"Mindfulness practice is my well at the top of a hill. Getting there every day is hard work, but once the trip is made, I live with greater ease."
Gail is the founder of Philadelphia's Yoga Child, where she teaches yoga and mindfulness classes to adults, children and expectant parents. Gail develops curriculum for Yoga Child's city wide school-based yoga and mindfulness program, and is the primary teacher of Yoga Child's Teacher Training programs. A former child advocate attorney, Gail turned to yoga for replenishment and strength and later became inspired to share the teachings with children through the creation of Yoga Child, songwriting, and through writing children's books. Gail is a certified yoga teacher in vinyasa, restorative, children's and prenatal yoga. She is registered with the Yoga Alliance and enjoys a position as a board member with K-12 yoga.org, an organization bringing national uniformity and standards to in-school yoga.
Gail studies and practices mindfulness through the teachings of Nobel Peace nominated Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh and with the support of The Peaceful City Sangha. Gail enjoys integrating the practices of mindfulness and yoga both on and off of the mat, particularly in her home life as a working mother of three children. Introducing mindfulness to her daily life has allowed her to appreciate the importance of compassion, and its role in facilitating healthy communication between family members. Gail views her mindfulness practice as a well which when visited enables her and her family to experience life's challenges with greater ease. Gail's books, classes, and music are the channels through which she shares these lessons.
Gail is the author of children's books, Anh's Anger, and Steps and Stones(October 2011), both published by Parallax Press. She is currently at work on her first fiction novel for adults and is a contributing writer to The Expectant Mother's Guide. She is grateful to be the recipient of the 2010 Skipping Stones book award for Anh's Anger, a 2007 Parents Choice Foundation award for the Cd, A Peaceful Place Inside, and the 2004 Parents Express enterprising Woman of the year award. The Yoga Child Children's program is a two-time Best of Philadelphia award winner, providing yoga instruction to over 30 schools in the Philadelphia area.
Most importantly, Gail is blessed with the love and support of her husband, Michael, and her three children, Ben, Anabel and Chelsea, who provide her with daily opportunities to practice mindful living in the City of Brotherly Love.