Hello! I am Kara...

I am the founder of So IN Body, located in Paoli, Indiana.

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I created this page to tell more of my story, for those who are interested.

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My Yoga Beginnings...

My first experience with yoga was in 1996, after I returned from a college term in the Dominican Republic.  While I was away, my boyfriend (now my husband), began doing yoga with a video as part of his training for a marathon.  His mom gave him the video.  I immediately was interested in trying it and started using his video to practice.

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The reasons that I began to do yoga were multifaceted.  I was 22 at the time, and had been diagnosed with depression a few years before during my first year of college. I had struggled with depression, anxiety, intense self-criticism, and perfectionism all through high school, and all of those things were highly triggered in my first year of college.

Although I did take medication when needed, I continued to look for a variety of ways to support my mental health, including spiritual practices, spending time in nature, and some exercise.  At that time I also used alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine and emotional eating as some of my main coping mechanisms. 

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In early 1997, I had dropped out of college (which I finished later), and I was working at a Natural Foods Co-op in Goshen, Indiana.  I was desperately seeking for peace within myself.  One day on the bulletin board at the store I worked at, I saw a flyer for yoga classes being offered in the next town over (Elkhart, about 20min drive).  I also saw a flyer for Tai Chi classes.  I wanted to take them both, but didn't have the money, so I decided to start with yoga.  

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I was hooked. And I never did try the Tai Chi classes.

I remember driving away from my yoga class each week feeling more at peace with myself and life....more at home in my own skin...more grounded and centered.

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That was over 24 years ago.

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More about my story coming soon...

...to this space.  See below for part of my resume.  It is also still in process.

Training & Work Experience

Spring 2019 - Present

Summer 2015 - Present

August 2012

August 2011 - August 2015

2008-Present

2002-2012

2002-2003

1997-2003 (at least)

2000-2008

1999-2000

1998

1996-2000

1993-1996

1992-1993

1992

1974

Team Peace and Working with Kids in the Schools.  I began working with two of our local elementary schools in 2019.  In 2020, in partnership with our local clinic, Southern Indiana Community Health Care, I created Team Peace, which provides online and in person content for youth to help them address stress, anxiety and big emotions.  My training to work with kids includes:

• Polyvagal Theory Comes to Life in our Schools and Classrooms with Dr. Stephen Porges & Dr. Lori Desautels (Nov 2021)

• Mindful Schools year-long Mindful Teacher Certification Program (completed in July 2021).

• Mindful Schools Courses:  101 Mindfulness Foundation (2019),  201 Mindfulness in the Classroom (2019), Self-Compassion for Educators (2020), and Mindful Communication (2020).

• YogaEd Trauma-Informed Yoga for Youth (2019)

• Created Kids Peace Camp summer program and taught it in Goshen, IN in 2009, 2010, 2011.

• Radiant Child Yoga Program Levels 1 & 2 (around 2008)

• 2 workshops with Marsha Wenig of of YogaKids (2009)

So IN Body.  I moved to Paoli (my hometown) from Chicago in 2015. Immediately upon moving home, I began teaching classes to adults.   My yoga, movement & mindfulness business went through a couple of different names. In 2018 I landed on the name So IN Body. (So IN Body is short for "Southern Indiana Body", as well as a play on the word "embody").  

In the last 4-5 years I have been studying movement, other than yoga to diversify both my own practice, and what I teach.  I have also been studying trauma-informed movement and embodiment practices and the nervous system to inform how and what I teach. Some of my training includes:

• Integrative Somatic Trauma Therapy Certificate Program through Embody Lab (Oct-Dec 2021)

• Healing Trauma with Dr. Peter Levine through Embody Lab (Oct 2021)

• Study & work with Kimberly Ann Johnson with focus on Trauma Healing for Women (Oct-Dec 2021)

• GMB Fitness Online Program (2021)

• Movement Monk Online Program (2021)

• DrumFit Certification Program (2021)

