AM ALUMNI
Jenna Kanungo | @Jenungo
AM V200 - DEC 2021
Washington D.C., USA 🌎
I have been a doctor of physical therapy in D.C. for four years now working in the general orthopedic field. I love working with patients who have posture, balance, and neurologic deficits that affect their every day life. I use breathing and a movement control approach to improve their pain and function and believe that if we can teach our children how to breath and posture themselves properly before they mature we can evolve past a lot of chronic pain issues. I have been a Certified Orthopedic Manual Therapist and Certified Myofascial Trigger Point Therapist (dry needling certified) for 2 years now and recently have been diving into concepts from the Postural Restoration Institute to use diaphragm breathing to impact alignment and symmetry in the body. I love teaching and have taken 8 full time clinical students over the past 3 years and hope to pursue more work at the University level.
Reflecting on the AM YTT Experience
| Why did you choose Authentic Movements for your YTT? | |
| I chose Authentic Movements because of the emphasis they put on exploring what feels right to the individual student. The concept of an “AM pocket” where you give the student time to explore the movements they’ve just learned and how to express them within themselves is exactly what I want to instill in my patients and is my preferred method of practicing yoga for myself. Just like the members of this group, I value the importance of teaching the individual how to move safely and effectively for their body type so that they can move freely on the mat in order to explore their bodies. Their cueing is phenomenal and I have taken a lot of movements from their practices and incorporated them into my clinical practice. As a physical therapist, I am so happy to see physical health professionals teaching basic movement concepts like hypermobility versus hypomobility, active mobility versus passive mobility, and postural control throughout the entire course so the average person can exercise more safely and independently. | |
| How did the online training platform work for you? | |
| The online platform was great for someone who can’t take 2-3 weeks off of work for an in-person intensive. The group has organized the content and assignments so well that at some points I would be journaling on my own time and then move on to the next lecture and find one of them talking about exactly what I was journaling about. Almost like they…planned it? With the online platform you definitely get more information and can pause, rewind, and take breaks as needed so you are able to absorb the information. I certainly could tell that I wasn’t getting the full experience by not being immersed in the yoga/meditative setting 24/7 and instead was being distracted by common day life. But, it only left me more excited to do an in-person course with this group in the future. | |
| How has your teaching changed since completing the AM YTT? | |
| Since completing my 200 hour YTT I have built up an even larger bank of cues that work for a wider variety of individuals. I have also learned how to use props more creatively and am more confident in my ability to design a 1+ hour flow in a well organized and thoughtful manner. I also learned concepts regarding spinal stabilization during hyperextension and rotation movements that has helped me teach the “scarrier” movements to patients with low back pain in a way that makes them feel safe. | |
| How have you engaged with the AM community of alums and students during and after the training? | |
| I have not yet begun to engage in the AM community but hope to do some live teachings in the future! | |
| What was your favorite part of the course content? | |
| I loved the live teaching components spread out throughout the course. It gave me a chance to practice teaching to strangers and multiple people at the same time and allowed me to receive real time feed back from the instructors. The instructors give such timely and personal feedback and are always so supportive. I can’t wait to meet them in person! | |
OTHER AM ALUMNI
Lex Miller
Miami Beach, FL, USA 🌎 I'm Lex! I was born and raised in Southern California, but have lived all over in my short 27 years. From Austin Texas where my daughter was born, to a little tiny seaside town outside of Seattle. I now in live in Miami Beach, Florida with my...
Jacqueline Evans
Famagusta, Cyprus 🌎 Hi, I'm Jackie. I found Yoga at a really difficult time in my life, and have used the practice to learn about body awareness, mental check ins, breathing techniques, and confidence, among many other things. I enjoy creating unique sequences which I...
John Foster
Laredo, Texas USA 🌎 I grew up, work, and live in the bordertown Laredo, Texas. I took my first yoga class in 2011 but my practice was not very consistent. Around 2015 after suffering various injuries in other movement modalities I decided to incorporate more yoga and...
Carly Vertz
Escanaba, Michigan, USA 🌎 I wish to share yoga as a landing space to move the body and open the mind. Though my career/lifestyle at the Skerbeck Family Carnival takes me throughout Michigan half the year, I consider the U.P. my home. Boy mom of two with husband Jeff....
Kaila Shore
Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA 🌎 I have been interested in movement since a very young age. I loved ballet and point as a kid, I dabbled in gymnastics, I was a cheerleader for 4 years in high school and then took some modern dance classes afterwards. Movement with music is...
Jill Foster
Boulder, CO, USA 🌎 I love to create dynamic and challenging sequences that are as fun to practice as they are to teach. I am passionate about incorporating logical creativity into flows to strike a balance between anatomical correctness and intuitive movement. Yoga...
Martee Snyder
Deer Park, WA 🌎 Born and raised in the PNW, I am motivated to share my knowledge of health and wellness with my community. I have a wide range of teaching experience from a decade in gymnastics to school-age through college-age instruction. I possess certificates in...
Liana (aka Lilo) Ventura
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 🌎 Hi, I’m Lilo, she/her/hers. I’m an avid practitioner and I consider myself to be an enthusiastic and high-spirited yoga and creative movement teacher from and based in Rio, Brazil. Owner of a curious mind I have a great interest in both...
Susie Wright
Burley, Idaho, USA 🌎 I have been practicing yoga off and on since 2007. After retiring as an RN, I finally had time to focus on not only my yoga practice, but my overall health as well. I love learning new things and so when I started this journey, I wasn’t sure I...
Danielle Vaeth
Waynesville, NC, USA 🌎 I love connecting with others and expanding those connections to help lift sus all up! I also have so much fun and hope to collaborate with as many of you as possible! I enjoy teaching beginner and intermediate level vinyasa inspired flows that...