The path of the butterfly takes courage...

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A bit of my story, education and experience background:

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I grew up in Philadelphia, PA, attending Catholic grade school and an Eastern Orthodox high school. Although my physical and educational needs were met as a child, my emotional, mental, and spiritual needs were not.

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As I entered adulthood, I struggled with anxiety and depression resulting from being a survivor of developmental and spiritual traumas. I leaned on many crutches to numb, distract, and escape.

Over the years, I slowly but surely learned how to rewrite my unhealthy coping mechanisms with healthier ones and have solidified a relationship with my intuition and the Source who created me. Today, I have a full toolbox of supports to help me ride the waves of life with more ease and grace, transmuting my times of struggle into wisdom.

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I watched many around me along the way crumble under trying times, becoming victims to their circumstances. I chose to learn from life and become shaped by it. I believe that self-compassion, self-acceptance, lightheartedness, regular application of yoga practices and lifestyle principles, and sharing my story without shame have been the biggest supporters of my personal healing.

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In 2002, I graduated with a BA in Psychology from Bloomsburg University.

I started practicing yoga in 2003 and began teaching in 2007 at Twisted Monkey Yoga Studio in Rockledge, PA.

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Since then, I have completed a 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Beyond Asana in Philadelphia in 2014. That training included conscious dance as part of the training experience and a service project where I fundraised over $6,000 for buildOn and traveled to Malawi, Africa, to Mchereka Village to help build a primary school.

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I later completed a 30 Day Living Yoga Residential Training at Yogaville, VA in 2017, a 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at the YogaLife Institute in 2019, and an 800 Hour Comprehensive Yoga Therapy Training at the YogaLife Institute in 2021.

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I have over 4,000 hours of teaching experience in studios and community settings and have taught yoga to people of all ages and abilities.

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In addition to yoga, I have been practicing ecstatic dance since 2021. Movement, music, play, and free expression have become an important part of my personal practice and also inform the spaces I hold.

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I also study yogic philosophy regularly, including the teachings of Ram Dass, which continue to shape how I see life, love, and presence.

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I more recently (2026) began teaching Inner Child Yoga and Laughter Yoga, both of which reflect my belief that healing can include play, humor, and reconnecting with the parts of ourselves that got left behind.

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In addition to my yoga work, I have over 20 years of experience working with children and families in mental health and caregiving roles.

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I worked as a Mental Health Therapist/Specialist at The Center for Autism from 2008–2016, a Training Specialist from 2016–2017, and have worked in private in-home childcare in Camden County, NJ since 2017.

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I have taught both neurotypical and neurodiverse children ages 1–18 in studio, camp, community, school, and home settings.

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Additionally, I am forever a yoga student, curious explorer of life, nature lover, conscious dancer, and hippie-hearted human.

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Through my educational and life experiences, I have created Blissful Butterfly Yoga.

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If you’ve made it this far, thank you for taking the time to learn about me.

 

Please reach out with any questions.

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With love & gratitude,

🦋Veronica