Move. Nourish. Balance.

the alegria
approach

At times the body may communicate through aches & pains beckoning us to give it more attention. Maybe the bodymind has lived through a trauma or injury and needs support to reestablish trust in its innate resiliency. At other times, a life change, a new pregnancy or being newly postpartum, will send you on a journey toward transformation.

Regardless of what is bringing you here today, there are ways to create more ease which can help you live more joyfully inside this one body carrying you through life.

As a Pregnancy and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist (PCES), I have the knowledge and skills to ensure safe and beneficial exercise during pregnancy (for both mom and baby), will guide you through appropriate timelines for safe return to exercise postpartum, can recognize pelvic floor dysfunction/diastasis recti while providing ways to support these issues, and more.

I am also passionate about helping birthing parents who have experienced birth trauma because I too have lived through perinatal trauma with the birth of my daughter. Whether you have experienced birth trauma and are needing a path toward healing, preparing for a subsequent birth, or maybe you’re an expecting parent who wants to learn how prevent birth trauma, let me show you the tools to help regardless of where you are on your journey.

Other specialties include: Prenatal Therapeutics, Women’s Health & Fertility, injury recovery & functional training and more. If managing a chronic or acute injury, I would be glad to coordinate with your medical provider or holistic team to help throughout the healing process.

When working together, you have the option to work therapeutically, where solo sessions are one-on-one & custom designed to fit your specific needs. Working in this way allows me to fine-tune an approach to movement that is most appropriate for you. More info here.

There are also options to work in smaller groups - duets & trios - which a fun way to connect and often done with close friends and family. In this setting, we will discuss broad concepts relevant to the group while leaving room for individual attention along the way.

I am also currently offering group classes on Sundays at 10am at in Brooklyn.

The body is incredibly resilient and can brilliantly adapt, but since a path toward healing is not one-size-fits all, let’s be sure you’re working in a way to maximize the results!

Showing up together, we can start you on the path toward living more joyfully today.

I look forward to supporting you!

love + light,
Susan

THERAPEUTIC

Specialties

Do you have specific questions? Please Contact Me and I am happy to discuss ways to support you.

Birth Trauma Healing & prevention

Up to 45% of new mothers have reported experiencing birth trauma.

Research shows there are many different causes that can lead to birth trauma. Maybe there was a lack of consent, a medical emergency, feared you or your baby may die, felt out of control, had a quick or long labor, had issues with your perception of/and management of pain, had a physical birth injury, faced systemic challenges, had a burnt out caregiver or interpersonal factors (how safe, seen, supported and held you felt)… these are all shown to be factors that lead to birth trauma.

Let me help and show you tools to heal.

“Birth trauma lies in the eyes of the beholder. Mothers perceived that their traumatic births often were viewed as routine by clinicians.” - Cheryl Beck, 2004. (see here.)

Women’s Health & fertility

Women’s health is about supporting each woman’s personal health goals. Developing a yoga, mindfulness and self-care practice can encourage us to embrace ourselves through a lens of loving-kindness and nurturing.

As it relates to fertility + yoga, and as a teacher trained in this area, I work to create a yoga practice designed to cater to the female reproductive cycle. Approaching the reproductive cycle from a Western and Chinese Medicine perspective, we will take a highly-individualized approach to cater to your personal needs.

You will be given practices to help support hormonal balance & learn how to adjust your practice for different phases of the cycle.

This also encompasses IVF support as well!

Prenatal THERAPUETICS

Welcome mamas! Studies show that practicing yoga throughout pregnancy can positively influence your physical and mental health throughout pregnancy and beyond. Yoga significantly reduces stress, aids with decreasing physical discomfort and strengthens the body in preparation for birth.

Each time we meet, we will start where you are and approach the practice with a gentle, welcoming lens of wisdom and understanding. We will ease into the opportunity of connecting to your intuition that holds the knowing power and strength to carry you through your pregnancy.

Our sessions will include a balance of flow, mindful breathing, pelvic floor toning or softening, myofascial release and more.

Restorative Yoga

Focus on nourishing from the inside out. Effortlessly fine tuning the internal state of balance by carving out time for self care of the body & mind. Within a supportive, comfortable and safe environment, the nervous system can more effortlessly negotiate the physiological rewiring that takes place between brain and body during active rest.

As a certified restorative teacher, I have been trained to shape practices specifically to address nervous system dysfunction. We will use supported and longer held postures to safely address different pathologies within a yoga context.

Cara W. , Vermont

Working with Susan during my second pregnancy was fantastic! With a toddler to care for, I couldn’t dedicate the same time, attention, and activity level as I did during my first pregnancy. Susan managed all of that for me wonderfully! By scheduling regular sessions with her, I held myself accountable, and she took care of the rest. Each session began with a check-in, and Susan tailored our activities accordingly. Her expertise in identifying discomfort areas and providing relief is remarkable. Her verbal instructions during our Zoom sessions were clear and easy to follow. As my due date approached, she focused on preparing me for childbirth, including opening the hips, relaxing the pelvic floor, and stretching. Remarkably, I went into labor shortly after one of our sessions, for which I am grateful to her for! Throughout my pregnancy, I felt supported and protected, knowing Susan was always available to address any discomfort or questions I might have. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with her and wholeheartedly recommend her services.

Carly F., Beacon, NY

I worked with Susan as I was preparing my body for an IVF embryo transfer. We had weekly private yoga sessions leading up to the transfer, and after. I was amazed by Susan’s ability to tailor each session to exactly where I was in my cycle. Each session would have different props, different poses, and a different focus based on exactly what was happening inside my body. In addition to her materials, part of what makes Susan such a great teacher is her incredible ability to articulate and guide her students through words. Also, she has a calming, steady presence, and a soothing voice. I left each session feeling more relaxed, more physically and emotionally nourished, and more centered. I was fortunate enough to have a successful IVF transfer! I am certain that working with Susan contributed to achieving a pregnancy. I highly recommend Susan!