“As a highly sensitive person and a seeker of truth and authenticity for over 5 decades, I know when I am in the presence of a teacher—a real teacher who knows how to guide her students in eliciting their best selves. I have had this experience with Naomi. I highly recommend working with this lovely human being.”
— Arlene, Yoga Therapy Client
About Me
Hi, I’m Naomi (she/her)! I am a weight-neutral Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT), Health and Wellbeing Coach, and Be Body Positive Facilitator. I’m passionate about supporting people to incorporate health-promoting habits into their lives and helping them to manage conditions from a Health At Every Size-informed approach. I’ve been teaching Yoga since 2009 and am experienced in supporting people with a wide range of abilities, body types/sizes, and life experiences. I am committed to helping people pursue health on their own terms, while building the utmost reverence and respect for the bodies they have today.
I’m also an experienced speaker and educator; a list of the events and panels I’ve spoken at and the workshops I’ve taught can be found further down on this page. In addition to my experience with adults, I’ve also taught children as young as toddlers through high school age, am a former special education teacher, and have taught yoga to both children and adults with various types of neurodivergence and learning disabilities.
Speaking and Teaching Resume
Perfectly Imperfect: A Virtual Yoga Community for Better Body Image, Jan-Apr 2023
A Weight Lifted: The Virtual Diet-Free Diabetes Yoga Community, Sept-Dec, 2022
Yoga and Breath Awareness workshop for The Nora Project staff retreat, 2022
Yoga for Diabetes Management virtual weekend retreat, 2022
Yoga for Stress Management (Diet Culture Edition) virtual 3-week course, 2021
Exploring Sizeism and Healing from Body-based Oppression workshop, The Body Positive, 2021
Yoga for Chronic Pain virtual weekend retreat, 2021
Yoga Philosophy and Practices for Stress Management (Diet Culture Edition) virtual weekend retreat, 2021
Intuitive Eating: A Sensual Experience with Food and Intuitive Movement workshop, The Body Positive, 2021
Workshop for Educators: Learning to Identify and Challenge Harmful Body Messages, The Body Positive, 2020
Tips for Teaching a Virtual Body Positive Group, The Body Positive, 2020
Being Body Positive with Chronic Pain, Body Positive Yoga, 2019
Be Body Positive Facilitator Training Co-facilitator, The Body Positive: May 2017, August 2017, February 2018, November 2018, February 2019
Daylong workshop: Abundance: Body Positivity, Yoga, and Art for People in Large Bodies, 2018
Body Positive Panel at the Curvaceous Lush Networking Event, 2018
Marin Teen Girls Conference Workshop, 2017 and 2018
Body Love Live with Rebellious Magazine, Panelist, 2017
Oakland Technical High School Health Fair Presenter, 2017
Santa Cruz Summer of Body Love Event, Presenter and Panelist, 2017
Northern California Safe and Healthy Schools Conference Workshop, 2016 and 2017
Introductory Yoga Video Series
The videos below are just four of the 19 videos that are included in my Introductory Yoga Video Series. This series is included as a bonus for those who sign up for any of my extended programs. Watch the first video to learn all about the intention behind this series and what you’ll find in it.
More Videos
Please note that I filmed the videos below in 2015 and my teaching has improved considerably since then (particularly when it comes to offering options for people in larger bodies!) However, they still offer a sense for my energy as a teacher.
Other Media
Education and Training
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I am a Yoga Health Educator, certified by the International Association of Yoga Therapists. My areas of study included Ayurveda, Yoga Psychology and Mental Health, Anatomy and Physiology, Accessible and Restorative Yoga, Yoga for Addiction Recovery, and more. My group practicum work centered on Yoga for Stress Management, Diabetes, and Chronic Pain.
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I completed my Health and Wellbeing Coach certification through Wellcoaches School of Coaching in 2020.
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I've worked for The Body Positive since 2014 both as a volunteer and as staff and I'm a licensed Be Body Positive Facilitator. I also co-created the online Be Body Positive Fundamentals Courses and Facilitator Training, have co-facilitated numerous in-person trainings for educators, student leaders, and treatment providers, and I've spoken on many panels as a Body Positive expert.
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I received my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certificate through the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Organization in Quebec, Canada in 2009. I’ve taught in California, Chicago, and The Bahamas, both virtually and in person.
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I completed the 20-hour Foundational Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Training (TCTSY) in May 2022.
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I hold an Illinois K-12 Special Education Certificate and I was formerly a 5th and 7th grade inclusion special ed teacher in the Chicago Public School system. I also taught Yoga, Wellness, and Life Skills at the middle/high school level for two years at Fusion Academy, supporting students with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and PTSD. I have extensive experience developing goals and helping students achieve them, creating accommodations and modifications based on individual needs, and adapting plans as needed.
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I'm a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College where I earned a BA in Liberal Arts, with a focus on Literature, Theater, and Spanish. I spent my junior year studying abroad in Madrid, Spain through Middlebury College and I speak Spanish fluently.