Heartwood

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Appointments are made by contacting practitioners directly at the numbers or email addresses listed.

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Leslie Contreras Schwartz

I am a certified yoga instructor and creative writing teacher with a background in trauma-informed practice. I received my training from YogaView, have a MFA in Poetry from Warren Wilson College, and am a published multigenre writer.

Yoga and writing are both healing practices that have the potential to improve your quality of life—physically, mentally, and emotionally. As an instructor, I bring twenty years of yoga practice and study of mindfulness, combined with my own experience as a practicing writer. My classes focus on cultivating self-empowerment, building confidence, and embracing your own voice.

I understand the incredible healing power of both yoga and writing and am excited to share what I know with students who want to feel better through thoughtful movement and who are eager to cultivate a writing practice. My writing centers on issues of social justice, women’s experiences, and my own experience with trauma.

Credentials:

RYT-200, MFA

847-242-1483
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Dana Podell

Since my first yoga class while studying Dance at The Ohio State University, I’ve been fortunate enough to complete over 500 hours of therapeutic yoga teacher trainings and continue to study for my 800-hour yoga therapy certification with the International Association of Yoga Therapists.

Following my exposure to yoga, I completed my doctorate in physical therapy from Northwestern University. As a licensed physical therapist, I apply yoga therapeutically in my practice every day. The goal of yoga therapy is not to create a beautiful aesthetic or simply follow along in a class. Yoga Therapy is a specialized form of yoga that applies yoga-based movement, breath practices, and meditations to address specific medical needs. This empowering therapeutic approach can transform a person’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health. I offer individual and small group yoga therapy sessions to help you discover pain-free movement patterns and promote a positive relationship with your body.

Credentials:
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
  • Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT)
847-544-9571
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Sarah Westbrook, C-IAYT

As a Yoga Therapist, I meet individually with clients to improve posture, address pain and injuries, and reach states of profound relaxation. My specialties are Scoliosis, spine and joint instability, and Osteoporosis.

I customize movement practices for clients with vastly different needs, from equestrians to CrossFitters, long distance runners to the highly sedentary. I have over 10,400 hours of clinical experience and professional training using Yoga to address musculoskeletal imbalances that contribute to recurring pain.

In Yoga Therapy, the goal is not to rehearse poses, but discover how to move more efficiently, effectively, and without tension. This approach allows the nervous system to let go of defensive patterns of tightness and painful reactivity.

Your body can excel within its design parameters. Your body can heal once we know how to navigate the obstacles to healing. Your mind can quiet and soften. I am here to help you find your way.

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