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.
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Betsy Woldeyohannes has been an educator for ten years, with experience spanning from traditional classroom settings to yoga studios, fieldwork, and one-on-one training. They are a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance, with primary training in Vinyasa and secondary training in Yin Yoga, Chair Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Prenatal Yoga, as well as meditation, hands-on assistance, and trauma-informed techniques. Betsy is further certified in Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED and certified as a Relax and Renew® Level 1 Restorative Yoga Teacher, a Chair Yoga Instructor, and a Yoga of 12-Step Recovery Peer Support Guide; Betsy is currently undergoing training to become a Registered Prenatal Yoga Teacher as well. In addition, Betsy holds master’s degrees in both English and Classics and is enrolled in the Sanskrit Advanced Certificate Program through the platform Yogic Studies. Their interdisciplinary background and varied pedagogical experience help them to meet a diversity of student needs and to better honor and teach from yoga’s roots.
Behind Yene Yoga
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.
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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