworks across the lifespan—from children to older adults—bringing together yoga therapy, human development, and community wellness in an integrative way. Whether in one-on-one sessions, group classes, or community partnerships, I hold and share space for people to reconnect with their strength, find balance, and cultivate resilience.
As a Lead Faculty member at Pranayoga Institute’s Yoga Therapy Institute, I guide students in learning how to apply the principles of yoga therapy with compassion, evidence-based knowledge, and sensitivity. I teach on the integration of Eastern with Western health sciences, on group and individual adaptations, and on weaving developmental frameworks into therapeutic practice. My non-profit leadership, training in human development, and experience in developing partnerships and grant-writing, brings unique qualities to our Institute that support our students holistically. My aim is to help future yoga therapists not only build skill but also embody presence—holding space for transformation in clients, community, and themselves.
I believe that when we allow our dukkha (suffering) to become medicine (through life-long learning, growth, compassion)—for ourselves and for others—we transform it into sukha (ease) and light. My life’s work is to reflect that healing light: to ignite, inspire, and illuminate the potential that already lives within each person. For me, yoga is about creating spaces where people feel supported, seen, and empowered to reconnect with their wholeness. We journey back hOMe, together.