Holly here, 500 YACEP Yoga Teacher, Integrated Positional Therapist, and Soft Stretch Release Professional.

I am blessed to call This Land Yoga my yoga home here in Oklahoma City where I practice bodywork, teach weekly classes, workshops, and co-lead our 200 Yoga Teacher Training with Shannon Stephens.

Like many others, I came to yoga in search of healing, after a childhood plagued by almost daily headaches. By the time I was in 3rd grade I was under the care of a neurologist, who after ruling out any underlying issues, kept me on a steady rotation of pharmaceuticals to try and keep my headaches at bay. By the time I turned 18 I was DONE with this narrow approach and I found an Osteopathic Doctor who actually put her hands on me and was astonished by the amount of tension in my body. She recommended I try yoga to help manage my headaches.

This was a light bulb moment for me. For the first time I felt like I could take charge of my own health. I was lucky enough to find a compassionate Yoga Therapist who began to teach me how to release the chronic tension in my body. More than anything our sessions gave me HOPE that there was a path towards healing if I chose to take it……I have been on that path ever since.

In 2007 this path lead me to an Ashram in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where I lived and immersed myself in the ancient practice of Shambhavananda Yoga, becoming a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher.

In 2011 my journey lead me to Kripalu, a center for yoga and health in Massachusetts where I studied with nationally recognized neuromuscular therapist and author Lee Albert. Over the next 7 years I studied and practiced this innovative form of bodywork, becoming the first and only Integrated Positional Therapist in Oklahoma.

My passion for healing has never ceased and I continue to study, practice, and integrate; becoming a certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher, training in Yoga Movement Screening, and diving deep into somatic movement, functional anatomy, and myofascial meridians.

Recently I became certified in an innovative new approach to easing chronic pain, stress, and structural imbalance called Soft Stretch Release Techniques. This practice works with the Nervous, Fascial, Lymphatic, and Belief systems. Integrating this powerful modality into my work has been a game changer and I am continually amazed by the body’s innate capacity to heal.