Who she is: Helen Young of Santa Fe, NM, has been an educator for nearly two decades. A graduate with a BS in elementary education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL, she is an elementary educator with a PE endorsement, currently teaching PE and yoga at a public school in Santa Fe. She also has a Master’s in Pastoral Ministry from Loyola University in New Orleans.
What she does: With more than 1,000 hours of experience teaching yoga — after receiving her 200-hour certification from Yoga Alliance, another 200 hours of training with YogaKids International, and an SEL certificate through Breathe for Change — Helen’s mission is to bring mindfulness and social-emotional learning to families. “I am proud to be part of the faculty at the Rio Grande Mindfulness Institute in Santa Fe, which provides retreats to educators throughout New Mexico,” shares Helen, who is also passionate about social justice and has a certificate in Race and Equity in Yoga from Kelley Palmer at Accessible Yoga.
Why she does it: “I am passionate about giving kids and adults the tools they need to bring peace and calm into their lives through breath and movement,” Helen explains, “Yoga cultivates self-compassion, which is the key to having compassion for all humans. I hope to create a place where BIPOC children and their families here in Santa Fe can practice yoga in a more accessible way. I believe that yoga can not only bring inner peace but can also be a vehicle for justice.”