Colleen Kennedy,

Yoga Instructor

ActivewearUSA.com Ambassador

I've been practicing yoga for nearly 20 years now, and teaching for the past three. I believe that the best teachers teach from their own practice. In my class you can expect to get warm and be challenged. You can also expect a big emphasis on BREATH. Even in an intense yoga class, finding relaxation and softness will be emphasized. I believe that the postures should meet each student, rather than forcing or pushing each student into any particular posture. You can expect at least a short seated meditation in almost every class. My teaching is rooted in the Ashtanga-Vinyasa style of Pattabi Jois. I trained with Jonny Kest for 12 weeks in 2007, and have also done workshops with David Williams, Beryl Bender-Birch, Bryan Kest and Paul Grilley, among others.

I've always been active. As a teen growing up in a small town in northern Michigan I was a competitive skier - and even back then we used our breath to warm up as we waiting in the cold for a turn on the course. After college I went to law school in Detroit, working through my 20s as a real estate attorney. All those years of high heels and heavy briefcases sure took a toll on my body! I started out my 30s by having three kids in four years, which further took a physical toll. Although I practiced yoga on and off throughout these years, it wasn't until just after my 3rd child was born that I decided to become a teacher. I had no idea at the time what a life-changing experience this would be. Teaching yoga has proved to me one of the most rewarding things I've done. And with a solid personal practice, I'm well-equipped to handle the stresses and challenges of being a mom to three young kids.

You can find me teaching weekly classes at the Center for Yoga and also at the Sport's Club of Novi. You might also find me leading a Daisy Troop meeting or running a 5K with Girls on the Run, preparing healthy real foods for my family, or on the internet searching for new good music to share with my students. I love spending time in northern Michigan, enjoying the lakes and forests - hiking, camping and kayaking are some favorites. But of all the things that I do, I enjoy just being still the most.

Namaste.