After having a baby and navigating seismic life changes, Janelle Bonanno felt like a stranger in her own body - unsure how to begin again. At first, she believed the answer was weight loss, looking better, and getting healthy in order to be happy. But the pressure of that impossible task was crushing. Yoga became her first safe space, a place where she could show up exactly as she was. At first, she stayed for the safety. Over time, she discovered that the lessons of yoga live in the process, not the outcome. Surrounded by others on the same journey, she found tools she didn’t know she was seeking. Today, she keeps showing up because that process continually allows her to reclaim herself and grow into the next version of who she wants to be.

Janelle’s background is as diverse as it is inspiring: she is a trained scientist, attorney, and 200-hour certified yoga teacher. Before returning to the East Coast, she built an extensive career in the video game industry, where creativity, curiosity, and play were daily practice. That same spirit infuses her teaching today. She brings an organic mix of high energy and heartfelt encouragement, rooted in her belief that we learn best when spaces are created for exploration through play. She is incredible at guiding children and teens in yoga and education, yet equally powerful in helping adults rediscover their childlike wonder, curiosity, and joy. Off the mat, Janelle is a full-time Girl Scout Troop Leader to 14 scouts and a devoted mom who delights in rediscovering life through her daughter’s eyes.

She finds joy in cultivating community, crafting, writing, gaming, and - according to some - moonlighting as an “alleged attorney.”

Her two favorite emotions: wonder and whimsy.