Yoga Oasis Staff

Mary Grace Conti

In one form or another, Mary has been living yoga since her birth. During her childhood,
she spent much time riding and training competitive show horses. From this relationship,
she has been deeply connected with her body since an early age. Since her first yoga class
Mary found it quite natural because asana resonated with the dynamics of balance, awareness,
and playing with a deep will inside to explore.. She also understands the student-teacher dynamic well,

as 15 years were spent within the teacher-student relationship in learning horsemanship.

Watching Mary practice & hearing Mary's words one knows she has lived this lifestyle for a very long time.

In addition to continuing her studies within her daily Mysore style Ashtanga practice, she has trained with:
Bikram Choudhury with whom she did a 9 week teacher training in L.A. in 2000, Baron Baptiste with whom she went to
Mexico, did a teacher training in 2001 and she practiced in his Cambridge, Mass. studio for almost 2 years, David Swenson
with whom she did a teacher training in 2002 in Vermont, Richard Freeman where she did a intensive course at the
Kripalu center, Lino Miele with whom she did several weekend workshops, Dharma Mittra who is her current Guru with
whom she practices currently at least once a week for the past 5 years, and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. It was in their first meeting
Guruji (Jois) asked Mary to come to Mysore and study. During their next practice in NYC Sharat, Guruji's grandson asked
Mary to come to Mysore to learn the Intermediate second series of Ashtanga yoga. Mary made it to Mysore & spent 3 months
under the daily teachings of her Guru's. It was there she learned the intermediate series. During her stay in Mysore she also
studied pranayama & ayurvedic massage which she combines with Thai massage and utilizes these tools while teaching classes.

She emphasizes a capability to study, learn, and reflect the wisdom she is working to adapt in a straight-forward and playful manner. Through her lifetime of bodily awareness training she has an amazing way to clearly explain the poses, as well as push you to a new level you never knew possible. Her classes are vitally alive, energized, expressive as well as passionate. Before yoga, Mary studied
and became a Certified Nutritionist, herbalist, and a Reiki healer. She has studied many, many styles of yoga and has developed her own style that keeps students coming back every day. She is also available for Nutritional Counseling.

As owner and proprietor of the Oasis, she teaches Bikram Yoga, Power Yoga, and the Level III Ashtanga classes.
During other times of the year she also teaches the Kids' Yogarama and leads the Yoga Oasis Teacher Training Seminars.