Yoga

Photo credit: Kylie Spinelli

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.”

Photo credit: Kylie Spinelli

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!