Emily Grace
Growing up in a big, beautiful, and fun-loving family, my cousins, siblings, and I were always using our imagination to create endless hours of play. The power of imagination and creativity was ingrained in my DNA. As an adult, I learned that play can also be a tool for self-discovery and healing.
My childhood was also colored by my most impactful relationship with my big sister, Noelle. Noelle has an intellectual and developmental disability. I was protective of my sister and saw firsthand the struggles and barriers she and my mother faced in trying to access the necessary services Noelle needed. I greatly admire my sister and to this day she is seriously the coolest and most unique person I know. My relationship with Noelle, unbeknownst to my younger self has shaped my work and life path as an adult (continued below) :).
I started my own yoga practice when I was 16 years old. I found myself in a Bikram Yoga class and quickly took to the physical transformation and calm it created within me. The thirst for more yoga and realization of its power to transform the body, awaken the spirit, and gain a deeper understanding of what goes on "inside" of our bodies is what led me to explore different styles of yoga and get the itch to become a certified yoga teacher in order that I could share this practice with EVERYbody.
In 2010, I attended my first yoga training, a 14-hour Children's Yoga training with Full of Joy Yoga in San Francisco, CA. I started teaching shortly after. I focused on offering the gift of yoga as a service to the community, teaching at homeless shelters and to at-risk youth.
My heart for community and service led me to Asheville, NC in 2011 to do AmeriCorps. My service year placed me with the Arc of Buncombe County where I had the privilege to develop a health and wellness program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This was where I fine-tuned my skills and developed a holistic program that used yoga and other wellness modalities to empower people with differing ABILITIES.
Then in 2013, I received my 230-hour Teacher Training at Asheville Yoga Center and received my Basic Certification in Yoga for the Special Child, Sonia Sumar Method. My professional career has taken twists and turns, but all my work has been centered on empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (in various areas of one’s life) and offering tools (sometimes adaptive) that help each person to recognize the light and love within.
Credentials…
Inner Presence Coaching & Fundamentals of Compassionate Communication, Asheville Compassionate Communication Center, Asheville, NC 2018-2019
UNCG Health Coach Training, Winston- Salem, NC Oct 2018
Resources for Resilience Training, Asheville, NC March 2018
Community Resiliency Model Basic 2-day Training, Asheville, NC June 2017
30-Hour Radiant Child Yoga Certificate, New York, NY Feb 2017
Mindful Schools Fundamentals of Mindfulness & Mindful Educators Essentials Training, online Nov 2014
230 Hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training, Asheville Yoga Center, Asheville, NC Nov 2014
Basic Certification Yoga for the Special Child, Sonia Sumar, New York, NY Oct 2013
14-hour Children’s Yoga Teacher Training, Full of Joy Yoga, San Francisco, CA Aug 2010