While living in New York City, I began taking yoga classes to stay in shape and unwind. After connecting with yoga’s many benefits, I realized I’d discovered my life’s journey and wanted to share it with others. I began training and teaching traditional yoga. When I found out I had scoliosis, I knew there was a need to support people living with scoliosis and other back issues through the healing power of yoga.

With more than two decades of experience and multiple trainings and certifications, I’ve crafted a well-rounded, warm, upbeat, and compassionate teaching style incorporating yoga poses, breath work, and visualization. ScoliYoga offers specialized yoga classes for people with scoliosis and other back issues. Founded based on the understanding that traditional yoga classes do not work for everyone, I focus on modified practices to align, strengthen, and stretch the body—and mind—while protecting the back.

In addition to scoliosis, I work with students who have kyphosis, stenosis, herniations, lordosis, fusions, or a combination of these challenging conditions that can benefit from a yoga practice.

While helping my students regain mobility and comfort, my classes also increase focus and clarity for handling what life throws at us all.

Learn more about my background below.
Get in touch to find out if ScoliYoga is right for you or to try a class.

“Judy is an excellent instructor who incorporates her extensive knowledge and experiences with kindness and compassion. Working with her is a tremendously positive experience.”

I started teaching traditional yoga in 2000. When I found out I had scoliosis, I was experiencing pain in my hip and knee. I took my first yoga backcare workshop in 2014. I found it fascinating—and felt less pain myself through the practice.  Regular training can hurt people with back issues. There are poses that help and moves to avoid. For instance, there is a certain way to sit, squat, and stand for people with herniations.

I participated in more workshops and held apprenticeships with accomplished instructors who specialize in yoga for backcare and have scoliosis as well. I drew from their strengths and skills to develop my own teaching practice. I led classes in a specialized yoga backcare studio in NYC from 2016 to 2020 until Covid hit.

I next relocated from NYC to a beautiful small town in Connecticut. To continue supporting my current students and new ones during the pandemic, I switched to online teaching. Finding it effective for bringing my classes to an even broader audience, I continue teaching my classes online today.

My training and credentials include over 1,000 hours of specialized yoga training from:

• the International Sivananda Yoga and Vedanta Center

• Therapeutic Yoga Certification with Cheri Clampett

• Prenatal Yoga Certification with Mary Anne Barnes

• Backcare & Scoliosis Certification, Yoga Union Backcare and Scoliosis, under Alison West, NYC

• Apprenticeship, Deborah Wolk, Samamkaya Yoga for Backcare and Scoliosis Collective, NYC

• Apprenticeship, Rachel Jesien, My Sacred Spine, NYC

“Yoga isn’t only good for the physical body. It helps you deal with situations, people, and life in general, in a better way. It can clarify your mind and show you what’s meaningful, while helping you purge what’s not important.”