Felicia Schmid

“Yoga can become quite personal. As you open the layers of the body that are blocked or constricted where heaviness & darkness lie, vulnerability comes to the surface. Ask yourself--How can ’I’ get through this without fleeing? How can ‘I’ create lightness and ease in discomfort? Yoga has taught me to not run—to breathe in a moment of vulnerability or tightness so that freedom, clarity and acceptance can come. My job as a teacher is to help plant the seed that the student will continue to water so that all their beauty will blossom, grow and shine.” Felicia Schmid,, 500 E-RYT, YACEP, C-IAYT, C-AP, YB is an Experienced Certified & Registered Yoga Teacher at the Advanced Level and a Continuing Education Practitioner through Yoga Alliance, a Certified Integrative Yoga Therapist, Certified Ayurveda Practitioner and Health Educator, Certified Yoga Trapeze and SUPYoga Instructor. She is recognized through the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the National Ayurveda Medical Association. She became a Committed Student of Yoga in 1998 and an Instructor in 2002. Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) can be earned by attending her Classes, Retreats, Events & Workshops (YACEP). She teaches customized and individualized Integrative Yoga & Ayurveda Therapy Wellness sessions based on those lessons learned. She believes that yoga is a wellness modality and compassionately guides her students on the journey of Yoga in a nurturing, compassionate and safe environment. You can expect a focused, challenging and eclectic yoga class that revolves around strength through softness and softness through strength. Longer holds fused with slow flow and safe alignment and prop use cues are stressed to give the student that \\\\\\\"OMmmmm\\\\\\\" feeling!. Skillful hands-on adjustments offered, when able, too. Her background studies are diverse, rich and deep. She is currently studying Pranayama in depth with Joseph LePage of Integrative Yoga Therapy and recently became certified as a SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Yoga Instructor with Jess Amendola of SUP Yoga Center (2021) to \\\\\\\'yoke\\\\\\\' her joy of water, paddleboarding and all things Yog-ahhh! It has been a dream come true for her. She set the goal to be able to \\\\\\\'balance\\\\\\\' on her feet/board again when she seriously herniated her back in 3 places in 2019 and had to re-learn how to walk again with her left leg/foot. It has been a very difficult journey back to being able to functionally move again, so this certification is her and her husband\\\\\\\'s favorite one for her to achieve to date. She is a Yoga Trapeze Instructor with Lucas Rockwood of Yoga Teachers College and YOGABODY (2020), began digging deeper into Ayurveda Dietetics & Nutrition (20/17/2018) and became certified in Marma & Pulse Therapy with the Late Vaidya Mishra (2016). She is a Certified Yoga Teacher through Lotus Yoga Centre, a Registered Yoga Alliance School (RYS) in the Himalayan Tradition. There, she was trained at both the 200 (2003) and 500 (2007) levels by Yogiraj. Sarla Walter, a direct disciple of Swami Rama (the founder of the Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy). She has also studied therapeutics & posture alignment extensively with many Master Instructors, most notably Gabriel Halpern of the Iyengar lineage. In 2008, after much commitment and dedication, she received an Integrative Yoga Therapy Certification from Joseph LePage\\\\\\\'s Integrative Yoga Therapy Program. This Training consisted of a 500+page teaching manual and complete course in Yoga based on Samkhya Philosophy with a special focus on the therapeutic dimension, with the Koshas as its foundation. Topics covered include philosophy and psychology, asana, pranayama, chakras, mudra, bandha and Ayurveda, as well as an in-depth experiential study of how to apply the psychology of Yoga in daily living. She graduated (2013) from the Level II & III Clinical Health Educator & Practitioner Studies Program out of Bhavana Institute,studying under the guidance of the Late Patricia Layton, M.A., C.A.S., PKT, E-RYT 500. This Training deepened her Ayurvedic knowledge and gave her tools to