Elena offers yoga as a tool to develop a compassionate connection to self and take agency in one’s healing journey. A seamless blend of asana, pranayama, and meditation offer this connection through a dynamic relationship of challenge and nurturance to the body, while also holding a mirror to emotional and cognitive patterns.
With a 500-hr Yoga Alliance certification and a background in Hatha, Restorative, and Therapeutic Yoga, her classes are rhythmic, they balance gentle strengthening and passive release, and encourage the practitioner to turn awareness inward to strengthen bodymind connection and sense of self.
While in pursuit of a 1000 hour IAYT certification, Elena has also trained in Yoga For Cancer Survivorship and mentored under two pioneering teachers, Lorien Neargarner and Tari Prinster before beginning a therapeutic teaching practice of her own. In partnership with Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Elena’s Yoga for Cancer classes weave together semi-active, and gentle vinyasa practices, restorative yoga, pranayama, and meditation to reduce and alleviate symptoms caused by cancer treatments while improving immune system function, and overall well being. This specialized skill set is carried over to other specific populations of people such as those living with chronic pain, or extreme stress and anxiety.
In addition to a broad yogic training, Elena has also received in depth meditation training from the Zen Buddhist lense and enjoys weaving together the two streams of knowledge for a well rounded and profound practice. With over 8 years of teaching experience in public, corporate, and private environments, adaptive instruction to fit an individuals’ needs is fundamental to Elena’s teaching style and strengthens her belief in cultivating self awareness and compassion on the yoga mat and in everyday life.
