Kim O'reilly

I have been involved in fitness training since I graduated from college.  I taught Body Sculpting from 1991-2000,  I also worked as a personal trainer at the Woman's 17 Minute Workout club (closed).  I was an English/Reading teacher at Minerva High School from 1991996.

I began yoga about 1999-I was looking for something to balance out the spinning and weight lifting.  I had been a gymnast when I was younger and loved how yoga brought that flexibilty back into my body.  I started with Ashtanga-I appreciated the challenging postures and the way you could track your progress.  I soon discovered yoga was much more than a physical practice.  It brought a sense of peace, appreciation, and joy to my life.  I got pregnant with my 3rd child and my yoga took a backseat.  I did my own practice for years at home, tv, dvd, etc.

My middle child was injured about 6 years ago, as a result he was paralyzed from the waist down.  The changes my life took were fast and furious.  My girlfriend kept insisting I join her in hot power yoga class-she thought it would be good for stress (:  I did, and from the first moment I fell in love with the Baptiste style of Power Yoga.  I consistantly took classes, 3-5 a week (driving 50 minutes each way)!  All  I knew is that I felt "home" in that studio, doing that yoga.

I went to New York in June of 2012 and completed my Level 1 teacher training with Baron Baptiste.  I have been teaching since I returned.  All I know is that my yoga practice in the past 5 years brought me through a completely unimaginable event and brought me to a place of peace and acceptance.  I truly can say that yoga helped heal my life.  And I want my students to know that if they let it, it can help heal theirs.  And for those not looking that deep into it, yoga can certainly help firm the tush, tighten the abs, and give you fabulous arms!