Kelly Ponzi

Kelly began studying yoga in 1986, and has been teaching since 1988. Her teaching style reflects the breadth and depth of her own practice and studies in the T Krishnamacharya lineage (which includes his son, TKV Desikachar, and his son, Kastib Desikachar), Gary Kraftsow (founder of Viniyoga), along with the inner focus and awareness of the non-dualistic traditions of Kashmir Shaivism (an ancient branch of yoga originally passed down orally from teacher to initiated student and finally written down in the 8th century) and Tibetan Buddhism. Kelly is deeply committed to expanding her awareness of the underlying unity of all life. She honors the uniqueness of all people, believing that at our core we are each perfect and one with the divine. Kelly views yoga, at its essence, as the practice of realizing this divine union, and it brings her great joy to share in this practice with her students. In 1995, Kelly met her spiritual teacher, Swami Chetanananda. She currently lives and studies at the Rudrananda Ashram, drawing continuous inspiration from her teacher, community and its diverse practices. Kelly received her teaching certification from the Movement Center of the Nityananda Institute, and is registered with the Yoga Alliance at the E-RYT-500 level (instructing and certifying teachers). Kelly is a level 1 graduate teacher of iRest® Integrative Restoration yoga nidra, and continues her studies of this transformative practice, with it's founder, Richard Miller PhD. Kelly received her certification in Yoga Therapy at the Ananda Seva Mission in Santa Rosa, CA in 2010, and is a member of IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists). She is also one of the eight women founding board members of NWYTC (Northwest Yoga Therapy Collaborative) located here in Portland, Oregon. Contact Kelly at kellyponzi@gmail.com or 503.320.1343