my approach
is trauma informed, evidence based, aligned with the principles of health at every size, and closely tied to my own experiences.
Exhausted by years of navigating toxic fitness culture, I slowly changed my relationship with exercise to prioritize my mental health. Through a trauma informed + body neutral mindset, I found the simple yet potent shift that actually WORKED to help me feel and perform my best: exercise not to shrink myself, but to grow in my strength, power, and care for myself. With mindful balance and purposeful consistency, it became an integral movement ritual.
Let me be frank; the fitness industry is full of a lot of toxic bullshit: it can be exclusive, inaccessible, ableist, fat phobic and more; it can be full of gimmicks and grifters all trying to get you to buy their magical fix. My aim is to cut through the noise and remember that the real magic already exists in us and can be brought out with intention, simplicity, and consistency.
We each hold the "magic" of our human bodies: not only do they keep us alive, they also shape our emotional wellbeing. But life & its systems separate mind from body - exploiting us and creating stress, anxiety, depression and trauma that we feel physically as tension, weakness and pain.
My approach to movement and life is to embrace the hard and the soft, the light and the dark, and all the grey in between.
As a strength trainer, I love both challenging and empowering my clients. I help them refine their technique and build confidence while slowly progressing their programming, so they can get stronger than they ever thought possible.
As a yoga teacher, I strive to embody an eight limbed practice that honors the roots of yoga. Themes of nature, functional and accessible movement, subtle energetics and philosophy underpin a playful, approachable teaching style.
As a trauma informed teacher trainer and teaching mentor, I share knowledge and support for instructors of all kinds in finding their voice and creating inclusive spaces that center individual and collective healing.
As a survivor and queer woman, I hold space for holistic embodied practices that emphasize the interrelationship of all aspects of the body, mind, spirit, and environment. This can unlock the magic inherent in all of us by connecting us to the healing powers of nature within and around.
background
As a kid I was obsessed with the artistry of dance, which led me to study modern dance in college. There, I became equally obsessed with the science of the human body. What started as a gig teaching fitness on campus became a spiritual practice merging my love of both art and science and inspiring me to move to NYC from Ohio to pursue teaching.
Professional Bio
Amy holds a BA in Dance and a BS in Communication Studies from Ohio University, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and a 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher and Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider with over a decade of teaching experience. She became a 200 Hour RYT at Prana Power Yoga and holds a 300 Hour RYT Certification with LL Studio. She completed mentorship and advanced studies in anatomy and mobility with I.Am.You. Studio, Y7 Studio, and YogaKoh, and Level 1 Somatic Thai Yoga Massage with Sarah Seely of Thai Brooklyn. She is a certified Trauma Informed Yoga teacher with Exhale to Inhale, and studied in Exhale to Inhale’s 2020 Fellowship program, spending a year learning from leaders in the somatic healing field, including the Yoga for Trauma program under the mentorship of Lisa Danylchuk, LMFT, E-RYT.
Amy has taught group fitness and studio classes, corporate wellness and meditation, private and semi-private sessions, and events large and small, and is experienced working with professional athletes, dancers, and individuals of a wide range of backgrounds. She oversaw 50+ instructors as a manager of teachers, has trained and coached instructors as a teaching mentor, and created and delivered educational programming as a teacher trainer. In addition to teaching and coaching, Amy works as a Teacher Trainer at Exhale to Inhale, a 501C3 non-profit that brings free yoga to survivors of domestic and sexual violence and the communities that support them.
