Ann Teresa Thomas is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) with Yoga Alliance, which acknowledges the completion of a yoga teacher training with an approved and active Registered Yoga School (RYS).
Ann is a E-RYT 500 and YACEP w/ YA. She has been practicing yoga since the early 80's, teaching since 1992. For over 20 years she was a certified Iyengar yoga teacher. As she evolves, so do her practice and teaching style. They reflect inclusive exploration and experience, deepening awareness, and expanding compassion and devotion. She has great respect and awe for the vast body of knowledge that yoga encompasses from its' Vedic roots to contemporary expressions. She seeks the guidance of true yoga masters, and is ever grateful to the many gifted teachers she has studied with including John Schumacher, Patricia Walden, Lois Steinberg, as well as the teacher within. She has also been to India to study at the Iyengar Institute in Pune in 1999 and 2000.
She specializes in teaching gentle yoga and has done additional training in Relax and Renew restorative yoga w/ Judith Hanson Lasater, Holy Yoga (Christ-Centered practice), Trauma Sensitive Training, and Resiliency Training for all addictions. She has taught in healthcare settings since 1996 and has extensive experience applying the ancient art and science of yoga to contemporary health issues for body, mind and spirit.
In addition to asana and pranayama, Ann has been practicing meditation since 1986 and teaching meditation since 1992. Venues include healthcare settings, business & government, schools (pre-school, elementary and higher ed), senior centers, faith-based settings, and secular settings of all kinds. It is a joy for her to sow the seeds of yoga and meditation wherever she goes on her journey through life.
She has her graduate degree in Community Health Promotion and Education. She focused her studies on the promotion of complementary health methods in conventional health care environments, and did specific research on the benefits of yoga and meditation for addressing stress related illness. She served as a health educator, biofeedback and yoga instructor at Georgetown University Hospital from 1996 to 2002. She also has a graduate certificate in theology from Washington Theological Union and has served as a hospital chaplain.
For over ten years she was the resident yoga and meditation teacher at a holistic health care center in Leesburg, VA. Currently she teaches group classes and offers private instruction in yoga and meditation to students of all levels, including those with special needs or health concerns.