Arts Of Flesh – Traci Joy Burleigh

warm, knowledgeable, grounded, wise, deep, fun, spirited and holistic

I’m not sure 5 stars are enough…
A year ago, if you had asked me «Tori, what do you think about yoga?» my answer would have been «I don’t». A year ago yoga just wasn’t my thing, yoga was for hippies and soccer moms, not for tattooed punk rockers like me. A year ago I felt like I needed to engage in more vigorous types of exercise, I was a runner dammit, I didn’t have time for all this sitting around meditating and chanting crap! A year ago I would have said something like, «Just look at me, I’m covered from head to toe in tattoos, I cuss like a sailor and I’ve never owned anything made of spandex ever in my life, I’m never going to fit in with all the other ladies down at my local yoga studio, right?» A year ago I would have said, «Yoga just isn’t intense enough for me, why bother, it’s not going to do me any good and what’s with all this OM-​ing and seriously, what the hell *is* a chaturanga anyway!!!» That was a year ago…
…And then I met Traci Joy Burleigh, and my life hasn’t been the same since.
To say that Traci Joy Burliegh has changed my life forever and for the better through yoga and Ayurveda would be a gross understatement. I can honestly say that, in just the 8 short months I have been practicing and taking Traci’s classes at Bernal Yoga (and taking these classes and workshops religiously I might add, 3 and sometimes even 4 times a week) I have never felt healthier, happier or stronger physically, mentally or spiritually (did I just say spiritually? wow…) EVER in my life. When Traci Joy talks about yoga, you can easily tell she’s dedicated and passionate about her practice, but when actually taking her class, you get to really see and feel and experience where that dedication and passion comes from; her heart. As a rank beginner and even (dare I say at the very beginning) a nay-​sayer, I never once felt intimidated or out of place in one of Traci Joys classes, and in fact, every student no matter their skill level, from very first timers to seasoned veterans, all get the same amount of respect and attention to detail. She has a real talent for bringing classes together to feel more like a community rather than just a herd of students crammed into a tight space for 90 minutes, even if just by encouraging us all to learn each others names. Anyway, its pretty obvious, even to a newbie like myself, that Traci Joy really knows her stuff and takes tremendous pride in her role as a yoga instructor, never pretentious or condescending, only ever helpful and encouraging and always knowing just how and when to push us all to our own personal edges. I deeply appreciate Traci Joys ability and willingness to always lead by example and I am eternally grateful to her for helping this one salty dog become the best yogi she can be. I have, and will continue to encourage all my friends to stop by her class and just see for themselves, her work speaks for it’s self!

My Partner and I hired Traci to be our personal trainer about 2 years ago. Traci is super realistic and tailors her style to meet your needs from yoga to cardio to strength training. Goals /​homework are identified and set as a team and if you dog eats your homework, there is no lecture!
When I work with Traci I feel great, when I miss a few weeks I can always tell and look forward to our next session. Her yoga training is superb and have learned so much about what I am capable of. She is so much fun to work with — we work hard but we laugh as hard as well!

Progress has continued and I’m feeling better than I ever could have imagined. Knowing my body responds so well to Yoga encourages me to be more active generally. How good can I feel? I’m going to find out.
Traci is fun to practice with and learn from. She’s supportive and encouraging, She’s literally changed my life opening up not only parts of my body but new life opportunities too.
Inversions coming soon. Who would have though it?

It’s hard to start writing about Traci because I don’t know when to stop writing great things about her. Traci is an amazing practitioner, teacher, support system, healer, listener, and just an exceptional person. I’ve been working with her since mid spring of this year and I consider her integral to my rehabilitation and healing (physically, emotionally, and more). I injured my knee pretty badly skiing about a year ago and starting working with a number of physical therapists immediately. After a few months of «regular» PT, I realized I was neglecting the non-​injured parts of my body and having done yoga for years, I really felt like it could help me rehabilitate. Long before my injury, I had taken a few classes with Traci and really liked her and then another yoga instructor recommended her for my recovery. I couldn’t be happier that she did. Traci also does PT and having her insights into biomechanics as well as yoga, other eastern schools of thought and ayurvedic body types was amazingly helpful. I know her guidance helped ensure that scar tissue didn’t return to my knee after my second surgery. It felt like a splurge having her come to my home to work with me, but not only did I need the individual attention, Traci stayed in touch with me between sessions, gave me homework to do in the interim, and was available with helpful information and support any time I asked her for it. (She was also incredibly gracious when my dog wanted to join our yoga sessions.) Now that I’m taking yoga classes with her, I see that she shines as a teacher and healer in any setting. She’s incredibly conscientious and provides great handouts for the group, rich with exercises, insightful quotes and mental challenges that lend themselves to deep and meaningful self reflection. I think Traci makes the world a better, healthier, more balanced place through her work and commitment to body and mind work. She’s been a critical ingredient to my recovery and I couldn’t recommend her more highly.

