Laurie was born in New York City, and lived in Woodstock, NY and Maine. After high school she spent 6 months in Finland and traveled to Russia and England. These early life experiences taught her how to be flexible and adapt to different cultures and life experiences. “Flexibility in yoga often implies physical flexibility,” she says, “but it is also important to be flexible in one’s approach to life and life’s circumstances.”
After graduating from college at McGill University in Montreal, she returned to Brooklyn, NY to complete her secondary degree in Occupational Therapy, specializing in pediatrics. She worked in a variety of settings with different populations before opening her own practice. “Occupational therapy is about meeting the needs of the individual where they are, at that time, without judgment, and facilitating their movement in the direction they want to go… just like yoga.”
In 2007, Laurie and her family moved from Wilmington, NC to Sparta, TN. She retired from being an occupational therapist to become a full time clay artist. However, she missed being a part of a community so she began practicing yoga and meditation at Synergy Mind Body Studio in Cookeville, TN. .
In 2017, Laurie completed the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at Sanctuary Yoga studio in Nashville with Tom and Daphne Larkin, where her training was focused on hatha and vinyasa flow yoga. She says it was a very powerful and challenging personal journey. “Developing a yoga practice and adopting a yogic lifestyle requires physical, emotional and spiritual commitment.”
Laurie continues to participate in learning opportunities. She has completed Restorative Yoga Training with Colleen Dwyer of BlossOMing Yoga and teaches restorative classes and workshops. She completed the Anjali Restorative Chakra Balancing course with Shannon Paige, and enjoys doing energy balancing chakra work with her clients. In 2018, she completed Level I Yoga Wall training with Bryan Legere, and Level II Yoga Wall training with Mary Anne Metzger in 2019. Also in 2019 she completed a training in Trauma Informed Yoga with Cortni Saunders. In August 2020 Laurie completed a 50 hour Yin Yoga training with Bernie Clark and Diana Batts and offers Yin classes weekly. In 2021 she completed a course with Dianne Bondy on Teaching Adaptable and Accessible Yoga Online and has also completed other courses on offering yoga to people with abundant or differently abled bodies. Given her background as a Occupational Therapist, Laurie has a keen interest in anatomy and has taken Tiffany Cruikshank's online 20 hour Yoga Anatomy Training. Laurie continues to take online courses through Yoga Alliance, Yoga International and other resources. Currently she is also working to finish her 300 hour training with Cortni Saunders and will be completed by August 2021.
Laurie believes that anyone can develop a yoga practice, regardless of age and current physical abilities. Using her background in working with individuals experiencing physical and emotional challenges, Laurie strives to make yoga accessible to anyone at any level of fitness. She currently teaches private and duet sessions virtually and in person, semi-private and private sessions on the Great Yoga Wall. Since the pandemic she has been offering classes virtually and recently is back in the studio offering in person classes. Laurie offers Yin, Gentle Yoga, Vinyasa Flow and Restorative group classes. With restrictions for social distancing being eased, she plans to begin offering workshops as well.
Register for Laurie’s yoga classes here.