Heart of Wonder has a NEW fall date! Our third semi-annual art and yoga retreat will now be taking place on Saturday, November 9th. Enjoy the enchanting autumn backdrop of the NC Botanical Garden and embrace a sense of wonder towards life’s changing seasons.
Friday, June 21st is International Yoga Day! Join Aviva In Person or Online at Yoga Shala for a special practice to honor what yoga means to YOU.
Gretchen Clore is an experienced registered yoga instructor (eRYT-200) and a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP). She completed her yoga teacher training at YogaWorks, studying under Carmen Fitzgibbon, Thomas Taubman, and Gigi Snyder.
Gretchen has been practicing yoga since the age of 9 or 10, but teaching only since 2014. She even ran a yoga studio in Los Angeles for 2-1/2 years. Prior to teaching yoga, Gretchen was a fundraiser and nonprofit communications professional in Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco. She graduated from Indiana University (Bloomington) with a BA in Classics.
“I am excited to intern with Dogwood Studios. This is an incredible opportunity to deepen my personal yoga practice and to strengthen my yoga instruction,” says Gretchen. “Like most modern yogis, I started off with vigorous vinyasa flow in a group setting. My practice has changed quite a lot since then!”
These days, Gretchen is more into gentle, restorative, or yin yoga. At her studio, she primarily practiced Iyengar and Kundalini yoga, sometimes diverting to Chair Yoga when injuries prevented her from “performing” intense poses. Says Gretchen, “Since returning to Indiana from Southern California, I’ve discovered arthritis in my neck and hands, carpal tunnel in my wrists, and bunion in both feet. At the age of 57, I’m much more concerned with how I feel in a pose and how my students feel in a pose—not how the pose looks.”
Gretchen teaches several classes each week at Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation’s Monon Community Center. Although her classes are good for all levels, she enjoys working with beginners and seniors. For the past several years, she has taught Yoga At Your Desk for the National Exercise Trainers Association’s Annual FitFest. This summer, she will be teaching chair yoga at the Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library in Zionsville and the Carmel Clay Public Library.
In addition to yoga, Gretchen is certified to teach several SilverSneakers formats: Classic, Circuit, Stability, BOOM Mind, BOOM Muscle, EnerChi, and Splash. A lifelong learner, Gretchen completed The Shakti School’s Ayurvedic Wellness Coach program in 2023 and is currently studying herbs under Gaia Chef/Medicine Woman Audrey Barron.
In her spare time, Gretchen can be found playing with the new family dog (mini Doxie Rocky) or supporting her step-daughter’s many activities (tennis, cheer, & piano). Gretchen enjoys spending time with her family , hiking in the great outdoors, and is often found reading. She is married to her high school crush, Derrick(Clore Insurance), and they live on the Northwest side of Indianapolis.
Reach out to us with your questions at info@dogwoodstudioyoga.com. We are here to help. ❤️❤️❤️
SAM Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and an Insight Yoga Institute (IYI) endorsed teacher. She individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online and in person yoga classes as well as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.