I have been studying with TJ for a little over a year and a half. I started yoga hoping to resolve a running injury, but soon found that it changed me deeply (physically as well as mentally, emotionally and spiritually). This is due, in large part, to TJ’s incredible expertise and enthusiasm. She is astonishingly skilled and knowledgable about yoga, Eastern philosophies and traditions, and anatomy. She is observant, attentive, sensitive and absolutely present while she is teaching. She notices and gently «corrects» (through encouragement, clarification and demonstration) providing her students with the opportunity to settle into the postures gradually and deeply, allowing us to gain a deeper understanding of the intent of each pose.
I have worked with TJ in many contexts (weekend workshops, regular group classes, private study) and she is adept in each of these scenarios. She teaches a regular «Hips & Hamstrings» workshop, which is widely popular. I’ve taken three or four of these workshops, and each is a little different. TJ’s classes are varied and well-​planned. She usually arrives with written notes and a stack of books– each class is well-​conceived in advance – and she creates classes that address specific issues that some of the «regulars» might be having. Further, she often designs a sequence around a very specific muscle or muscle group. It might be a part of the body that you are barely aware of… but by the end of the class, you will have an increased awareness of the muscle, its function, how you use it, how it connects to everything else, and how you FEEL it, both physically and emotionally.
It is not TJ’s knowledge-​base alone that makes her classes great. Her personal style is refreshing, energetic and thoughtful. Her demeanor is happy and cheerful. I’ve noticed that some yoga teachers seem to have a script that begins to sound a little bit rote or monotonous– not TJ! One thing I really enjoy about her teaching is the way she uses her voice. When she emphasizes something, she is emphatic! Her positive encouragement is genuine and enthusiastic. When it’s time to do shavasana, her voice lowers accordingly. That may sound like a little thing, but I think it sets the tone for the energy of the class. Tj is one of a kind, and I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to spend the first 18 months of my yoga practice with her. I’d recommend her to anyone, whether an advanced student or a novice. She makes everyone feel comfortable, she is absolutely concerned with safety and avoiding injury, and she honors each student’s practice.

Traci is an amazing teacher and guide, especially for those who have health issues that make keeping active more challenging, and more imperative. I’ve had fibromyalgia for over a decade, and was finding my posture (especially in front of the computer) poor in ways that exacerbated my chronic pain. I wondered how I could possibly improve my posture (which my Mom has nagged me about since teenagerhood)? After four months of yoga with Traci I’m amazed at how naturally and organically my posture, and my health, have improved. I feel stronger, more flexible, more agile — and maintaining better posture at the computer, at the table, and at work has become something that doesn’t even require conscious attention — my body now knows what it needs to do to feel better, and I do it without external reminders. Traci is attentive, extraordinarily knowledgeable, responsive to the needs of my particular body, and very supportive. I’m most impressed with her breadth and depth of knowledge about the body. She is able to select which yoga poses are most necessary and appropriate for your particular body, and adapt poses as necessary for your health. No matter WHERE you are starting from, Traci can support you to better health.

Working with Traci has been a life changing experience! I am so grateful for her guidance. She’s helped me to build life habits that truly nourish me and bring me into balance using her rich knowledge of Ayurveda and yoga. TJ is a valuable resource and excellent teacher. I would highly recommend her to anyone seeking greater health and well-​being.

If you take a moment to review Traci’s credentials, you’ll begin to get a feel for the care and devotion she’s taken to her craft.
It’s very clear that for Traci her work is not a vocation, it’s her nature, her calling and her passion.
I have worked with Traci on many levels in many ways, she is dedicated to her clients and students — she works with diligence and care.
I can state unequivocally that Traci is a master level worker in her chosen fields.

Traci was my personal trainer through the UCSF gym. I don’t think we ever did the same routine twice. She was very interested in working on my sport specific needs (tennis) and came up with some really fun exercises to do. I ran into a old college friend at the gym and she recommended Traci before I could even tell her that I was already working with her! I am really going to miss working with her at the gym.

I have been working with Traci for a few months. I have a chronic auto-​immune disease. Traci is amazing at listening to what I need and working with my personal time-​constraint issues. She is truly an amazingly gifted healer. I have never worked with anyone so empowering and encouraging. She has helped me achieve more energy, go back to exercising, and even helped me re-​connect with my spiritual self on a regular basis through meditation. I strongly recommend anyone who has need healing to work with her. She is truly gifted like no other practitioner I have ever worked with.

Traci was my yoga teacher for a while and then I hired her as my personal trainer. I have a chronic headache that is worsened by exercise that kept me from regular exercise for many years. In working with Traci I found ways to get stronger that I could do without causing pain and in the long term working out actually reduced my overall pain, which has been an amazing experience. Traci has an incredible breadth and depth of knowledge about bodies and regularly draws from several fields of study in addressing my body and health. Working with her can feel like working with a whole panel of experts in one person. I highly recommend her services.