Kate Bowers

About 17 years ago, I started a regular yoga practice after walking past a classroom in my Pilates studio where I saw students lying on the floor covered in blankets with washcloths over their eyes. I asked about this and found out it was Yoga Level 1-2, and I thought, “Wow. I would really like to have someone cover me up with a blanket after class and let me lie there for a few minutes.” So I started taking that class and found so many benefits from it—including this strong sense of community—that I never left. My practice evolved from there and included Yoga Nidra as one of my earliest and favorite components of practice. Today, my personal yoga practice is between 60 to 90 minutes long and takes place 4 to 6 days per week, typically in the form of Ashtanga, Bikrim, or Vinyasa Flow. I also infuse Yin, Restorative, and Kundalini Yoga as I feel I need it. Daily meditation and iRest are also part of my personal practice. As a yoga teacher, I teach Vinyasa, heated and unheated, Yin, Restorative, and iRest. Students can expect a welcoming and serene space where they can explore asana, breathwork, and meditation that meets their needs. Currently, I teach yoga and iRest for college students in the University of Pittsburgh's Stress Free Zone--a space developed by the University specifically to support students in dealing with pressure. I also teach adults in yoga studio classes(yin, restorative, vinyasa)--offering either a full class focused on iRest or integrating iRest as part of the final savasana. During the day, I work for Pittsburgh Public Schools as the Coordinator of Private Funds. My background includes work in the light metals industry, insurance and banking, healthcare, philanthropy, and education (as a teacher for secondary and college students, policy analyst, grant maker and fundraiser).