Emma earned her undergraduate degree in Clinical Health Studies with a minor in Aging Studies in May 2020. She recently began a graduate program in physical therapy at Ithaca College and said she is so grateful for the opportunity to learn in person.
Outside of school, she is passionately interested in yoga. Practicing on her own led her to become a Certified Yoga Instructor, completing 200 hours of yoga teacher training. She learned about yoga philosophy, types of yoga, anatomy, and hundreds of asanas (poses). For her final project, she held a socially distanced yoga class to raise money for the Justice for Breonna Taylor fund. “It was a beautiful, humbling experience that marked the start of my yoga teaching career,” said Emma.
She became interested in chair yoga and restorative yoga because of her background in Aging Studies. This certification would allow her to bring yoga to all populations and abilities. She said the benefits of yoga extend to the mind and body, creating a unity that no other practice achieves regard less of age, size, or flexibility.
Last summer, she taught outdoor power yoga classes in the Ithaca area. While she doesn’t have time to teach yoga right now, she says her own practice has helped her feel more confident in her identity and gives her an outlet that brings joy and peace.