Ruthie Duran Deffley, the voice of the month, is a Clinical Social Worker and Mental Health Therapist in the Savannah community who seamlessly blends her expertise in trauma counseling with her passion for yoga.

Janviaire Parker, a dynamic and passionate yoga instructor, likes to use her powerful “mantra” of “drop what you know,” to advocate for a shift within the yoga community that emphasizes diversity, accessibility, and affordability.

Jessie Gulliver, the voice of the month, has embarked on the mission to weave a tapestry of camaraderie and networking along with other enthusiastic instructors in the Savannah wellness niche through the Yoga For Yoga Teachers initiative.

Kierstin Nicole Graham's story, the voice of the month, reflects the power of an individualized approach to yoga as a tool for effective physical and emotional recovery: Today she lives her teaching path by embracing the uniqueness of each person she serves with Yoga Therapy. 

Jonalyn Lavarias, the voice of the month, found in yoga a transformative tool for addressing trauma-induced disconnection after surviving domestic violence. Now, she has emerged as a symbol of strength, dedicating part of her life to creating awareness and helping women who need support.

Alexandra Mitchell likes to carry her students over the boundaries of a common yoga sequence into a harmonized practice held by traditional postures and dancing elements within the movement.

Emily Bowser, this month’s local voice, is a remarkable yoga teacher and passionate advocate of Non-Violent Communication (NVC), who not only guides students through physical postures but also fosters understanding using storytelling as a creative tool.

In this article, we will explore the positive impact of mindfulness practices and Trauma Sensitive Yoga on underserved communities, through the voice of our guest expert, Vira Salzburn, who serves as program director of Safety & Resilience Programs at Chatham County Net Planning Council.

Body-related practices have been transformative in the field of healing trauma over the last decade, incorporating postural yoga or related practices as a complement. Savannah’s somatic counselor and body psychotherapist Betsy Powers brings her vision of movement for the integration of the mind and body to this month’s discussion.

It’s only natural that addiction, as a byproduct of trauma, can benefit from yogic methods used as an aide for relapse prevention. As a certified Yoga for the 12 Steps of Recovery (Y12SR) teacher, Ann Curry expounds on the complex but rewarding skill to balance our multidimensional beings from a yogic standpoint: just keep coming back to yourself.

The Sanskrit term ojas refers to our power of endurance, vitality, and radiance; both physically and mentally. Yoga Science postgraduate Veenu Sharma generously shared her Ayurvedic experience with this vital essence in this month's local expert interview.

The expert who enriches this month’s intention, Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist, Shea Walker, helps us observe how this ancient healing system has treated the body, mind, and spirit through a personalized approach for thousands of years, and why is still current.