12/8/08

I had not practiced yoga for 20 years and was so grateful to find Gloria’s classes. She has very balanced approach to yoga and encourages students to genuinely care for themselves, offering a challenging edge while also supporting compassionate, personal choice in the posture variations. This was a great relief to me given that I was pretty out of shape. In less than a month, I can already tell a difference in my level of strength.

To help with correct alignment and to start a home practice, I decided to take a private class with Gloria. What a wonderful experience! After a thorough intake, she carefully crafted a program that addressed my specific needs. She guided me through the postures, gently made corrections and then drew little diagrams for me to take home, complete with breathing tips. Gloria is such a relaxed, gracious and present guide in this powerful practice. I highly recommend her and look forward to learning more.

Ellen LaPenna

Am slowly easing into my own practice and it’s going well so far. You really are an awesome teacher. Thanks for doing what you do.

Hi Gloria, here is my yoga success story:

I just recently realized that almost 15 years of regular pain and minor debilitation from plantar fasciitis, which stemmed from a sports injury, has almost completely disappeared! I attribute this to my regular practice of yoga for the last six years, primarily under the guidance of Ms Gloria Drayer.

I know that the stubborn plantar fasciitis and its associated symptoms of pain and inflammation have improved because I now go barefoot or wear sandals for extended periods of time, up to and including all day long. It wasn't very long ago that I would not consider going without footwear that contain my custom-made, hard plastic orthotic. I also just realized that I can now spend many hours standing, doing chores that require a lot of standing and walking, and prolonged walking/hiking, without experiencing pain or wishing to sit down for a while.

I now do these activities for fairly long periods of time without thinking about my feet at all. I definitely attribute all of this to the consistent stretching and strengthening of my feet through many excellent yoga poses and practices, ones that are focused on the feet, as well as asanas that make regular useof the feet (like standing poses). I would not have learned or practiced these poses and techniques without Ms Drayer's friendship and instruction over the years.

Lyn S. Canham, Ph.D.
Human Factors Analyst

12/04

Thank you so much for leading us in a wonderful yoga and meditation session. Everyone there had wonderful things to say. Such as:

"I felt like I had a massage"
"I slept thru the whole night for the first time in months"
"It's Tuesday and I still feel calm"
"I never knew how much better I would feel after one session"

Happy Holidays and we'll be seeing you soon.

Ginger Girk

Dear Gloria and Patsy, 5/2005

I want to send a personal note of appreciation to you both for the sensitive care and reflective beauty that you each (alone and together) brought to our Yoga Retreat at Ojo Caliente. It was a poignant journey for me... as I had hoped for, and also a time of strong healing. I was surprised by the returning power of my grief, and also appreciated how both of you were able to hold me in this sorrow without losing the larger center of our full group. Thank you. I admire your capacity to share of yourselves with great luminosity.

It's a powerful day today -- honoring our mothers... which has made me want to send you a poem I love in recognition of the abiding strengths we all can cherish.

With joy, Lois

Namaste, Gloria:

Words cannot describe the wonderful peace, love and connections obtained in Ojo Caliente! I feel so overwhelmingly fortunate to have experienced the past weekend. I feel like it reaches such higher spiritual states.......and the peace...and the love.....Thank you for all your hard work, sharing of knowledge and gathering us all at a very sacred place. I'm holding on to that Prana for as long as I can!!! If you need me to write some kind of comprehensive thoughts about both experiences (White Sands and OJO) I will............you can use it for promotional purposes................My heart and soul thank you!!!

Jackie Tice 5/2005

I would like to heartily recommend Ms. Gloria Drayer as an instructor of yoga, whether it is in a traditional classroom, a workshop, or a yoga retreat. Ms. Drayer has been my yoga instructor in a variety of settings and instruction levels for some four years. I have gone to great lengths to seek out her instruction. Ms. Drayer teaches as many students as she can find time to reach, and she offers splendid retreats in very special settings. … She … bends over backward (no pun intended!) to accommodate the complex schedules and intrusions of her students’ lives. … Ms. Drayer’s dedication to students is inspiring. Her quality of instruction is superior. …

Lyn Canham