Brienne

Brienne grew up in Austin and makes her home here with her family, but in between then and now she has lived in Iran, Germany, Alaska, Hawaii, Venezuela, and Hungary.

Brienne got started in yoga when a friend begged her to come to a class. "She was afraid she wouldn't have the discipline to practice without some friendly support." Her first experience was not impressive to Brienne. She wasn't interested in new-age stuff, and enjoyed ballet and competitive sports much more than the simple stretching she got in her first few classes. "I continued to go, because I was there supporting a friend," she explained. "And then one day we had a sub. He challenged us, and I understood that yoga is an amazing practice for the body and soul, one just has to find the right teacher and right approach for one's personality."

Since she began teaching in 1999, Brienne has trained with master teachers Manju Jois, David Swenson, Tim Miller, Mark Darby, Robert Boustany, Baron Baptiste, Charles MacInerney and Christina Sell. She is currently a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance at the 200-hour level.

Brienne started out practicing and teaching Ashtanga, a vigorous form of Hatha Yoga where inner heat is generated through breath work and a constant flow of postures. A lifelong athlete, the strength-building asana appealed to Brienne. The powerful flow of Ashtanga continues to influence her teaching style, although these days she focuses her energy on Hatha, Hatha Flow, and Prenatal Yoga.

In Hatha and Hatha Flow, students can expect a physical challenge. "My classes tend toward the sweaty side," Brienne explains.

However, hard work doesn't mean her classes are limited to advanced students. Postures are explained and demonstrated thoroughly so that students of all levels are able to follow along. Brienne encourages students to use modifications to adapt the postures to their body. Students should challenge themselves, but honor their inner teacher and current limitations. It's the same philosophy that Brienne uses with herself in her personal yoga practice. "I enjoy attempting challenging postures, but I also enjoy the realization that some challenging postures are years away, or maybe not for me."

After an uninspiring introduction to yoga, Brienne came to adore yoga once she found the right teacher and tradition. Yoga became a part of her physical healthcare routine, as well as a source of serenity and self-knowledge. Although she's been teaching for many years now, Brienne is still profoundly inspired by her personal yoga practice. Checking in with herself is key to maintaining integrity and poise.

She also regularly visits public classes to broaden her education and deepen her understanding of the many facets of yoga. When she's traveling, Brienne visits yoga studios around the country and the world, experiencing the similarities and differences within the international yoga community. She also loves to read about yoga, from anatomy to philosophy.

Outside of the yoga studio, Brienne enjoys snowboarding, rock climbing, painting, reading and knitting. She has one dog and one cat, and dreams of being a novelist. She currently works in environmental epidemiology, studying diseases caused by chemicals and pesticides. She has a master's in kinesiology, physiology and health education.

Brienne Recommends:

Anatomy of Hatha Yoga: A Manual for Students, Teachers, and Practitioners by H. David Coulter

Brienne also loves the Be Present yoga pants, and the bronze statues of Hindu deities, both of which are sold in our studios.

"What matters is not the idea a man holds, but the depth at which he holds it" - Ezra Pound

"A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity." - Eleanor Roosevelt