About Paula J. Williams, MS, C-IAYT, RYT500

At 18, I attended my first yoga class at the YMCA. Throughout my full-time working years, I frequently attended college part-time while enjoying yoga’s stress-relieving benefits. In my younger years, I loved Iyengar yoga’s meticulous alignment in the postures. Later in life, slower-paced classes demonstrated that yoga didn’t have to be fitness-oriented or flow-based in order to receive yoga's benefits.

When I struggled to recall class postures for a home practice, I decided to attend yoga teacher training. The 200-hour and 300-hour yoga teacher trainings were completed at UM SOM CIM* in Baltimore. My trainers were Certified Yoga Therapists, and I realized I wanted to help individuals as well as teach group yoga classes. With their encouragement, I completed an 800-hour Yoga Therapy training program covering yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, pain management, more anatomy, and deeper training in medically-oriented yogic practices.

During my Yoga Therapy training, I met a Certified Yoga Therapist who developed Subtle Yoga®, a breath-centric system based in neuroscience. I completed her 40-hour training and continue to learn the therapeutic applications of yoga especially how to make yoga accessible to those with movement limitations. This ongoing learning process has grounded my holistic teaching approach promoting mental and physical well-being.

Education and Instructors

• Master of Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

• 200- and 300-hour Yoga Teacher training at UM SOM CIM with Kelli Bethel, DPT, PT, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 & Bonnie Taratino, C-IAYT

• 800-hour Toga Therapy training at H~OM Therapeutic Yoga Education Center with Helene Couvrette, C-IAYT, Yoga Educator
  Certified in Pain Care Yoga & Trauma Sensitive Yoga

• 40-hour Subtle® Yoga Revolution Online Teacher Training by Kristine Kaoverii Weber, MA, C-IAYT, eRYT500, YACEP