Author of the award-winning self-help book, "From the Boxing Ring to the Ashram," Deborah Charnes is a bilingual Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT). She has coached tumbling two-year-old toddlers and mentally spry 90-year-olds. Deborah has led therapeutic workshops and yoga classes around the world. Among the many locales she's worked are a Tuscan retreat center (two years in a row), a Nicaraguan resort (two years in a row), rural Costa Rica, a Belizean high school, in India (twice), and a healing arts studio in Mexico. Now, clients can book their own customized sessions. Choose from in-person, or tap into her most popular signature workshops, now available online.
A long time ago, Deborah improved her own mental and physical well-being via Sivananda intensives. Swami Sivananda’s holistic approach helped popularize yoga throughout the world. As a result, she is steeped in the philosophy and learnings of Sivananda Yoga which, in effect, is lifestyle management. Part and parcel of the Sivananda way are healthy karma-free eating, meditation, breathwork, bhakti yoga (devotional chanting), and karma yoga (selflessness).
As a teenager, Deborah suffered from chronic pain. To manage that, she found value in deep breathing, and deep stretching, along with herbal tea to bring about a positive and peaceful state of mind. As a result, she nearly eradicated diabetes, and chronic gastrointestinal, and lower back pain. Now, her drugs of choice are Hatha, bhakti, breathwork, and meditation. Learn more about the importance of drug-free sattvic living in her book, "From the Boxing Ring to the Ashram," as well as in her on-demand Yogi Diet workshop.
She draws on her decades of training and practice to help others through simple techniques that can be practiced anywhere, anytime.
Deborah has the rank of E-RYT 500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher) and is a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). As such, her on-demand therapeutic workshops are eligible for continuing education credits from the Yoga Alliance.
Plus, Deborah was one of the first bilingual yoga therapists certified through the International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT). Deborah studied Ayurvedic massage therapy, nutrition and cooking, and treatment plans at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre in India. Beyond being credentials as a yoga therapist, she earned certifications in Laughter as Medicine, Acupressure, Sound Therapy, and Reiki (among other modalities). Additionally, she is a certified prenatal and postpartum yoga teacher with advanced certification in yoga for fertility. And still, she doesn’t stop learning.
Off the mat, Deborah was on the San Antonio Mayor’s Fitness Council for many years. For nearly ten years, she taught free yoga at Austin’s VegFest, and at SíClovía, San Antonio’s biggest free health and fitness event.
Deborah is committed to improving others’ well-being. She has led free Spanish-language yoga classes for women and children in five countries.
Passionate about well-being, she is a veteran blogger. More recently, she dedicated her time to writing a self-help book based on learnings from a dozen of her gurus around the world. Read endorsements and reviews, or order a copy at deborahcharnes.com/book