Patti - Elm Tree Yoga Owner | Yoga Teacher
Hi, I'm Patti.
I'm a yoga teacher, student, outdoor enthusiast, and lifelong learner who believes yoga should help you live more fully—
I've been practicing & teaching yoga for years, and my approach has continued to evolve. What hasn't changed is my belief that there is no single way a body has to look, move, or practice to belong in yoga.
I teach alignment-based yoga because alignment matters. But alignment isn't about forcing every body into the same shape. It's about understanding your body well enough to make informed choices.
That means learning where you are in space. Understanding what you're asking your joints and tissues to do. Using props when they help. Changing the shape when they don't. Resting when rest is the right choice.
There is no prize for suffering through a pose.
There is no gold star for touching your toes.
And there is absolutely no requirement to look like the person on the other side of the room.
Yoga is a practice of relationship.
Relationship with your body.
Relationship with your mind.
Relationship with the world around you.
That's what keeps me interested.
My own practice has taken me far beyond the physical postures. Yoga philosophy, Ayurveda, meditation, breath, somatics, and the quieter parts of practice have all changed the way I understand what yoga can be.
And then there is the outdoors.
I love being outside. On a paddle board. On skis. Hiking. Exploring. Sitting somewhere with nowhere to be.
These things aren't separate from my yoga practice.
They're another way of practicing presence.
The mountain doesn't care what your Instagram pose looks like. Neither does the lake.
Both will tell you exactly where you are.
And that's pretty useful information.
This is a space for curiosity.
You don't have to believe everything I believe.
You don't have to be flexible.
You don't have to buy a basket of crystals or wake up at 4:30 a.m. to drink something green.
You just have to be willing to pay attention.
That's where the good stuff starts.
Functional Yoga with Patti
func·tion·al
/ˈfəNG(k)SH(ə)n(ə)l/
adjective
⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Of or having a special activity, purpose, or task; relating to the way in which something works or operates.
2. Designed to be practical and useful, rather than just aesthetic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️