By Stephanie Singleton

If you had told me 10 years ago that today I would be a wellness entrepreneur—and a yoga therapist!—I would have certainly laughed. I was an eager 20-something news producer, climbing the corporate ladder and moving across the United States to launch new shows and live in Hollywood. It seemed like a dream. But I was completely burned out and unfulfilled. In 2018, a panic attack at work led me to question what I was doing and why. I left my job and just a few days later traveled to Rishikesh, India, for my first yoga teacher training.

On the heels of burnout, I was consumed with anxiety upon arrival in India. For the first 2 weeks of my stay, I couldn’t shake the feeling. Ultimately, though, what I learned in India was far greater than fancy yoga poses. I learned to breathe and to listen to my body. I experienced firsthand yoga’s transformational power in my own mind and body, and I needed to learn more.

After that experience, I also knew I wanted to teach others to listen, too. In 2019, I launched Prana Wellness and began creating programs for companies—after my experience with corporate burnout, I was intimately familiar with how stress can affect employees’ health and work. My corporate wellness programs focused on yoga movement, breathwork, and meditation, the basic tools I myself had used for support.

Going deeper into therapeutic practice

THIS work was fun! However, each class I taught included students who needed more. They’d show up with severe pain or share stories of chronic stress. What more could I do for them in a 60-minute group class? I was already enrolled in the yoga therapy program at Loyola Marymount University and realized that my true passion was in supporting healing—which I learned can happen regardless of one’s physical or mental state.

Although I still ran my corporate wellness programs, during the COVID-19 pandemic I shifted to focus on speaking and one-to-one work with yoga therapy clients. Entirely in my happy place! Teaching people how to understand their own bodies was a breath of fresh air.

One thing I loved about yoga therapy school, which I don’t think most people are aware of, is that yoga therapists are trained to work alongside medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, mental health therapists, and other kinds of providers. We learned from renowned practitioners in their fields and studied the systems of the human body extensively. We did constant case studies and learned how yoga therapy can support common chronic conditions.

By far the most valuable aspect of my yoga therapy training, though, was gaining the ability to apply these practices in my own life. I healed from anxiety, I changed my diet, I decreased injuries, and I balanced my digestion, immunity, and brain. I learned how to keep myself healthy and practice sustainable self-care.

After 4 years of studying yoga therapy, I gained a deep understanding of how the body-mind-spirit works and the tools of yoga that can help to keep the system in balance. Most of my research focus had been on chronic pain, gut health, and anxiety—and their intersections—so this is the focus I chose for my individual practice.

I continued corporate wellness offerings while guiding educational workshops on various wellness topics. I spoke on panels, hosted events, and presented at organizations, universities, and elsewhere. I used this exposure to increase awareness about what exactly yoga therapy is, and how it can help people to heal. From the beginning of my yoga therapy career, I noticed a huge education gap: Most of my target audience had no idea what yoga therapy is, and no matter how many times I explained, they thought it was a yoga class and worried that they wouldn’t be able to do it. So education became my focus.

Change is the only constant

Fast forward to 2021, when I married my wonderful husband, a U.S. Marine, and became invested in the military community. I taught classes to active-duty service members on the base and volunteered for Connected Warriors, a trauma-conscious program for veterans. Military service members have long been plagued by chronic pain and stress-related ailments and can greatly benefit from focused yoga therapy. I am passionate about working with members of this community, and they have become some of my steady clients.

Being fully aware of what I signed up for by marrying a Marine, I knew a move was coming. In 2023, we were sent to Okinawa, Japan, where we currently reside. Filled with excitement about possibilities to share yoga therapy in this new terrain, I shifted focus to only individual yoga therapy clients.

Here in Okinawa, I have a lovely home office where I see clients who are mostly military spouses and Department of Defense Education Activity educators. I hold space for some virtual U.S. clients as well. Regularly speaking and hosting wellness events helps me to stay top of mind in this transient community. I can also personally relate to the unique challenges these individuals face.

Educating people about the benefits and value of yoga therapy has become my primary work. I want people to be able to understand their own bodies and see the value in the whole-person approach.

Stephanie Singleton, E-RYT 200, RYT-500, C-IAYT, blends yoga therapy, integrative health, and personal experience to help people feel better in their bodies. Certified in trauma-conscious and perinatal yoga, she’s shared her expertise with IDEA World Fitness, ZipRecruiter, and the U.S. Marine Corps.