Amy Bishop

E-RYT 500 Yoga Instructor

ActivewearUSA.com Ambassador

Having been born and raised in the Midwest, Amy now considers herself a New Yorker after living in NYC for over 16 years. Her love of yoga began over a dozen years ago around the time she was ending a career as a professional dancer. She had danced all over the world, from Snow White and Cinderella at Tokyo Disneyland, to a principal guest artist with a ballet company touring in Australia, to musical theater in Europe and the United States. She loved to dance, loved to move, but dancing had taken a toll on her body, and a friend suggested she try a yoga class to help with her chronic back pain. Amy didn't really know what yoga was, but she decided to give it a try. And that's where it all began...

Amy's life changed immensely from there. After a short career in the "real world" (as an event coordinator for an international cosmetic company), Amy decided to get back to the body and movement. She became a full-time yoga teacher and personal trainer and daily is grateful for her work. Amy completed her 500 hour yoga teacher training with Don and Amba Stapleton at the Nosara Yoga Institute in Nosara, Costa Rica and is registered with the Yoga Alliance's highest level of standards as a E-RYT 500 (meaning she has completed over 2,000 teaching hours). Additionally, she holds certifications with the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the American Council on Exercise and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Amy is certified in both pre-natal yoga and pre/post natal fitness and holds specialist certifications in flexibility, postural alignment, and Pranassage, which is a blend of assisted yoga, assisted stretching and pressure massage. In 2005, she traveled to Japan as a yoga teacher to participate in a preliminary holistic health experimental program at the project site in Agano City, Niigata prefecture. She has also worked as a teaching assistant in Costa Rica at the Nosara Yoga Institute and is involved in teacher trainings and workshops in NYC.

In February 2011, Amy became a mother to her 'miracle baby' son. She practiced and taught throughout her entire pregnancy, and her son attended his first kirtan at a mere six weeks! While her asana practice is quite different with a newborn, she is now practicing yoga in the most complete sense. Yoga is union, the union of breath, body and mind. A baby is union of two beings. And the bond between mother and child is yoga. Being a mom makes Amy want to be a better person, and yoga is the path to create that highest self. And nothing helps those overwhelmed-mom moments like a slow three-part breath!!!

Amy teaches an experiential, flowing and playful vinyasa flow where she encourages students to tune into their present experience. In her classes, she focuses attention on alignment, breath and self discovery. Amy is passionate about continuing to learn and grow and is grateful for the opportunities to help others in their self-development. She humbly gives her appreciation and thanks to every teacher and student she's met on her path. Namaste!