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My Story
My name is Deneene Bell. I am a freelance writer-editor, certified yoga teacher, and Reiki practitioner. I live and practice in Sonoma County, CA, on unceded Pomo land.
I facilitate yoga classes, mediation, healing arts workshops, and women’s circles based on belief in the transformative, healing, and empowering nature of embodied expression in all forms: writing, art, breath, movement, ritual, and meditation. I write, practice, teach, volunteer, and facilitate to energize, awaken, inspire, and co-create personal and communal (rev)elation + (r)evolution.
My background is in education—teaching literacy skills and composition. Over the last 25 years, I have worked with students of all ages, levels, backgrounds, and abilities.
My longtime yoga practice, cultivated in the crucible of grad school and a sweaty Berkeley studio 20 years ago, yielded into a daily devotion that naturally evolved into teaching.
I was trained and certified by Sienna Smith in Shri Yoga, a synthesis of Hatha traditions rooted in the eight limbs and based on principles of Anusara (consciousness)
and Viniyoga (adaptation).
[Krishnamacharya-Desikachar Lineage]
I have also received teachings from Sally Kempton, Michelle C. Johnson, Dianne Bondy, Amber Karnes,
Anusha Wijeyakumar, Reggie Hubbard, Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Hala Khouri, Suzanne Sterling, Nikki Myers, Sadie Nardini, Stephanie Snyder, Amy Ippoliti, Christina Sell, Chinnamasta Stiles, Mirka Kraftsow.

Why Wild Sage?
wild
adjective: untamed;
living + growing in a natural environment
noun: a natural or uncultivated state
sage
adjective: wise through reflection + experience
noun: a medicinal + culinary herb; a wise person
In addition to the obvious connotations of badassery and wisdom, Wild Sage is a combination of my kids' names, Wilder + Sage. I dedicate my practice to them,
as well as to the final leaf of our unruly branch, my partner in love and life, Chris.

Philosophy
My studentship and teaching is rooted in
deep dedication and respect for
I operate from an ever-growing understanding that yoga is a living, mutable practice, at once physical, soulful, and unique to each individual.
Whatever the reason for coming to the mat, yoga is a great gift of self-wisdom available to every body and every being.
Through breath, movement, and dedication, yoga works to calm the mind, engage the body, and cultivate an awareness which helps us to accomplish great feats of humanness:
CONNECTION, PEACE,
STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY,
HEALING, BALANCE,
FOCUS, VIBRANCY.
Yoga is not only good exercise and personal medicine, it is an expression of how
we each live our lives—providing us with
challenges, choices, insights, and rewards
both on and off the mat.