"Yoga has brought me the gifts of healing, peace, strength, mindfulness, stability and calm. My greatest passion is sharing those gifts with my students and watching their faces light up with joy when they too experience these benefits." --Felice

Felice Rhiannon has devoted more than three decades to the study of complimentary healing, including the study of consciousness and meditation practices, as well as Chinese acupuncture, which she practiced more than 15 years. Felice began the study of Yoga while in her 20s. In more recent years her appreciation for Yoga has grown immensely, and her studies have deepened. They now include more than 600 hours of teacher training.

Felice holds two Yoga teacher certifications: a general teaching certificate from the Shambhava School of Yoga in Colorado, and a specialized certificate in Yoga Therapy from Integrative Yoga Therapy. She has also completed advanced studies in the therapeutic uses of Yoga and has earned certification as a Professional Yoga Therapist.

These certifications are recognized by Yoga Alliance, a national registry that sets educational standards for Yoga schools and teachers. (For more information visit www.yogaalliance.org.) Felice's training exceeds the 500 hour level, the highest Yoga Alliance qualification available.

Felice's experience includes bringing the gifts of Yoga to varied populations, nationally and internationally. She has taught privately, in gyms, senior centers, cancer centers, YMCAs, Yoga centers and at national conferences. Articles Felice has written have been featured in Yoga publications and on the World Wide Web. She also serves on the Advisory Council of YogAbility Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing Yoga to seriously disabled and disadvantaged people in Southern California.

I was in bed for a year.

I was 52. It was the worst year of my life. On a ‘good day’ I could wash dishes. On a ‘bad day’ I had to crawl on hands and knees to the bathroom. I was under treatment, but still feeling awful.

I became deeply depressed, not only as a side-effect of the illness itself, but at my inability to live the life I so deeply wanted. I had just completed my training to be a Yoga teacher, and instead of teaching I was flat on my back! I had all but given up hope to ever teach again.

One day it occurred to me that I might make use of my training by practicing Yoga in bed. And, having nothing else to do, I made an attempt. Energy, albeit just a little, began to flow through me in a way so familiar and so deeply missed. I began to experiment as I gained some strength and hope.

Over the next several months I progressed from bed to floor; floor to chair; and, finally, to standing on my own two feet, practicing modified Yoga postures that I designed to meet my abilities and needs. I was so excited! By then I was thoroughly convinced of the therapeutic value of Yoga. Not only was my body stronger, but my mental and emotional states were more balanced and my stress level had dropped dramatically.

Now I know that it is possible to feel vibrant even when living with a chronic illness. I also know that it is possible to ease, and even avert, many of the common health challenges that come to us in our middle years and beyond…arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, and the effects of stress.

Living a full, rewarding life with an open mind and a mobile body is the gift of Yoga. Because I feel more alive than I have in years, enjoying a newfound sense of peace and contentment, I just had to share this gift. As soon as my health improved enough, I enrolled in the Therapeutic Yoga training course, and am now a fully-certified Professional Yoga Therapist. If you're ready for the gift of vibrant well-being in your own life, I would be honored to help.