Yoga for Jo Ann is not just a passion
but a way of life.
Jo Ann was trained in the Iyengar tradition, and started to practice yoga in the 80’s, initially with B. K. S. Iyengar in the US, then subsequently with Ramanand Patel in the US and India, and repeatedly with Patricia Walden. Her pursuit of yoga practice complements her education in Asian Studies from Puget Sound University in Tacoma, WA, and a Master’s degree in Special Education from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Jo Ann also holds a Shiatsu massage license.
In her yoga practice, Jo Ann emphasizes the power of breathing, while offering individual attention and guidance leading students towards healing and strength.
Her daily routines include yoga routines that heal and strengthen her own body. With each breath, she has been successful in recovering from injuries caused during multiple competitive bike races.
In the late 90s, Jo Ann started cycling competitively and raced with the US National Team, and become the champion of the Southwest in 1998, Pan-American Champion in 2002, and won races in Cuba and Colombia. She also won endless state championships throughout the region. In 2013 she ventured on a solo Continental Divide bike tour of 1,735 miles, which she accomplished in 23 days, riding from Banff in Canada to Silverthorne in Colorado. This was an exceptional experience generating restored confidence in her endurance, an ability to be alone surrounded by nature, and obviously aching muscles. Jo Ann recalls how her mind would be “calm, focused, and alert hearing nature and singing birds like I have never heard before.” Today she continues to cycle frequently after the ski season ends.
“Jo Ann presents yoga instruction with great attention to detail, and comprehensive understanding of individual therapeutic needs. Her teaching encourages her students to embrace and explore.“
Phyllis Hedges
Her philosophy of perseverance, paired with deliberate breathing sequences, allows her to work through any pain. With a wholehearted smile, Jo Ann affirms, “Yoga is the solution to all my injuries, it is part of the recovery process, it maintains my youthful predisposition, and contributes to my daily wellbeing.”