Jonah’s mama, Certified Anusara® yoga teacher, founder and co-owner of Virayoga in New York City, Elena has been teaching yoga for 14+ years. After graduating from Cornell University in 1992 with a design degree, she worked in textile and apparel design for 6 years, living in both New York City and northern Italy. After completing a year studying Art Education at the New School and teaching art in two schools in downtown New York City, she trained with Cyndi Lee, subsequently met John Friend, and began studying Anusara. After more than ten years of study with John Friend, Douglas Brooks and Hugo Cory, she’s now working with the Handel Group®, actively incorporating the the Handel Method ™ into her work of parenting, writing and teaching. Elena’s classes are a masterful, candid blend of artful alignment and attention cues; they bring patience to your mind, articulation to your body and empowerment to your heart.
As the 2010 Global Yoga Ambassador for adidas, Elena traveled worldwide teaching the methodology of Anusara. From Wanderlust to the Great Lawn at Central Park on the 2010 Solstice, she is honoured to offer larger-scale experiences of yoga, but her true service is in shifting awareness within the smallest interactions; one family, one household at a time. She holds Reiki Levels I/II Certification and practices Pranic Healing, and loves collaborative teaching, alongside colleagues such as Sianna Sherman, Christina Sell, Noah Maze, Christy Nones, Amy Ippoliti, Ross Rayburn, Elizabeth Rossa, Schuyler Grant, Kelly Morris and Kathryn Budig. She’s been featured in the New York Times, Yoga Journal, the Element Yoga for Beginners DVD series, FitYoga, ABC News and NBC News. Recent classes are available online at Yogaglo.
Along with her own Art of Attention writings, Elena contributes to the Huffington Post, Kris Carr’s CrazySexyLife, elephant journal, TheDailyLove, and is on the board of YogaEarth. Elena’s favorite causes ~ Women for Women globally, Akasha Project and Bent On Learning locally.
