Mary Beth Ray (MB) has been exploring yoga as a physical practice and philosophy since the early 90s. Over the years, she has studied with wonderful teachers from various styles of Hatha yoga including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Yin, Viniyoga, Anusara, and Vinyasa Flow. She is especially drawn toward the moving meditation of the classic Ashtanga Vinyasa system and since 2006 she has been practicing in the Mysore tradition of Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois. This daily meditative practice grounded in the Yoga Sutras deeply informs the many facets of her life. MB finds that with a consistent yoga practice she sleeps more soundly, her health has improved, and she is genuinely happier with an ability to be more present and move through her life with a bit of grace.
She has been teaching since 2009 and is registered through Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 and YACEP. As a teacher MB shares yoga as a day-by-day, moment-by-moment practice of tuning your awareness to the presence and quality of your breath. In her classes and workshops, she guides you with subtle alignment cues, gentle hands-on adjustments, and suggested modifications that will help you develop your own inner and outer strength and flexibility.
MB is part of the teacher training faculty at both Barefoot Movement and Square One Yoga in the SF Bay Area teaching foundations of asana, Sanskrit basics, introduction to the Yoga Sutra, and Ethics.
MB is also certified as a Yoga for Osteoporosis teacher by Dr. Loren Fishman, MD and certified in Accessible Yoga by Jivana Heyman. In addition, she is a member of International Association of Yoga Therapists, and a certified holistic Nutrition Consultant and Functional Medicine and National Board-Certified Health & Wellness coach, and a peer educator for American Bone Health .
She is currently in Yoga Therapist training at the Yoga Well Institute under the guidance of Chase Bossart, student of Mr. Desikachar.
Practicing with MB you will hone a healthy balance between effort and ease and discover a more graceful engagement with your everyday life.