Lela Beem

In 2001, I began my Vinyasa yoga practice with Tom Gillette in Rhode Island as a way to reduce stress and fatigue. After traveling in India and S.E. Asia for over a year, I completed a 200 hour teacher training at the Kripalu Center. I now have gone on to specialize in prenatal and postnatal yoga. I primarily practice and teach a mindful form of Vinyasa yoga, which focuses on linking breath and movement into a flowing sequence of asanas. In all my classes, I emphasize the connection between mind and body, leaving time for stillness, introspection and meditation. I enjoy working with students of all levels and abilities and value gentle yoga just as much as a more vigorous practice.

My prenatal classes are modified to fit the needs of women in various stages of pregnancy and with varying levels of yoga experience. Novices and advanced practitioners alike have found refuge in my strengthening yet restorative approach to prenatal yoga. Although I provide a real workout, the classes are designed for a mother's changing body. For example, posture sequences are meant to relieve low back and shoulder pain, swelling, varicose veins, and leg cramps.

Lela has also worked as a wilderness instructor, after-school program director, and English tutor for children ages eight to eighteen. She is a graduate of UMASS Amherst with a BA in Multicultural & Experiential Education, and a native of Port Townsend, Washington. To read more about Lela or to contact her directly with questions, please visit her personal website www.gratefulyoga.com or email her at lela@gratefulyoga.com.