A warm welcome and a space of compassion, playfulness and joyful focus are the first things you'll notice about Ellen's classes. Each student is honored, respected and encouraged to take the practice at their own pace while exploring subtle details of alignment, breath/body/spirit connection and the radiant expression of their true nature. Students support one another, laugh together and are lulled into svasana by Ellen's beautiful chanting. (She is also a professional actor and Associate Professor of Voice and Speech and Cornish College of the Arts). Ellen incorporates the whole of yoga's teachings into her classes: asana, pranayama, chanting, devotion and philosophy.

As she explains it, "I teach yoga because I want to share this healing art by creating a space where people can practice acceptance, challenge what they perceive as their limitations, experience community and realize what is highest in all of us."

One of Ellen's regular student's commented, "you will experience incredible growth. I am a better person for knowing her and having learned from her."

Ellen first practiced asana 25 years ago as part of her graduate school training in Acting. Immediately she felt the difference the poses made in her alignment, actions and attitude. Longing to deepen her practice she completed the 200 hour Samadhi Yoga Teacher Training with the wonderful Kathleen Hunt in 2002 and was asked to teach immediately at Samadhi. Grateful for the opportunity Ellen continued to study and in 2007 completed a 500 hour teacher training with the brilliant Robin Rothenberg of the Yoga Barn in the Vini Yoga Tradition. Like any great artform, yoga continues to unfold, deepen and enrich Ellen's life and she is currently studying with the radiant Denise Benetiz at Seattle Yoga Arts in the Anusara tradition.

In addition to her work as a yoga teacher, voice and speech teacher and actor, Ellen founded a small animal rescue here in Seattle. Committed to educating and raising consciousness about the responsibility we have towards our animal brothers and sisters, Ellen rescues mostly pit bulls but has an open door to any furry one who needs some help. Animals are some of her greatest teachers and she feels so blessed to honor them in this way.