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

At age 18, I attended my first yoga class at the YMCA and loved the way my body and felt afterward. Throughout my full-time career working in hospital Clinical Laboratories, I attended colleges part-time while enjoying yoga’s stress-relieving benefits. In my younger years, I loved Iyengar yoga’s meticulous alignment in the postures. Forty-plus years later, slower-paced classes showed me 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 on a higher level as well as teach yoga classes. With their encouragement, I completed an 855-hour Yoga Therapy training program covering yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, pain management, more anatomy, and deeper training in yogic practices for medical issues. Studying and practicing the evidence based Subtle Yoga method shows me how yoga impacts the nervous system.

Educational preparation for working as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist plus over 45 years of work experience in hospitals taught me the biochemistry of the human body in a multitude of clinical diagnoses. Yoga Therapy training built on that knowledge and added the practical applications of Yoga practices and philosophy. This means how the body-mind responds to movement and postures, how the nervous system is affected by breathing, how to educate a client on the pain response, and so much more.

Yoga has to be experienced as each individual brings with them their life story. My educational style is welcoming, warm, encouraging, and balanced between instruction and silence. The pause and the breath is an important part of each class or yoga therapy session. It allows the client the time to listen within their heart, body, and mind.

I live in the woods in Parkton with my husband and our cat Humphrey. We have completed numerous DIY projects on our home to make it energy efficient and comfortable. Apart from yoga, I have a passion for native plant gardening, healthy eating that includes chocolate, reading, and laughter.

* University of Maryland, School of Medicine, Center for Integrative Health

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 Tarantino, C-IAYT

• Reiki Master trained by Bonnie Tarantino in the Mikao Usui tradition

• 855-hour Toga Therapy training at the 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