Rachael McGowen completed the Ana Forrest 200-hour Forrest Yoga teacher training in 2010 and has since also completed the Forrest Advanced teacher training. She’s currently working toward a 300 hour certification in Iyengar and yoga philosophy. Her teaching is most heavily influenced by Forrest Yoga because it is designed specifically for healing the aches of Western bodies and has a heavy focus on breath, healing, hands-on teaching, addressing injuries, alignment, and embodying spirit – all while being delighted by a fun, challenging, and intensive physical practice.

She recently moved to Charlottesville from Brooklyn, where she taught at Bend and Bloom, and has also taught in San Francisco at The Mindful Body, Yoga Tree, Innerstellar, and Moksha, along with working with numerous regular private clients. She encourages her students to focus on a specific intention with every practice, and to also incorporate these intentions into their lives off the mat. Rachael has also completed many workshops and trainings by other teachers in, among others, anatomy, pre and post-natal, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and therapeutic yoga. Rachael is not only an agent for transformation of her students, but through her work in environmental sustainability.