Joanne Spence

Joanne Spence, MA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, is a recovering social worker and certified yoga therapist. She has a Social Work degree from James Cook University and a Master of Arts from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She is the founder and executive director of Yoga in Schools and Urban Oasis Pittsburgh. Joanne trains and teaches all sorts of amazing people, both nationally and internationally, in yoga. She has taught yoga in prisons, hospitals, schools, churches, and sometimes on street corners. She specializes in working with adults and children who are experiencing chronic pain, trauma, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and insomnia. Joanne is the author of soon-to-be released book "Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Toolbox for Therapists: 47 Simple Practices to Calm, Balance, and Restore the Nervous System" (PESI, Mar 2021). She has also co-authored several published articles as well as a chapter in "Stories of School Yoga: Narratives from the Field," and she was a contributor to "Best Practices for Yoga in Schools." Joanne likes nothing more than to demonstrate the inclusive nature of yoga practice; if you can breathe, you can do yoga. Joanne has been married to Doug for over thirty years. Together, they have three adult children, all of whom practice yoga! When she is not teaching, Joanne loves to read, write, hike, travel, cook, and even dance a little—just not all at the same time. Visit her website at joannespence.com.