• Yoga Deconstructed: Creative Sequencing with Trina Altman (2021)

• Strength for Yoga with Jenny Rawlings (2021)

• Yoga for Everyone & Dynamic Sequencing with Dianne Bondy (2021)

• Love and Rage Meditation Course with Lama Rod Owen (2021)

• The Power of Awareness Course through Sounds True with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield (2021)

• Movement for Trauma Levels 1 & 2 plus additional one-on-one study with Jane Clapp (2019-2020)

• Yoga Detour Online Training Program (2018)

• Multiple online programs + self-study with Mindful Strength (2018-2020)

• 10 Day Vipassana Meditation Retreat (2018)

• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction 8 week program with Linda Brown in Bloomington (2018 or 2019)

• Completed a year-long Ayurveda-based certification training in Yoga Health Coaching with Yoga Healer & Cate Stillman 

• I have also done online or self-study/training with Somakinese,  Hand Eye Body, Laura Geiger, Jules Mitchell to inform my practice and teaching.

Sold Spacious Heart Yoga, my yoga business in Goshen, Indiana.  I founded Spacious Heart Yoga in 2005.

In 2011, I moved to Chicago.  Below you will find some of the trainings and work that I did during the time I lived there.

• Chaturanga Holistic Fitness (2013-2015).  Taught regular weekly classes, workshops, privates, and Yoga Teacher Training (2013-2014).

• Bottom Line Yoga/Akal Yoga in the Chicago Board of Trade (2014-2015). Teacher and some management responsibilities.

• Sun & Moon Beach Yoga.  Teacher and Manager. (2012-2015)

• Bloom Yoga Studio.  Regular weekly classes and AcroYoga workshops. (2011-2015)

• Yogaview.  Sub for yoga classes.

• Moksha Yoga. AcroYoga classes.

• Nature Yoga. AcroYoga workshop.

• PS Yoga. Teacher and Manager. (2012-2013)

• The Second City. Private group yoga classes.

• Court Theatre. Private group yoga classes.

• Regular/weekly AcroYoga classes in a couple of different locations

• Trainings during this time included (but not limited to):

  • Rod Stryker​ weekend workshop

  • AcroYoga: Teacher Training (2011), Festival (2011), Multiple Immersions, Workshops

  • Multiple Anusara workshops (Sianna Sherman, Desiree Rumbaugh)

  • Ana Forrest yoga workshop

  • Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Training/Workshop with Jenn Turner

  • Yoga for the Female Pelvic Floor with Leslie Howard

  • Self-study with Katy Bowman and Nutritious Movement

• Created a Yoga Teacher Training and taught 2 cycles of it in Paoli, Indiana while living in Chicago.  

Study & practice of AcroYoga and Thai Yoga Bodywork.  

Study of Anusara Yoga.  When I found Anusara Yoga, my heart jumped for joy. This form of yoga, at the time, met all of my needs when it came to having a yoga practice and teaching yoga.  Anusara means to "flow with grace".  It was founded by John Friend.  The main tenets of the practice include:

• deep study of non dual yoga philosophy

• a practice that focuses on alignment principles which at the timegave me a greater understanding the physical practice of yoga and took me and my body to places I didn't think were possible.  This also gave a very clear structure for teaching this form of yoga.

• a philosophy of yoga practice that was 1) rooted in the opening and spaciousness of one's heart, 2) anchored in community (kula), 3) grounded in the sacredness of the body, and 4) was a practice that emphasized finding the teacher and wisdom within rather than focusing on an outer "guru".

I studied Anusara with fervor for 10 years, and became a certified teacher, which was not an easy process.  It required a written test that took about 40 hours to complete and a stringent teaching evaluation process.  In 2012, the community and organization fell apart because of John Friend's infidelities and unethical choices.  It has remained as a practice for many, and an organization, but thousands and thousands of people disassociated with the organization, including myself.

