Rachel began studying yoga in 2001 after graduating from the University of Central Florida and returning from the Peace Corps in Africa. She started taking classes at the local YMCA and was soon hooked and taking as many classes as her busy schedule would allow. This led her to the realization that she needed to share what she had learned with others so she quit her 9 to 5 to completely dedicate herself to the study and practice of yoga. Rachel's training background includes workshops with Sharon Gannon and David Life, Dharma Mittra, Manju Jois, Doug Swenson, Desiree Rumbaugh and YogaFit. She is certified at the 200 hour level through Yoga Alliance in both Hatha Yoga and Integral Yoga, a member of the Integral Yoga Teachers Association (IYTA) and will soon be certified (September 2008) as an RYT 500. In 2006, Rachel studied Nuad Bo-Rarn traditional northern Thai massage in Thailand under Chongkol Setthakorn and earned advanced certification from the ITM Massage School, which is accredited by the Thai Ministry of Education, Chiang Mai District. She also earned certification in traditional Thai foot reflexology. Rachel firmly believes in the purity of the original yogic philosophy and tries to stay true to that in both her classes and her everyday life. The classes she guides and her own practice reflect her diverse background and always include chanting, pranayama (breath control) and dhyana (meditation) in addition to asana. A true bhakti yogini, her love of teaching is evident in the enthusiastic manner in which she leads her classes.