Urban Retreat

Originally from Philadelphia, Joan earned her bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Temple University. Shortly after finishing college, she moved to New York City to pursue a professional dance career, and it was there that she discovered yoga. Soon after, she relocated to Santa Monica, California, where she completed the YogaWorks Teacher Training with the renowned Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford in 2002, followed by further study with Annie Carpenter, who is known for her SmartFlow® system of highly intelligent sequencing. Joan received her YogaWorks Certification in 2006 then took her first trip to Mysore, India to study with the beloved Sri K. Pattihbi Jois and his grandson Sharath Rangaswamy. Since then, she has traveled extensively throughout India and has been blessed to study with world-renowned teachers in far-off places where she has enjoyed unplugging from the Western way of living, fully embracing the yogic lifestyle and immersing herself in her practices.