Level 2 Authorized Ashtanga Yoga Teacher • 500 E-RYT Certified • Owner, Newburgh Yoga Shala • DONA International Birth Doula • Holistic Health Coach
Bibi started teaching in 2008 and received her blessing to teach Ashtanga Yoga in 2014, from the KPJAYI Institute in Mysore, India, where she has had the honor of assisting R. Sharath Jois over the years. After co-leading the Ashtanga Program at the Shala Yoga House in NYC for years, she opened Newburgh Yoga Shala in the heart of the Hudson Valley, where she leads Yoga programs, 200 Hour yoga teacher trainings, retreats and private yoga sessions. She intends to share the transformative and healing practice of Yoga with you through accessible, intelligent, and adaptable instruction.
Bibi came to Yoga seeking ease from her ongoing struggles with eating disorders. After trying all sorts of therapies and healing modalities she found Ashtanga Yoga to be the most effective route. She found the regimented, intense and repetitive nature of Ashtanga Yoga to serve as a mirror to all that lived underneath the surface of the disease; the community aspect – or coming into a space daily with the same group of people – of the practice, and the close guidance/relationship to one teacher allowed her to feel safe to explore, and feel held while working through the complex deeply rooted layers of the disease. Not an easy journey. Because of her experience she feels passionate about holding space for others to come take a hard look at themselves and serve as a compassionate guide at their side and they move through their personal journey into wholeness. Her approach is rooted in believing that the practice itself has all it needs to initiate and hold transformation, a good teacher is one that can stand at the side of that, inform the journey, add softness or rigidity and support the student in seeking the help they need as they navigate their journey.
She has completed the third series of Ashtanga Yoga under the guidance of her teachers Sharath Jois and Eddie Stern, Kristin Leigh, Barbara Verocchi, but it wasn’t until she became a mother that she really understood the depth, richness and wisdom of the practice. She believes more than ever that the complexity of asana, when done in the correct environment and with proper intention, can really prepare you for the challenges of life. Becoming a mother gifted Bibi with a deeper understanding of what the essence of the practice is. Moving through the pregnancy, postpartum and now motherhood, she comes to know how attachment can hide within the confines of practice, and she now focuses on deep listening, honoring and being compassionate with Self as the pillars of practice. She is a sincere believer in the profound beauty and many benefits of this method, teaching her students how to adapt it to the current individual needs. She believes there is no one correct way to practice Ashtanga, but rather a personalized approach to practice that allows for deep inner growth when done with sincerity and fluidity. Her teaching is rooted in her own disciplined and dedicated practice.
