About Yene Yoga
Yene Yoga is the company of independent yoga teacher Betsy Woldeyohannes (they/them). Sitting at the intersection of culture, passion, and community commitment, Yene Yoga has been designed to individually tailor yoga sessions to the diverse needs of its clients, whether physical, mental, or financial.
Betsy Woldeyohannes is a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher, with primary training in Vinyasa and secondary training in Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga, Chair Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, meditation and trauma-informed techniques, hands-on assistance, and the philosophy, history, and language of yoga. Betsy holds additional certifications in Chair Yoga, the Yoga of 12-step Recovery as a Peer Support Guide, and Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED and has completed training as a Relax and Renew® Level 1 Restorative yoga teacher with Judith and Lizzie Lasater (certification pending). In addition, they hold masters' degrees in both English and Classics, in which they studied and taught ancient language, literature, archaeology, and history. This interdisciplinary background supports Betsy's continuing education in the historical, philosophical, and linguistic contexts of yoga and enables them to better honor and teach from yoga's roots.
Story
Yene Yoga means "my yoga" in the Amharic language, one of the official languages of Ethiopia. Being a mixed-race, second-generation Ethiopian immigrant, I chose the name Yene Yoga not just to honor my culture but also to stress the importance of making one's practice one's own. Whenever we step on the mat, everything that we experience is unique to us — just as our bodies, minds, and experiences are unique. If we learn to truly listen to what our bodies, minds, and spirit tell us, we become our own ultimate teachers and healers.
As important as it is to abide in one's own practice, Yene Yoga is also about fostering the communities that we form when we come together. Yoga is a creative and collaborative act between teacher and student, peer and peer, the self and the whole. Rather than spiritual practice as something that cuts us off from the world, Yene Yoga is committed to promoting action-oriented yoga: understanding that leads us to move in the world and engage with each other in more meaningful, less harmful ways. Yoga for me, therefore, is not just about personal growth but what that personal growth can do for others. Perhaps we could call it "Yegna Yoga", or our yoga, as well.
Contact
For questions, feedback, or professional inquiry, please reach out!
585-694-0774