Private Yoga
Your body has a history.
Your yoga should know it.
Private yoga in Washington, D.C. and virtually—for people whose bodies need more attention than a group class can give
We were all designed to move. breathe. be.
Private yoga might be for you if:
You’ve finished physical therapy and been cleared to move—but you’re not ready to walk into a room with twenty people and a teacher who hasn’t asked about your history.
Standard cues don’t land in your body. Group class instructions have never quite worked for you, and nobody’s had time to figure out why.
You’re an athlete, or used to be, and what made you good at your sport is now what hurts.
You’re living with pain and want a practice that meets the body where you are.
You want to return to group classes—and need to build enough self-knowledge first to modify on your own, without waiting for permission.
Not on that list? Private lessons also work well for building a home practice, refining fundamentals, deepening your understanding of philosophy, providing mentorship for teachers or simply practicing on your own schedule.
And if what you’re after is less about your body and more about what you’re trying to achieve, that might be coaching rather than yoga.
Hi! I’m Catherine.
I came to yoga the way many of my clients do. Sideways.
Two foot surgeries ended more than a decade of high-level running. I didn’t find yoga because I was curious about it. I found it because my body left me no other choice.
That’s why I’m not interested in getting you into shape. I’m interested in what your body can actually do right now and what it might need to do next.
I’m a senior teacher, educator and mentor (E-RYT 500), certified by YogaWorks—one of the most rigorous yoga teacher trainer programs in the world—where I later became a teacher trainer. Twenty-plus years of practice.
I’m also a certified professional coach (CPCC, ACC). The coaching training shows up in the yoga. I ask better questions than most teachers do, and I'm as interested in what's happening around your practice as in what's happening on the mat.
The credentials matter. Yet what matters more is that I’ve spent a long time in a body that stopped cooperating, and I know how disorienting that can be.
A private lesson is not a group class with one person in it.
That’s the most common misunderstanding about this work, and it’s worth clearing up before we talk about anything else.
A group class is collective-driven. The teacher plans a sequence for many, and twenty different bodies adapt themselves to it as best they can. It’s a good approach towards yoga—and I love teaching in this format. But truthfully? The sequence for a collective is prioritized over a sequence for one.
A private lesson runs the other way. The individual’s needs come first with the practice built after that. That means:
I don’t necessarily offer a “well-rounded” practice. A group class has to include a bit of everything, because twenty people need twenty different things. You need what you need. Some days that’s forty minutes on shoulders. That might be a strange group class. It’s often the right private lesson.
Every pose earns its place. Not “this is the pose that comes next”, but rather, what is this specific shape doing for this specific body on this specific day? If I can’t answer that, we don’t do it.
What you want and what you need aren’t always the same thing. Part of my job is holding both—taking what you want seriously and being honest when your body is telling us something different. That conversation is the practice as much as the postures are.
You likely end up needing me less. The goal isn’t necessarily a standing appointment forever. It’s that you develop enough discernment about your own body to tell when a practice is serving you—and when it’s not.
Some clients work towards a specific finish line and graduate. Others stay for years because the work keeps changing. Both are the right outcome.
What I do and what I don’t.
I’m a yoga teacher. I’m not a doctor, a physical therapist or any kind of medical provider, and private yoga is not a substitute for their care. I don’t assess, diagnose or treat.
What I do is teach.
If your clinician has given you restrictions, I’ll build a practice that respects them and works inside them—strength, mobility, breath and a better sense of what your own body is telling you. I carry professional liability insurance for both yoga and coaching. I’m glad to coordinate with your physician or PT, and I’ll always defer to them.
How we work together
STEP ONE.
INTAKE. We talk. Your goals, your movement history, your injuries, your pain, what you’ve already tried. Bring what you have.
STEP TWO.
DISCOVERY. We look honestly at where your body is right now—and name the change you actually want, not the change you think you should want.
STEP THREE.
PRACTICE. We follow the plan we built together, and we change it as we learn. You’ll leave with a home practice written down so the work continues between sessions.
