Yoga With Laura

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Oakland, CA
Yoga With Laura

E-RYT 200 | YACEP
Taking care of your mind, body, and soul through breath, movement, and healing sound.

My approach is adaptive and trauma-informed with a focus on Vinyasa, Yin, and Sound Healing. Laura has been teaching yoga full-time for three years, sharing her passion for the practice in studios, corporate settings, and the great outdoors. A lifelong student of yoga, her journey began in 1999 at Piedmont Yoga Studio and quickly became more than a physical discipline—it became a sanctuary for healing from the trauma of childhood abuse. Yoga offered Laura a profound sense of being seen, loved, and accepted, inspiring her to help others discover the transformative power within this beautiful practice. Born and raised in Oakland, California Laura's love for movement and expression spans decades, from her roots in dance and musical theater to marathon running. After a 30 year career in event management left her feeling burned out and overwhelmed, she courageously pivoted to pursue her true passion as a yoga teacher in 2021. Laura’s teaching is rooted in love, healing, and inclusivity, offering a safe space for all to explore their unique journeys. She remains deeply grateful for yoga’s role in her own transformation and is dedicated to sharing its gifts with others, guiding them toward growth, self-discovery, and well-being. EDUCATION/ CERTIFICATIONS/ ADVANCED TRAINING

200-hour RYT (Yoga Kula Berkeley & Yoga Alliance)

Relax and RenewⓇ Restorative Yoga Instructor, L1 (Judith Lasater)

Trauma Conscious Yoga Instructor (Lara Land, Reggie Hubbard, Jivana Herman)

Yoga for Disabilities Instructor (Baxter Bell & JoAnn Lyons)

Certified Sound Practitioner (Tony Nec, Sound Healing Academy)

Teaching Accessible Yoga (Jivana Herman)

Teaching Yoga for the Pelvic Floor (Leslie Howard)

Art of Yoga Sequencing (Jason Crandell)

12/24/2025

Santa's list is cute and all…
but my only goal this season is a regulated nervous system 🎅🧠✨

Let's practice.
Slow inhale…
soft pause…
longer exhale…
linger there.
(Repeat as needed. Especially with family!) 😌

If this landed, save it for when you need to soften and share it with a friend who could use a little more space, grace,
and nervous system love this holiday season ❄️🫶🎄

Presence is the present 🎁
Happy holidays, sweet friends ❤️

12/17/2025

I know December can feel like a lot, so I put together something nourishing... in today’s newsletter:
✨ A solstice offering
✨ A heart-opening cacao + sound ceremony
✨ And an invitation to Ecuador that feels like the ultimate "yes" to yourself

Take a breath 💜 then take a look 🙏
👉 Newsletter link below

12/10/2025

Ah, the serratus anterior: the quiet connector.✨💜✨
The side-body MVP that keeps the ribs hugged in, the heart lifted, and your backbend supported instead of collapsed.

The serratus anterior lives along the top 8-9 ribs, under the armpit and beneath the shoulder blade. It plays a key role in scapular protraction and stability in poses like Plank, Chaturanga, Bow, Camel, Wheel, and even Cobra. (Squeeze your armpits and you can feel it flex!)

If you’ve ever heard a teacher cue:
“Shoulders down and away from the ears,”
“Widen across the chest,”
or “Push the floor away with your hands,”
that’s your invitation to wake up the serratus anterior.

In practice, it’s not the flashiest muscle doing the work... it never really gets the spotlight… it's just quietly over here holding the ribs, shoulders, spine - and everyone else - together so we can open our hearts without collapsing into chaos.

No biggie.

The serratus anterior holds us together, distributes effort, and reminds us:
strength isn’t bracing alone. It’s belonging.

Backbend with connection.
Organize the side body.
Let the heart open without falling apart.💜✨💜

12/02/2025

How do we end this year awake? By noticing the small things... the way light catches on a branch, the warmth of a breath, that pine tree smell, the pause between one pose to the next. By choosing presence over autopilot… and maybe by sneaking in one more cup of cocoa (or three)! ❤️☕💚

This month, I'm reflecting on all that's unfolded in 2025: deep connections with students, retreats that felt like home, yoga classes that surprised me, trainings that anchored me, and all the little sparks of adventure along the way that make life truly delicious! And here's to so many more horizons to explore... whether in poses, in breath, or in the world beyond the studio. ✨🌎✨

Let's set the intention to finish this year awake - curious, soft, and wide-eyed - ready for whatever the next chapter asks of us... and if we can throw in a Down Dog or two while we're at it, even better. 🎄🧘🏻‍♀️🎄

11/30/2025

As an adult survivor of childhood abuse, touch has never been simple for me. Even loving, well-intentioned touch can feel uncomfortable or even triggering. And yet, in the yoga world, there's this belief that a "good" teacher must have their hands on their students.

So I used to wonder...
If I don't touch- does that make me less of a teacher?
The answer I've come to is a grounded, embodied no.