create full spectrum Integrative Yoga & Ayurveda Therapy wellness programs for those who want to feel better. This training emphasized Vata, Pitta, and Kapha management as the doshas move into other systems of the body besides the digestive system, nervous system, and mind. Protocols for correcting imbalances throughout the whole body are emphasized which include exercise, diet, lifestyle, daily routines and herbal remedies. She received her Level I Ayurveda for Self Health Care Practitioner Certification (2012) under the guidance of Indu Arora and Poonam Gupta. Felicia proudly opened and operated Asanas & MORE Yoga Studio in the far western suburbs from 2003-2008. One of her proudest moments is to have spearheaded w/ Gabriel Halpern the first and now well-renowned Yoga: Good for What Ails You Series held throughout the suburbs of Chicago. This was the first informal Yoga Therapy training offered in the Western Suburbs. Her memberships have ranged from Yoga Alliance, Yoga International Community Partner Program, International Association of Yoga Therapists, Lotus Yoga Teachers\\\\\\\' Association and NAMA (National Ayurveda Medical Association). Felicia resides in St. Charles with her husband and has two wonderful sons, a dog, Sadie and turtle, Roadie, too! It is because of the continued support and encouragement of her family that she is able to bring the joy of yoga to her community. She has always had an interest in Yoga ever since she was a young child walking in on her dad\\\\\\\'s first cousins practicing yoga. That memory stayed with her until she found herself in her first yoga class. Felicia began her path of Yoga while pregnant with her second son. She was told to refrain from all physical activity as she was a high risk pregnancy due to a congenital heart defect...and back then, doctors weren\\\\\\\'t too keen on \\\\\\\'working out\\\\\\\' (let alone \\\\\\\'working in\\\\\\\') while pregnant...times have since changed for the better!!!. As she personally began experiencing the true healing benefits of yoga & wellness, Felicia soon realized Yoga & Ayurveda were her Dharma and...helping others heal through Yoga & Ayurveda was her path. How Yoga & Ayurveda Guides Me: I have personally dealt with or continue to deal with some of the following issues and how they affect my own physical and emotional bodies---3 herniations and 4 bulges from L2-S1 (I had to learn how to walk again with my left leg and foot),, a torn transverse abdominus muscle, 2 dislocated knees and an elbow, Piriformis, Sciatica, and IT Band syndrome, SI joint dysfunction, auto-immune dysfunction (CFS), hormone imbalances (prolapsed uterus, pelvic floor instability, anovulation, polyps, cysts, endometriosis, peri-menopause), digestive disorders (IBS, spastic colon), mood imbalance (anxiety/depression/sensory processing disorders), respiratory complaints (sinus, seasonal allergies) and a congenital heart defect (VSD). It is no wonder Yoga Therapy is my jam!!!! Felicia regularly continues her education through self study and practice. She shares with her students knowledge gained from continuing education classes with inspiring master teachers: Seane Corn\\\\\\\'s mystical spirit, Gary Kraftsow\\\\\\\'s therapeutics, Amy Weintraub\\\\\\\'s uniqueness and compassion, Noah Maze\\\\\\\'s approachableness, Nicki Doane & Eddie Modestini\\\\\\\'s nurturing kindness, Sharon Gannon & David Life\\\\\\\'s inspirational wisdom, Susi Hateley\\\\\\\'s body-balance mechanics, Gabriel Halpern\\\\\\\'s no-nonsense, challenge-yourself-as-you-are approach to Iyengar Yoga and Yoga Therapy, Tias Little\\\\\\\'s whimsical, silly spirit, Indu\\\\\\\'s self-health care & yoga therapy knowledge and Patricia Layton\\\\\\\'s in-depth, accessible, and often humorous, approach as to how the rich gifts of Ayurveda & Yoga Therapy can bring wellness to each individual. She is always open to the opportunities that life brings! She is most grateful to her children who teach her life’s lessons every day, her family, friends and students and gives special thanxs to her first yoga teacher, Lori Lane, for \\\\\\\"I would not be where I am today without her.\\\\\\\"

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