Hey y’all

The classes I teach reflect my eclectic experience as a student of yoga, incorporating the alignment discipline of Hatha yoga, the rhythm of connecting breath with movement in Vinyasa, the deep, long holds of Yin, and devotional chanting of Bhakti yoga.

As a teacher and student, I love the intensity of a 90 minute Classic Hot Yoga class or power vinyasa, as well as the calming, moving meditation of a Gentle Flow and the stillness of Yin. But my definition of a yoga practice has greatly expanded in the last few years to include much more than time spent on the mat in an asana class. Some days my yoga practice looks like a long walk with my dog, cleaning my house, reaching out to a friend, studying some aspect of yoga through ancient yogic texts, or a listening to a podcast about recent scientific research on mindfulness. I look for ways to teach a class that invite students to do the same…to practice skills that apply to other aspects of their lives so that eventually the time spent on the mat blends seamlessly with time off the mat.

I completed my 200 hr training in 2011 and have attended many, many hours of subsequent accredited trainings and workshops including Rolf Gates, Max Strom, Teresa Murphy, Rusty Wells, Jason Crandell, and Luke Ketterhagen.

Optional Playlists

When I teach in-person or on Zoom, I always use music in the class. I believe that music has the power to enhance or change the mood of an individual or a group completely…a strong beat can uplift or inspire, while a soft melody can calm or soothe. It also fosters a deeper connection to self, to the community (if practicing in a group), and for some to Spirit. Although I love the beautiful sound of silence, I most enjoy incorporating music into the classes I teach in hopes of facilitating this feeling of connectedness. That is, after all, Yoga.

Testimonials

Any praise or commendation that I could possibly offer for Hope’s teaching would be an understatement. I wandered into Hope’s class for the first time as a teacher trainee in 2017 and was immediately inspired by her contagious presence, skilled instruction, and powerful words. I have moved, contemplated, cried, laughed, grown, grieved, and healed under her guidance ever since.

Hope’s classes are purposeful, unscripted, and breath-centered. She has a gift for reading the room and meeting her students where they are physically, energetically, and spiritually. Her ability to communicate complex, ancient yogic teachings in a few simple words, sometimes between an upward facing dog and a downward facing dog, is a testament to her many years of deep study, devoted practice, and lived experience. Her teachings have and will stick with me for years. On my hardest days, it is always Hope’s words that I return to.

As a member of Hope’s local yoga community, I have witness first-hand how many hearts she has touched and lives she has changed with even a single 60-minute yoga class. I am deeply grateful that mine is one of them. ~ Tess

 

Hope has the unique gift of holding and protecting time and space to nurture individual souls as well as a collective consciousness. She reminds us that each time we come to our mat, we can meet ourselves right there. We practice where we are, not where we once were, or where we want to be. She has given me many things to think about both as a student and a teacher. My body feels better after practicing yoga with Hope, but more importantly, my mind and my heart feel nurtured, cared for, and more open. She sees the best in us, and brings it out. ~ Karen

I love Hope. She taught me life lessons through the practice of yoga. Practicing virtually with Hope during Covid was a life saver for me. I had a handwritten sign on my office door that said “Hope Yoga Love”. It reminded me each day that there was a safe space on my mat where I could listen to her voice and feel calm and loved. She challenged me to face my fear and try one 90 minute hot class each week. I grew to embrace the practice and found focus and stillness. ~ Tina

My practice is deeply enriched with Hope’s gentle guidance and the way she effortlessly provides balance across all aspects of yoga. She has a thoughtful way of merging the physical, sensory, and meditative aspects of practice to give me the time and space I need to reach my goals. Thank you, Hope, for all of the positive changes you have brought to my practice. ~ Nadine

Back before the pandemic, before I had a 9-5 job I used to write my entire work schedule around getting to certain teacher’s classes at the studio. My favorite was always Hope’s Wednesday morning class. Even when I was working overnights I would stay up just to hit the Wednesday Hope class. The music, energy, heat and promise that we’d start standing and eventually make our way to the ground always made me feel like I was home. Prior to the pandemic I hit 4 classes per week at the studio come hell or high water. Once the pandemic hit I was flailing about trying to figure out what to do. I had been trying YouTube yoga classes and trying to practice on my own. It was a chance meeting with another yogi from the studio at the beginning of the pandemic where I discovered that Hope was teaching on Zoom. I reached out that day. That was 2 years ago and I am still 100% online with Hope 4 times per week. When I couldn’t make the live Zoom classes anymore I began using the prerecorded classes at my convenience. I loved not having to go anywhere- just rolling out my mat and practicing. Hope built a community- both in the classroom and on Zoom. The thought she puts into her classes is extraordinary. The music, the order of poses, the readings and prayers. Her classes are an experience that you don’t get from just any yoga teacher but rather one who puts her whole heart and soul into what she does. ~ Erin


HopeYoga will forever be part of my story. Prior to the pandemic, I was lucky enough to take in-person classes from Hope when she taught in Madison. Within a month or so of everything shutting down, I was thrilled to discover that Hope was teaching online classes via Zoom. That said, I was a little skeptical of online yoga. After all, at that time in my life, half the joy of going to yoga was some time away from my beloved children. HopeYoga was different from any yoga I had done at home. Somehow, Hope created a community out of the little boxes on the screen. It felt like a lifeline to some sort of normal….Fast forward 6 months of pandemic living, online yoga with Hope is no longer a substitute for an in-person option but rather an essential part of my life. Yoga is no longer something I do to fit into my clothes or to get a break from my life, but rather it has become something I do to be me in my life. For the first time in my yoga journey, I am not trying to make each pose look a certain way or to get a deeper stretch. I am not critiquing how long I held a posture or focusing on how to improve for next time. I find myself satisfied to show up on my mat and just be me. During a yoga class with Hope, I am somehow enough. A brief moment of enoughness, let alone a full hour, is a pretty big deal for this gold-star chasing, recovering perfectionist. I can't explain the why or the how. What I do know is that I am deeply grateful that HopeYoga is a part of my life. ~ Fern


"Hope's combination of meditation, music, and yoga is nothing short of transcendent!" ~ Tim and Mary