About Me
My name is Erika Ribary and I have lived in Snoqualmie Valley for most of my life, minus a jaunt to California and Arizona for college and graduate school. I have been practicing yoga for over 12 years. Originally, I sought out yoga to help in my healing from an autoimmune disease which had slowly been taking my life away. Not only was I dealing with intense physical issues, I was depressed and anxious as I felt trapped in my body. Through learning to connect with my breath and listen to my body, I fell in love with this practice that has brought much healing to my life. Perfectionism has been replaced by acceptance and compassion; anxiety has been replaced by peace...just a few of the internal gifts of yoga.
My first several years of practice were in the comforts of my living room learning from Rodney Yee and Shiva Ray on VCR tapes and then DVDs. I was too intimidated to enter a studio, thinking I was not "good" enough to practice with the real yogis (a common perfectionistic tape that often showed up for me). After much persuading from friends, I was encouraged to try a class with Cherene Khouri and Matt Queen at North Bend Yoga Shala. After my first class, I was hooked! This was 2008. I was a mom with three young children and it felt like such a gift to go to a class for exercise alone, but to walk away feeling so much more was incredible. The tranquility and grounding soon became my desire for more practice, while the strength and flexibility became extra bonuses. I quickly realized, as well, how valuable it was to have a trained set of eyes guiding my practice.
In 2015, I completed my 200-hour RYT at North Bend Yoga Shala and then I continued my training by completing my 500-hour RYT in April of 2020. Through Matt and Cherene's guidance and grace, I have been blessed with an understanding of alignment within the postures and I have experienced the joy, peace and compassion that can be cultivated through the gift of yoga. Not only is yoga a way to practice physical movements, it is a way to practice life, offering opportunities every time one steps on the mat to stay in the moment, address fears, and look at the statements our egos tell us. These lessons, then, can then be taken out into the real world!
Currently, I teach private and semi-private sessions at my home studio in Fall City. My alignment-based practice is approachable to all ages and experiences. With an easy-going and warm style, I allow students to learn yoga in a comfortable setting, while being challenged with refinement of the postures.
I am passionate about wellness and helping people tap into all of the power, beauty and love in which they were created. Through eating whole foods, moving with intention and connecting with one's heart, the benefits of caring for these precious bodies we have been given are abundant. A full cup is able to pour out to others!
