Brandi first discovered yoga in 2000 when, upon completing her undergraduate degree, needed 2 units to graduate decided she’d “try out this yoga class”. After graduating, she continued practicing at home and eventually fell off. “It was the beginning of a new year and I made a solid decision to get back into yoga because I remembered how good I felt.”

Brandi quickly found her first yoga teacher, Gretchen Borgum, who supported her in going deeper in her practice. After 6 months of study, Gretchen was in the process of moving. “I became a sponge and just wanted to soak up as much information as I could before she moved. I was honored to learn meditation from her and experience deep movement into my healing process with her through private sessions and workshops.”

It was during this time that Gretchen urged Brandi to attend a teacher training with her teachers. “I resisted for quite some time thinking I wasn’t ready and I didn’t know enough. Once I decided to go to simply ‘learn more for myself’ the greatest lesson I learned was I knew much more than what I gave myself credit for!”

Brandi began teaching yoga in December of 2002. “It wasn’t until months after I started teaching that I realized I had learned and gained so much from my practice that I needed to share this with others.”

Brandi has taught a variety of students from young to old, beginners to advanced, prenatal, meditation and so much more. She has also studied from an array of teachers such as Saul David Raye, Shiva Rea, Erich Schiffman, Jamie Elmer, Matthew Cohen, and Sean Corn.

In addition to studying yoga, Brandi also obtained her Master’s of Arts degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica in 2005 with the intention of one day combining yoga and spiritual psychology for a full mind/body/emotional healing experience.

“I am so grateful for my yoga and spiritual psychology practice. Both have given me tools for life. I believe I was given great learning opportunities in this life, not only for my own personal and spiritual growth, but also to support others on their path.”

Namaste
Brandi Smith