Most clients meet weekly or every other week in 75-minute sessions.
Your investment
Based on 75-minute sessions, I currently offer the below rates:
$150: In-person, my studio in Historic Anacostia
$200: In-person, your home or office (within 30 minutes)
$135: Virtually, over Zoom*
*Most flexible and genuinely effective. I cue precisely enough that you'll never be guessing, and with a decent camera angle, I can see your alignment as clearly as I could across a studio—down to a foot that's rotated a few degrees off.
10% off packages of eight sessions or more. Payment plans available. We can also discuss other session time commitments to best suit your schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Standard sessions are 75 minutes each week or every other week. However, based on goals and needs, we can arrange for shorter (ie, for 45 or 60 minutes) or longer (ie, 90 minutes).
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Yes! And better than most people expect.
I cue precisely enough that you'll be able to follow by voice alone, and I'll demonstrate when that helps. With a decent camera angle, I can see your alignment as clearly as I could across a studio—down to a foot that's rotated a few degrees off. In our first session, I'll spend time helping you set up your space and your camera so I can see you well.
It's also the most flexible option: no travel and no parking, and we can practice wherever you are.
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It depends! If you don’t do any yoga outside of our sessions together, you’ll still benefit greatly from the yoga you do practice during our private lessons.
That said, if desired, I’ll offer homework to explore between sessions, and I’d be happy to work with you to co-create what a home practice and/or group class schedule can look like for you.
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I’d recommend having a dedicated area in which to roll out a yoga mat and where you won’t be disturbed during our sessions. Ideally, your computer would be approximately 6 feet away from your mat so that I can better see you.
Regarding props, I’d recommend a yoga mat, two blocks, two blankets, a bolster and a belt. And access to a wall! At minimum, a yoga mat.
If we meet at my home, I’ll have all the props (and wall space!) we’ll need.
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I’m collaborative, honest and straightforward. I’ll guide you along this process, bringing forward recommendations based upon my 20+ years of practice and teaching and leading with curiosity, exploration and humor.
I’ll be your teammate. You’ve got this, and I can help.
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Yes. Sometimes couples, roommates, friends and co-workers want to partner on private lessons to share on costs and accountability. Rates are $200 for a 75-minute session, or $180 a session when buying as part of an eight-session package.
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Physical therapy is health care. A physical therapist evaluates you, forms a clinical picture and treats it—usually around a specific injury, on a timeline, sometimes with insurance behind it. They can assess and diagnose. I can't, and I don't.
Private yoga is education. I teach you a practice. Where a PT is working to resolve a problem, I'm helping you build something ongoing—strength, mobility, breath and enough familiarity with your own body that you can tell what's working and what isn't.
The two fit together well, and they often happen in sequence. A lot of people come to me after physical therapy ends—when they've been cleared to move, but the structure disappears, and they're not sure what's safe to do on their own.
If you're currently working with physician or a PT, I'm glad to follow their guidance, and I'll always defer to it. And if something comes up in a session that belongs in their hands rather than mine, I'll tell you and send you back to them.
“I worked with Catherine in private instruction, and she is an excellent teacher. She explains, demonstrates and breaks down each pose and helps make appropriate adjustments. She is very patient and goes the extra mile to document each session.”
— Bill A., Washington, D.C.
“Catherine is truly a jewel. I was extremely lucky to encounter her…her knowledge, enthusiasm, erudition, attention to detail, clarity in explanation and light-filled energy make her one of the best yoga instructors I have ever come across. She was even able to very thoughtfully help me through an injury. I feel very lucky to be able to learn from her.”
— Tatyana K., New York City
Let’s Find Out If We’re a Fit
Twenty minutes, no expectations. You tell me what’s going on with your body and what you want from it. I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m the right person—and if I’m not, I’ll try to point you towards who is.
Don't see a time that works, or prefer to write first? Use the form below, or email me at hello@movebreathebe.co.
Not quite it? I also work with people one-on-one as a certified coach (CPCC, ACC). More about coaching →
