Over the past 25 years, Cora Wen has built her reputation as an internationally acclaimed yoga practitioner and teacher. She is a follower of the great Indian guruji B.K.S. Iyengar, who passed away in August, 2014, age 95.

Toward the end of an 11-year career in banking, in the late 1980s, Cora first began to study yoga. She apprenticed with Erich Schiffmann and assisted Rodney Yee for seven years. She assisted and traveled with Judith Hanson Lasater, her principle mentor, for 18 years, and was also mentored by Patricia Walden. In addition, Cora has studied with Angela Farmer, Ramanand Patel, and the Sanskrit scholars Kofi Busia and Edwin Bryant. Her yoga practice and knowledge extend from the most advanced asanas (poses) to the full range of pranayama (breathwork), and she is well-versed in the spiritual underpinnings of yoga (Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita).

In 2001, Cora started her Yoga Bloom school for training in therapeutic yoga. It follows an extensive curriculum based on her years of experience working with people suffering from various chronic and acute conditions from arthritis and joint injuries to multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease and including psychological trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders and addiction.

Beginning in 2002, Cora developed the Yoga Experience for AmanResorts; she has also taught Yoga for the Mandarin Oriental Hotels and the Uma by COMO Hotels and Resorts. Over the past 12 years, she has organized private yoga and cultural tours for up to 25 people in India, the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Sikkim Himalayas, Cambodia, Laos and Java.

A native of Hong Kong, educated in English-speaking schools there, in Europe and the U.S., Cora attended the University of Chicago and the University of San Francisco. She worked in fashion retail and design before joining U.S. Bank, where she managed corporate travel and purchasing for numerous Fortune 100 companies.

Cora’s YogaBloom clothing line, launched in 2013, is available through her websites, corawen.com and yogabloom.com. She is an active presence under the name of “CoraYoga” on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), with about 25,000 total followers and a daily reach of 3,000 to 15,000. The videos on her “CoraYoga” YouTube channel have exceeded 150,000 total views.

See where Cora is teaching next

WHAT TEACHERS SAY:

“I am filled with inspiration for Cora’s commitment and for the simple joy she radiates. I enjoy being with her as she discovers her own self on the mat and then shares it with others.” ~ Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD & physical therapist. Yoga teacher since 1971

“Cora is a gifted teacher – she has the gift of a supple body, a creative mind and most of all, a kind heart. You will be comforted by her teaching” ~ Patricia Walden, vice president of B.K.S. Iyengar Regional Association. Yoga teacher since 1976.

“Cora has worked extensively with me for years, assisting me at workshops and traveling around the country. She’s a gem. She glows. She’s got the juju, and knows what’s happening. Breathe, bend and bloom with Cora. You’ll be glad you did!” ~ Erich Schiffmann Yoga teacher since 1970

“I have not met a more enthusiastic yoga practitioner in all my years of teaching. Her love for the art and her childlike excitement for discovering and sharing yoga insights is infectious. Most people will be touched deeply by her classes and at the same time have great fun.” ~ Rodney Yee Yoga Yoga teacher since 1987

WHAT STUDENTS SAY:

• “Your teaching just gets deeper and deeper and it’s beautiful.” ~ Diane, The Yoga Movement Center
• “Cora is the best yoga instructor I’ve ever had. Her style is very loving and gentle, yet you always leave with a good workout.” ~ Mimi, Nashville TN
• “I was very inspired by the way you led with the spirit of silence, how you incorporated play, and also how you wove that into the “practice” of our everyday lives.” ~ Suzanne, Walnut Creek, CA

CLASS DESCRIPTION

Classes are sequenced to prepare and open the body for asana and pranayama practice. Focus is on strengthening and balancing flexibility, to build a solid foundation for a continued practice.

Precise and mindful movement guides subtle energy, with a lighthearted approach, and sense of wellness and harmony both on and off the mat. Preparing classes this way helps challenging poses become easier and “easy” poses more interesting…

Cora is committed to the practice of yoga and believes fitness and healing are byproducts of yoga; the actual purpose is to awaken our highest potential as human beings. Her workshops and classes are an environment to expand, explore and challenge your body, mind and spirit.