Patty Townsend is the Director of Yoga Center Amherst, and the developer of Embodyoga®.  She was among the first wave of teacher–trainers in the U.S. while in residence at the Center for Yoga, Los Angeles in 1985, and later as co–owner of Yoga Works, Santa Monica. Patty teaches 200 and 500 Hour Teacher Training Programs and presents Embodyoga® workshops regularly at venues in the North East including Kripalu and Omega.

Patty brings a lifetime of study, personal practice, and teaching experience to her workshops and Teacher Training Programs. She teaches Tantric Meditation, and a fully embodied approach to asana, that encourages the spontaneous recognition of Unity, through the full integration of body-mind-consciousness. Her breath and awareness–centered teaching incorporates a deep knowledge of alignment that is profoundly influenced by the innovative approach to consciousness and full embodiment presented by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen of the School for Body–Mind Centering®, with whom Patty has studied personally for the past 10 years. Embodyoga® is the culmination and the ongoing exploration of more than 40 years of inquiry into the nature of awareness, body, and mind. Patty is a master teacher, and embodies a strong understanding of all aspects of Yoga practice and philosophy.

“Patty Townsend is an exceptional teacher, manifesting deep integrity, wisdom, enthusiasm, humor, sensitive awareness and kindness.  Her comprehensive yoga course is heart centered, precise in the execution of asana, clear in the transmission of the underlying principles of pranayama, knowledgeable of the philosophy of the sages, aware of the importance of personal embodiment, and caring of the individual differences within the group of participants.  Patty is a joy and a gift for those of us who are fortunate to study with her.”