Laura Conley

While living in Portland, Maine in the early 2000s, she studied with area teachers certified in both Anusara and Iyengar yoga. In 2008, she met her most influential teacher, Amrit Desai, at the Omega Institute.After that meeting, Laura's entire life seemed to cascade in the direction of a deepening spiritual path with yoga at its center. In 2009 she completed a 100-hour Anusara Immersion with (then Anusara) teacher Todd Norian, followed by a 200-hour Teacher Training with Anusara greats Betsey Downing, Jaye Martin, and Rita Knorr in 2011.After moving to Florida, she continued studying the alignment-based practices of Anusara and Iyengar Yoga while gravitating toward subtler practices. In 2013 she initiated into the spiritual lineage of Swami Kripalu, accepting Amrit Desai as her primary teacher of the energetic and esoteric aspects of yoga. As part of this initiation, she received Shaktipat and was given the spiritual name Harsha, a Sanskrit name meaning "happiness, joy, and delight." Laura performed in-depth, immersive study and service at the Amrit Yoga Institute from 2013-2020, residing there full time from 2017- 2020. She completed several trainings led by Amrit Desai, his daughter Kamini Desai, and senior teacher Chandrakant John Heister, including a 500-hour Teacher Training in Meditation in Motion; Advanced Training in Yoga Nidra; and an extensive training in Yoga Therapy.*She also served in a number of capacities, including as a dishwasher, housekeeper, dictation typist, program manager, Director of Programs, and office assistant to Amrit Desai. She assisted many of the Institute's programs: Sadhana of Prana, Prana Awakening, 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training, and Yoga Nidra Training.Laura taught yoga in St. Petersburg, Florida from 2011-2017** and has returned, once again, to teaching in the St. Petersburg area. She looks to local Anusara wonder Rita Knorr as her main inspiration and enduring mentor. Currently, she continues to study asana with St. Pete's gifted Iyengar whiz, Tricia Amheiser, who doesn't let her be lazy.Laura's spiritual practice and teaching style also have been heavily influenced by her Taoist meditation teacher, Meg McLaughlin, who has been tolerating her antics since 2014.___________*While Laura is presently employed in the field of mental health, she is not a licensed mental health provider. **Prior teaching experience: A Yoga Village @Sunken Gardens & Unity Church campus, Dali Museum, Yoga Blu, LivingRoom Yoga, former Baptist Church in Crescent Heights, sub at Gold's Gym, "Yoga at the Trop" in 2013.