Yuka is originally from Tokyo, Japan. Her first encounter with yoga was while working in New York City in 2007. Initially, she found that yoga was a perfect personal solution to relieving work-generated stress. However, after a hectic move to the suburbs, a tailbone injury after a fall, and a lengthy healing process, Yuka was left with a deep desire and need to pursue health and wellness in a way that would make her lifestyle more sustainable. Yoga was a crucial therapeutic tool in her recovery. Yuka strongly believes that practicing yoga helped her to become more present-minded, surrendering to the flow of life during this challenging time and into the present day.

She decided to formally pursue teaching yoga in 2018, aiming to pass on this ancient and beautiful practice to others. She completed RYT-200 (a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification) under the guidance of Betsy Davis and Lauren Magrelli at Bhakti Barn yoga. Additionally, Yuka has completed a Kids Yoga Certification through Kidding Around Yoga, and has expanded her practice to teaching in elementary schools, yoga studios, and children’s yoga events, many of which she hosted herself.

Yuka is also specializing in Yin yoga as well as a mix of Vinyasa flow yoga and Yin yoga.  She finds the beauty of practicing both qualities of Yin and Yang, which helps her and her students to find balance even in the busiest of times, and empower their physical strength by flow practice, as well as calming and relaxing their muscles and mind through the Yin practice.

Yuka has also discovered the benefits of Hatha yoga, completing 170 hours of Intermediate Hatha Yoga training at the Integral Yoga Institute.

Yuka was raised practicing Buddhism, and her teaching style naturally focuses on the body-mind connection. Her classes aim to be mindful and compassionate, concentrating on the benefits of calming the mind through breath and movement. Her main class incorporates elements of meditation, Chinese Meridian theory, dharma, and inspirational quotes to empower the body and uplift the spirit. Yuka affirms that yoga is not only an exercise method for physical health, but a grounded and holistic way of engaging the mind to remain present in regards to any possible situation.