My training in Anusara Yoga was incredibly deep and wide.  For 10 years, I traveled all over the US and even internationally to study with Anusara teachers.  Below I have listed some of my training, but this in no way includes all of it.  It is safe to say that for a about 6 years, I was completely obsessed. 

• Trainings with John Friend

  • Level 1 Teacher Training (45 hours)  - Tucson, AZ

  • Anusara Yoga Therapeutics  (45 hours x 2) - Houston, TX

  • Level 2 Teacher Training (45 hours) - New York City

  • Advanced Teacher Training and Practice (45 hours) - Tucson, AZ

  • Anusara Yoga Retreats (45 hours each) - Austin, TX and Costa Rica

  • Level 1 Teacher Training as Apprentice (45hours)  - Silver Spring, MD

  • Weekend Workshops (15 hours each) in Cincinnati, Grand Rapids, Chicago (x2), Los Angeles, Austin, Detroit (x3), Miami, Denver, Santa Fe, New Orleans.

• Trainings with Jordan and Martin Kirk

  • 108 hour Immersion in Madison, WI 

  • Advanced Teacher Training (30hours) Scottsdale, AZ

  • Yoga Therapy Training (30hours)  in AZ

• Trainings with Todd Norian

  • Week-long training (30 hours) at Kripalu in Massachusetts​

  • 400 hour Yoga Teacher Training in Massachusetts

  • Other workshops in a variety of locations.

• Sequencing Trainings with Betsey Downing

  • Sarasota, FL and Grand Rapids, MI​

• Multiple Weekend Workshops/Trainings (about 15 hours each)  with

  • Sianna Sherman​ (Chicago and Cincinnati)

  • Mitchell Bleier (Chicago and Grand Rapids)

  • Douglas Brooks (Chicago, Grand Rapids, Massachusetts)

  • Jamie Turner Allison (Madison, St Louis, Chicago)

  • Desiree Rumbaugh (Ft. Wayne, Chicago, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis)

  • Kathryn Schaefer (Detroit area)

  • Regular Practice & Study with teachers in Grand Rapids, MI including Behnji Mason, Rick Powell, Carol Hendershot, and Mimi Ray.

• Although Doug Keller was not officially an Anusara Instructor, he was heavily influenced by Anusara and Iyengar Yoga.  His trainings are focused on yoga anatomy & therapeutics. I studied with him multiple times in Detroit area.

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In 2008/2009, I started to feel disillusionment toward Anusara Yoga and began to go deeper in my study of various other styles of yoga including trainings in and workshops with:

• Seane Corn and Vinyasa Yoga

• Annie Carpenter Power/Flow/Vinyasa Yoga

• Paul Grilley and Sarah Powers and Yin Yoga

• Matthew Sanford

• Rod Strkyer and ParaYoga and Yoga Nidra

• Mia Parks and Yoga Nidra

• Restorative Yoga

• Forrest Yoga 

• AcroYoga

• Viniyoga

First Yoga Teacher Training with Nancy Schalk of All People Yoga Center in Indianapolis, IN.

Regular Yoga Classes with Jenny Bartlett, Jo Ulrich, and Teji (Ruth) Dilley.  Mostly Kripalu Yoga.  However I was also introduced to Iyengar & Vinyasa Yoga styles and other meditation, Ayurveda and Yoga practices during this time period. In 2002, my main focus of study became Anusara Yoga.

Worked for United Natural Foods Distribution in the Outside Sales Department.

Finished Undergraduate College Degree at Goshen College with an Interdisciplinary Degree made up of Natural Science, Environmental Science and Religous/Spiritaul Studies. 

Married Andrew Gerber

Worked at Maple City Market Natural Foods Co-op as Buyer and Assistant Manager.

Attended Goshen College in Goshen, Indiana.  Including a semester abroad in the Dominican Republic.

Attended Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio.  Including a semester abroad in Poland.

Graduated from Paoli High School, Paoli, Indiana

July 1974, Born in Goshen, Indiana.  October 1974 our family moved to Paoli, Indiana.

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