Welcome to Yoga Pudding!
I earned my Yoga Certification (200, RYT) in March 2021 through Yoga Farm Ithaca, and I
am a Yoga Alliance member. In February 2023 I began teaching yoga classes at Capital District YMCA and Saratoga Regional YMCA. For updates on my yoga adventures, please follow Yoga
Pudding with Vanessa Facebook Page. Please email me at vanessa@yogapudding.com for any yoga class-related questions.
Why the name Yoga Pudding?
The name popped into my head one day. I love pudding. I love yoga and the name
“pudding” evokes comfort (food). I aim to make yoga, a comfortable experience that leaves
you feeling nourished and cared for.
My Yoga Story
I began practicing yoga when I was 9 years old. In the mid 1970s my mom took me to yoga
class in Long Island.She was always trying new health regimens and sharing them with me.
I remember being the only kid in there, and as such, the most flexible member. Though I
never developed a taste for the homemade yogurt or alfalfa sprouts she grew in our kitchen, I know that’s when my interest in yoga began.
In my early twenties I began taking yoga classes in Manhattan—from vinyasa yoga flow to
hot yoga classes. When I had my first child at 32, I joined a Mommy & Me class to help me
calm my new mom jitters, get my mojo back and make new friends. When I later moved to
Woodstock with my family, I continued taking yoga classes at the cozy yoga studios in the
Hudson Valley. I loved taking classes at Shakti Yoga Woodstock, Woodstock Yoga Center,
and Euphoria Yoga to name a few.
Yoga gave me a boost of confidence, comfort, and stress release. Whenever I’d take a
yoga class I’d think, oh it must be so cool to be able to teach a yoga class. I’d gravitate
towards older yoga instructors marveling at their flexibility and youthfulness, and perfect
posture. Back then I shelved my dream of teaching yoga, hoping that one day I’d somehow
have a series of free weekends/months to devote to a teacher training at a studio. It went on
my “Maybe Someday Bucket List.”
Enter Covid lockdown in March 2020. During one late night insomniac social media daze, I clicked on an ad for a fully online yoga teacher training, run by Yoga Farm Ithaca. I decided it was time to invest in my future yogi self. The timeline was doable. I practiced with fellow students across the country and the world in cue rehearsals and participated in online classes from home. This way of learning was unexpected, but I adapted well. In March 2021, I passed my final exam. I’m hoping to make a trip to Ithaca one day to join them in-person!
Since getting my 200 RYT Yoga Certification, I have taught classes to friends and out in the wild and intend on continuing. Thank you for following me on my new yoga journey and my continuing writing life too!