Carolyn McPherson

On a whim, in 2005 I woke up and decided to become a Yoga teacher ~I had been practicing the more advanced steps of Yoga most of my life, except for Asana~ The next morning I enrolled in a 200 hour teacher training at Yoga Sutra, and trained under the tutelage of Christopher Hildebrandt, an Ashtanga teacher and Sanskrit scholar. I was exposed to Ashtanga, Vinyasa and Iyengar Yoga during my 6 month training, as well as the sacred texts. In the same year I was invited back to audit the second teacher training at Yoga Sutra led by Guta Hedewig: a Krishnamacharya Healing Foundation Certified Yoga Therapist & Teacher. I spent about a year at Yoga Sutra in NYC absorbing the knowledge that surrounded me, and I felt incredibly blessed. In 2008, I was certified in the Barnes Method for Prenatal Yoga, Yoga for Labor & Delivery and Postpartum Yoga at Pure Yoga in NYC, and subsequently taught Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga at Pure Yoga from 2009-2013. There were lots of great teachers at Pure Yoga in NYC, and again I absorbed and took in all the knowledge of yoga and yoga philosophy that surrounded me. I took classes and workshops when I taught at Pure Yoga and when I did not. My good fortune and education didn’t end there. I taught a Sunday class on the Upper East Side in NYC where an old school Iyengar teacher who studied with Mr. Iyengar for years taught, her name was Ana Gofanopolis. I took Ana’s classes every Sunday before my own, and sometimes on Thursdays too. There was another young and amazing Iyengar teacher named Michael Morphis whose class I took, but he wasn’t nearly as “strict” as Ana. It was in these environments my interest in the prenatal physiology and the physiology of the human body intensified, Alignment and Form were important in Yoga Asana, and it was immensely important to me as a Yoga teacher to study and understand it inside and out. Ahimsa is the first step, principle of Yoga. Keeping my students healthy, safe and supported helped me to practice Yoga while I simultaneously taught it. My good fortune continued in 2009 when I was certified for mat pilates by Teri Steele at Dance New Amsterdam. Her classes were amazing, and while she was a modern trained Pilates Teacher, she understood the body and classical Pilates quite well. My path of learning continued in 2011 when I completed a 500 hour teacher training with Sri Dharma Mittra. He was my first yoga teacher, first studio I walked into, by chance in NYC. I had no idea he was a famous teacher, I thought he was a little Indian man who could see the nebulous form of Prana, and had other special qualities. In some ways Dharma inspired me the most, and is indeed a great teacher of Love and Compassion. He teaches from the inside out where as Iyengar teachers teach from the outside in. I try to do it all, and stay on the middle path, giving you the best of alignment, flow and spiritually. I’m well versed in Ashtanga, Iyengar, Vinyasa & Dharma Yoga and aspire to translate the beauty of Vinyasa, subtlety of Iyengar, and the sattvic nature of Dharma Yoga. My classes are challenging, restorative, and therapeutic at once: every part of your being is strengthened and softened in the right places, and only for $5.75 per class, a real bargain for live class with a Master teacher of Yoga.

In 2013 I studied and trained with Pam England of Birthing From Within for childbirth education, and Debra Pascali-Bonaro as a doula. Childbirth education is ultimately another form of Yoga. Pranavah Yoga hosted a variety of childbirth education classes when we were a brick and mortar studio, like The Bradley Method, Hypno Birthing, and Lamaze. I audited those classes on several occasions and taught a Complete Childbirth Education course that encompasses the best parts of different philosophies and methods. I also offered workshops on Labor and Birth to expectant parents, and helps to facilitate a safe and calm birth experience. In 2013 I created a new program at the studio: Pranavah Classic Barre Technique. As a former student of classical ballet, The Graham technique in college, student of barre classes in NYC and certified Yoga 700 Hour and 600 Pilates Teacher, the Classic Barre Technique came naturally to me and it complimented and closed the circle of Yoga and Pilates that we taught at the studio. I birthed and nurtured these programs until 2019 when my brick and mortar studio, Pranavah Yoga, closed in Long Island City NY 2019. In Summer of 2019 I trained with Joanna Crespo at the Open Center for Reiki Level I and II. In January of 2020 I moved to San Francisco just before COVID19. During COVID I studied and practiced Reiki and became Master Reiki with Chellie and Mike Kammermyer.

In time of COVID19, I offer Yoga, Pilates and Reiki virtually and in my client’s homes/gyms in socially distant settings. Please contact me through contact page for schedule and pricing, thank you and Namaste!

~Carolyn E-RYT 500, RPYT, 600 Hour Pilates Certified~ Childbirth Educator, DONA trained Doula and Reiki Master~