In a 35-year Hatha yoga practice, Rebecca Dennis has developed the unique Laughing Bodies method based on extensive studies of Ashtanga, Iyengar Jivamukti, Integral and Bhakti yoga. Her joyful, non-dogmatic approach is a result of over 19 years of teaching in New York City, Tennessee, and California. She has traveled to India to study with Sri K. Pattbhi Jois and practices meditation under the guidance of her beloved guru Jivanmukta Swami Ganapati. She was among the first students of David Life and Sharon Gannon at Jivamukti Yoga Studio in New York City and served as personal assistant to Beryl Bender Birch who introduced Ashtanga yoga to the athletic community. She furthered her studies by completing Mary Paffard’s 750 hour Faraway Program Teacher Training.
Starting in New York, her teaching experience spans yoga studios (Life in Motion), health clubs (Reebok Sports Club), and hospitals (Beth Israel Medical Center). She also designed programs for corporate stress reduction for clients including the New York Times and Gillette Corporation.
She moved to Tennessee in 2001, where she founded Laughing Bodies Yoga and Pilates. She was voted the area's number one yoga teacher for the ten years she lived in Crossville, TN. She has been a guest teacher at Gray Bear Retreat Center for 15 years and has led over 14 international retreats.
She brought her practice to the San Diego area in 2011, where she added courses designed specifically for actors, musicians, and dancers. She is a faculty member for the La Jolla Playhouse Young Performers’ Conservatory program here she teaches yoga as it relates to the creative process. She also has a private practice in Escondido, CA and currently offers ongoing weekly classes at Yoga Vista, Crestwood Behavioral Health, and Rancho Penasquitos Library
Rebecca's practice is informed by a parallel career in the performing arts. She attended Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and has starred in a children's TV show, toured with regional theater companies and appeared in numerous cabaret shows.
She lives in Escondido, CA with her beloved son, Sammy.