Justine Shelton, E-RYT, CYT is a Registered Yoga Teacher who fell in love with the path of Yoga at the feet of her beloved teacher Bernd Baron Pegels. It was in daily classes with him that her interest blossomed and while attending Baron's yoga retreat in Italy, she asked for his advice on where to formally train to become a teacher. At his suggestion, she was initially trained at Soul of Yoga in Encinitas, CA in their Sundara College Teacher Training. She later taught Anatomy/ Physiology and Prenatal Yoga for the Sundara program as well as for True Nature School of Yoga in Vista and Oceanside, CA.
Justine graduated from Loyola College of Maryland in 1992 with a B.A. in Sociology and History, putting herself through college on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. She spent many hours in the training room being treated for injuries, where she developed an interest in human anatomy. As a ‘recovering’ athlete, she was thrilled to find yoga. Letting go of competition came as a huge relief, allowing her to focus on her own bodies health. Now her passion is educating others to be able to do the same for their bodies. She specializes in structural yoga, specifically spinal disc injuries, back pain management, structural instability, as well as shoulder and knee rehabilitation.
Cancer recovery has been a central part of her practice since 2006, and she runs the Cancer Recovery Program at Yoga Vista Studio. Her passion is working with people who have different forms of catastrophic illness, helping them to manage their condition, minimize and cope with pain and, most importantly, helping them to realize they are not their condition!
Many people know her through her video "Gentle Yoga for a Healthy Low Back" by Yoga Journey Productions (www.yogaJP.com), which was reviewed by Richard Rosen in Yoga Journal in September of 2011. She encourages her students to practice where their body is right now, allowing for the constant change and growth that comes with a dedicated practice. One of the reasons she loves Yoga is that there is always more to learn, always room to grow. That desire to learn has led Justine to continuing education with a wide variety of teachers, including Aadil Palkhivala, Judith Hanson Lasater, Saul David Raye and back care specialist Elise Browning Miller.
In April of 2011 Justine graduated from a four year training program with Gary Kraftsow of the American Viniyoga Institute and now holds the distinction of being a 500 hour AVI Certified Yoga Teacher and a 500 hour AVI Certified Yoga advanced degree. She is also a Reiki Master and Thai Yoga practitioner and loves to incorporate these various styles into her teaching.
Justine hails from Grand Junction, Colorado where she was fortunate enough to be able to learn to ride horses, eventually having four of her own. These majestic animals taught her a great amount about energy and played a large role in her childhood development and who she is today. She lives in Oceanside, CA with her husband, Alan, and their two rescue dogs, Bodhi and Lola.