As a former high technology executive, I became prone to chronic stress, working long hours and managing a heavy travel schedule. My early introduction to Yoga led me to believe that Yoga was more of a "Work out" than a "Work In" practice. That all thankfully changed with an illness which required me to seek a way to heal myself. Yoga asana (movement) has changed my body chemistry. Yoga movement combined with breath and meditation/mindfulness practices have provided me with resilience and coping skills allowing me to meet life's challenges and ever changing circumstances.

Mary Jo is a Certified Yoga Therapist C-IAYT, and has her RYT 500 Certification in Yoga Therapy RX from Loyola Marymount University and the Stress Center of Marin. Mary Jo is a Certified iRest Meditation teacher having trained with Dr. Richard Miller. She has also completed Relax and Renew Restorative yoga training with Judie Lasater, Physical Therapist, author, and the "guru" of restorative yoga in the US.

Restorative yoga is the centering of your breath and body — aligning the physical and mental by practicing stillness or gentle movement for extended periods of time. Props are sometimes used to assist you in helping you to hold poses longer. She continues to deepen her studies in mindfulness training with Dr. Richard Miller through iRest meditation practices focused on somatic work through body sensing practices and self inquiry and attends mindfulness workshops with Dr.Daniel Siegel, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach and Rick Hanson. She is currently completing her Level 1 Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Training (MBSR) an evidence based mindfulness training program grounded in 39 years of research founded by Jon Kabat Zinn.

Yoga has a meditation component that's not true of other exercise and it helps people better manage stress. Mary Jo can help you manage stress and guide you to emotional balance while developing more sustained joy.

So whether it's help recovering from an injury or maintaining an optimum lifestyle as we age, Mary Jo can help you get back to doing what you love.