One of the most transformative trainings I've taken - Trauma-Informed Teacher Training with Lara Land at the Sedona Yoga Festival - taught me something I will never forget: trauma-informed teaching doesn't start with what we do in the room. It starts with understanding our own trauma, our own histories, our own triggers, our own nervous systems. It starts with ME.

That training gave me permission to honor my truth: that touch must be intentional, consensual, and deeply purposeful.

I rarely offer manual adjustments. But when I do, they're not about "fixing" or "correcting". They're about creating clarity and comfort- lifting a shoulder, softening a hip, supporting a low back... my hands land only when they will genuinely enhance someone's felt experience, not override it.

The moment my hands touch a student's body, their awareness shifts from their own practice to my presence.
That shift is powerful.
That shift is personal.
And that shift deserves respect.

Choosing when, how, and if I touch does not make me a good or bad teacher. It makes me a conscious, trauma-informed, kick-ass yoga teacher who keeps pace, autonomy, and emotional safety at the center of the room.

Touch with intention.
Teach with heart.
Honor boundaries.
That's the yoga I believe in.
That's the yoga I teach.

📸by Del Sol Photography

11/27/2025

Wishing you a beautiful Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or a "pizza-on-the-couch-in-pajamas" kind of celebration - all are valid spiritual paths! 🥧✨🙏

May your day be filled with people you love… and if loving them gets a little challenging, may you remember to breathe deep, find that little spark of light inside you, and let that do the talking.

However you're spending today, I hope it's warm, joyful, grounding, and full of whatever brings you comfort (yes, even all the carbs). 🧡🍁🦃

Happy Everything, dear friends.

11/19/2025

There's something about the ocean breeze, the warmth of the sun, and the flow of yoga that just resets your soul 🌅🌴🌊

Our Cancun retreat was a week of connection, movement, mindful pauses, and a return to Radiance. So grateful for the beautiful humans who shared this journey and for the magic we created together! ✨

DM me to join the next adventure!!! 🛩🌏🧳

11/11/2025

✨ECUADOR RETREAT ANNOUNCEMENT✨
🌿Sept. 29 – Oct. 5, 2026 🌿

Okay, picture this: one week, two incredible ecosystems (the Andes and the Amazon - yes please!!!), daily yoga, breathwork, and meditation with yours truly, volcano hikes, cleansing rituals, local markets, an Amazonian cooking class, and even a tree planting ceremony so we can give a little love back to Mama Earth.

Ecuador is still beautifully untouristed, which means more presence, more peace, more magic. This retreat is all about adventure, culture, and community- all together in one wild, soulful, heart-filling week surrounded by volcanoes, rainforests, and the kind of peace that only nature can bring. 💚

Community, culture, and soul nourishment - on and off the mat. I cannot wait to share this one with you!

Comment “LET’S GO!” below to learn more 🌎✨

11/07/2025

Five Embarrassing Things I’ve Done While Teaching Yoga (and Lived to Tell the Tale 😅)

10/22/2025

Just a few days ago, I was teaching on the beautiful beaches of Jamaica and in 3 weeks, I'll be heading to the Riviera Maya in Cancun for my first yoga retreat with Fit4Travel and I can't wait to connect with an amazing group for a week of yoga, ocean air, and deep rest! 🌊🌴✨

And because retreat energy is still flowing strong, I'll soon be announcing my next adventure… Ecuador, Fall 2026 🌋 Early bird details coming soon!

Feeling so grateful for this season of movement, connection, and community... each retreat reminds me why I love this path - it’s about slowing down, reconnecting, and remembering what really matters. Thank you for being part of it 💜

10/10/2025

I'm off to Jamaica to teach yoga by the sea, flowing with island rhythm and salty air in my lungs. 🏝☀️🌊

Leaving home reminds me that "home" isn't really a place, but a state of being we can carry anywhere. Whether it's across the world or across a bridge, it's the same invitation: to be fully here, awake and alive to it all.

Home isn't just a place... it's presence. It's the breath that steadies you, the gratitude that roots you, the loving kindness you share, and the grace you carry wherever you go. 🌎 💜✨

While I'm away, some amazing subs will be holding space in my classes so keep showing up, keep flowing, and keep shining sweet friends- I'll be back on the mat with you before you know it!!!

09/12/2025

Lately, I've been noticing how harsh I can be with myself- that inner critic whispering that I'm not enough, that I should have done more, been more. And yet, yoga reminds me to pause, breathe, and come back to ahimsa, the first limb of yoga: kindness.

When I dig deeper, I remember that the same kindness I cultivate for myself- the gentle words, the softening, the patience- is exactly what the world needs from each of us. Everyone is carrying an inner critic, too. The kinder I am to myself, the kinder I can show up to others. 💫🌎✨

Today, let's practice kindness outwardly: offer a smile to the next person you see, hold the door, give a sincere compliment. Small acts of compassion ripple outwards and grow exponentially. The world needs more of this.

Be the yoga. Be the kindness. 💜

Address

Oakland, CA

Website

https://lauramoir.yoga/, https://www.bayareahiking.yoga/

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