teachers & therapists

“I view my therapy practice and teaching as complementary pieces of the same process - the process of helping others in a return to wholeness. My intention is to create a partnership where each participant is inspired to bring forward what she or he knows personally and believes might serve the process of this return to balance.   The ancients held that if in this lifetime we have ever been well, that we hold within us a memory of that wellness.  They saw illness as a 'forgetting' and healing as a 'remembering' of our innate wholeness."

John is an Alabama licensed massage therapist and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.  As a yoga teacher he brings nearly 30 years of practice experience to his instruction.  He is an experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT) through the Yoga Alliance™at what is presently their highest level of registration (500 hours).   Top of Page

“I practice yoga for the same reasons I receive massage therapy: to become quiet, to leave behind temporarily the busyness of my day and reconnect with myself and the source of my inner wisdom. It's my opportunity to explore and release tension in my body, my breath, my mind and my heart, and what I find upon returning to my interactions with others is greater strength, kindness and compassion for us all.

I teach yoga and offer massage in the hopes of nurturing in others this same capacity to feel peaceful inside, however briefly, whatever the circumstances of our daily lives.”  

Kate is an Alabama licensed massage therapist and a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.  As a yoga teacher she brings over 25 years of practice experience to her instruction.  She is an experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT) through the Yoga Alliance™at what is presently their highest level of registration (500 hours).  

“I’ve been practicing yoga for over 20 years and would say that yoga actually found me.  I didn't even know that was what I was doing, but the work out tape my girlfriend had loaned me was definitely yoga and it struck a chord.  I investigated further and my path was set.  I’m rather eclectic in everything and my yoga practice is no exception.  It’s developed from my exploration with exposure to all kinds of styles and teachers, and was finally rounded out in heartwood’s first year teaching certification program.

I believe it’s my role to teach the student to be their own teacher.  Each individual's spiritual, physical and mental needs are so varied the 'one size fits all' approach is not enough.  My goal is to help the student find and trust their inner teacher.

Students practicing with me can expect classes that are quiet, peaceful, and introspective, where they’ll learn techniques for moving inward and becoming better caretakers of their own well-being "

Jean is registered with the Yoga Alliance as an instructor at the 200-hour level.  She trained with Kate Tremblay and John LeMunyon at Heartwood Yoga in Birmingham, Alabama.

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"I have been practicing with Kate and John for nine years.  I came to yoga looking for a way to calm my body (I had just been diagnosed with high blood pressure.), but what I found was a practice that calmed my mind and spirit as well as my body.  As I became more dedicated to my yoga practice, I found I could see the benefits of my newfound inner calm and centeredness in my daily life. 

I choose to teach in order to help others find their own way to the gift of yoga.  My approach to practice emphasizes slow, exploratory movements that help students learn skillful techniques and compassion toward themselves.  I feel that Yoga is about opening with kindness to the truth of who and how we are at any time.  Sometimes that truth expresses itself as physical pain, sometimes as a strong emotion, sometimes as pressing thoughts.  My aim is not to change students’ truth, but to help them learn to experience it courageously and compassionately, and to act on their truth wisely.  When I plan my classes, these qualities of courage, wisdom, and compassion are the “muscles” I emphasize."

Kathy is registered with the Yoga Alliance as an instructor at the 200-hour level.  She trained with Kate Tremblay and John LeMunyon at Heartwood Yoga near Birmingham, Alabama.

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“I attended my first introductory yoga class at Heartwood over seven years ago.  During that first class, I knew I’d found something important:  a connection to a depth of myself I simply wasn’t accustomed to reaching.  During my seven years of study and practice at heartwood, I found the structure of a well-constructed yoga class, with its skillful movements, silence, and inner inquiry, to consistently unveil a quiet, calm center where my self esteem and wisdom reside. 

It’s been a gift to learn how to enter that place, a gift I’d like to share with others.  My current work seems to focus on expanding my understanding of the philosophy and science of yoga and I’m interested in acting as a guide for students who wish to discover their own relationship to this ancient practice."

Lauren is an Alabama licensed massage therapist, practicing in the Birmingham area since 2005.  She is a graduate of Heartwood’s Yoga Teacher Training program and she is a registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance™ at the 200 hour level.

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