Lara

Lara

E-RYT 500, YACEP, AWC

Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

Born and raised in Atlanta, I have been practicing yoga for more than 15 years and began a dedicated daily practice in 2012. After spending many years as a corporate executive and six years as a classroom teacher, my practice inspired me to follow my heart and start a career teaching yoga.

Through yoga, I learned how to use my breath to connect my mind, body and spirit and find more joy in the present moment. Yoga teaches me not to take myself too seriously and practicing yoga helps to keep me grounded and open to the world and experiences around me. Yoga ignited a passion in me for fitness and health. I also enjoy hiking, biking and other outdoor activities. In 2015, I started Southern Lotus Yoga to share my passion and the benefits of yoga with others in a nurturing and caring community. I was blessed to spend the first part of 2016, traveling and studying in India, the birthplace of yoga.

I obtained my RYT 200 certification in 2014 and my RYT 500 Advanced Yoga certification in 2017 from Asheville Yoga Center. My training has included courses in Yoga for Trauma, with the Veteran's Yoga Project, Yoga as Therapy with Doug Keller, Viniyoga with Gary Kraftsow, and Yin Yoga, Meditation, Restorative Yoga and Flow. In 2016, I also attended Therapeutic Yoga Teacher Training with Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee. Recently, I've completed training in Foundations of Yoga for Mental Health with Ashley Turner. In addition, I am a certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor and a certified Level 1 Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor trained by James Bailey, LAc, Dipl AYU, E-RYT through the Sevanti Institute.

I enjoy teaching beginners and am passionate about building and mentoring communities of compassion while helping students become more aware of their bodies. This awareness comes from a focus on alignment and their breath during practice. I love working with seniors and people with physical challenges or focusing practices on an individual's needs through privates or small segment classes like Yoga for Tennis. Working with developing new teachers in both Yoga Teacher Training and offering apprenticeships to teachers bring me great joy. My classes are influenced by my practice and love of Viniyoga and meditation and include Basics, Chair Yoga, Align & Refine, Yoga & Meditation and Core & Pelvic Floor. As a holistic nutrition and health coach, I work individually with clients to help them create a rounded wellness plan or to target specific concerns. I'm dedicated to helping women navigate mid-life and beyond with passion, joy and vitality through coaching, yoga, Ayurveda, holistic health, and community support including offering monthly women's circles.