![Brenda](http://www.branchesofwellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Brenda.jpg)
Feeling drained from working full time as a registered nurse and teaching over 10 fitness classes a week, Brenda took her first yoga class over 18 years ago, seeking something to take care of herself. She loved the strong physical practice of vinyasa yoga, and the sense of connection to something deeper within. After 3 years of practice, she could no longer deny the “inner teacher”, and became certified to teach yoga through the YogaFit system. Brenda has a desire to inform and encourage individuals to experience the many benefits of yoga, and to dispel myths, rumors, and preconceived notions about what yoga is. She believes that the yoga journey is an individual path accessible to everyone. In her classes, she weaves together formal and intuitive knowledge gained through over 25 years of teaching fitness classes and over 30 years of nursing. She draws inspiration from her self-observations after recovering from two joint replacement surgeries, from her many teachers over the years, and her continuous quest to learn more. She is honored to have watched many of her former students progress on their journey to become yoga instructors themselves.
After all this time, Vinyasa practice still holds magic. “Vinyasa is a dynamic marriage of our internal and external worlds. Vinyasa is an outward expression of the subtle movement of life force. It is a manifestation of prana. Vinyasa orchestrates balance. A balance of strength and flexibility, lightness and heaviness, movement and stillness. Through vinyasa one may know the vibration of life.” (Ashtanga Yoga “The Practice Manual”, by David Swenson) She invites everyone to come and share the yoga experience, without expectation or judgement, of shifting energy via mindful moving and breathing.
In addition to her RYT200, Brenda is an ACE certified group exercise instructor. She is currently pursing her passion for holistic health and wellness, and is completing the requirements to become a certified aromatherapist. She is a registered nurse with a BSN, and a specialty certification in cardiac and vascular nursing. (RN-BC) She has an MBA in healthcare administration. She lives with her husband in Concord, and loves to spend time cooking, hiking, travelling, and spending the warm summer months gardening and working in the yard!