Yoga & Ayurveda with Kate Schwabacher

Let me give you my context before proceeding with the review. I had never taken a serious yoga class before and I’m about as bendy as a dried twig. Being brown (and raised in a household where grandparents did yoga and cooking was rooted in vegetarian Ayurveda principles), I can kind of tell when someone is BSing around their knowledge of the subject. Kate doesn’t fall into that category at all.
She is really knowledgable about her Yoga practice, nutrition and wellbeing. I walked into the workshop a complete novice and walked out of it with some foundational blocks that I can build on for for my own practice. In studios, the numbers game just doesn’t allow for the kind of attention you need from a teacher to get you that foundation.
Now, as I go to my yoga classes (not with Kate unfortunately just given the distance), I know what to do, how to pace and adjust my posture so as not to be a complete cluster (all the knowledge in the works doesn’t make me less of a dried twig!) and what to look for to avoid injuries as I try to improve.
If you can — I would highly recommend you work with Kate to begin your yoga journey so that you have a teacher who can set you on a good path to a practice that, given time has the potentially to positively impact your health and general well being!

I attended Kate’s classes at Mindful Body off and on for over a year (off and on because of my work/​travel schedule, not because of Kate) and absolutely loved them. But what really «sold» me on her was when I was having a back problem. Massively uncomfortable with a spasm, I tried massage, heat, ice, hot tubs, etc. After suffering for a couple weeks I remembered Kate talking about how she got into yoga to address her scoliosis, and I had always been impressed by her knowledge of anatomy.
Now all yoga teachers know anatomy to a greater or lesser extent, but Kate could speak about it more competently than a physical therapist I’ve been to.
So I scheduled a private session with her at Mindful Body, where she took great care to understand my back problem, and devised a set of stretches to address them. She taught me how to do them carefully, and explained why, which was immensely helpful. Her compassion, patience, and kindness were so generous, and I feel so fortunate to have had her all to myself for an hour+!
And while I have not taken any of her Ayurveda workshops, she’s clearly very knowledgeable about nutrition as well. She’s an all-​round healer, if you ask me. I have endless respect for her and am grateful she came into my life.

I went to see Kate at a time when I really wasn’t feeling like myself. I had done some research on Ayurvedic Medicine and decided that I wanted to start treating my body holistically so that I could figure out long-​term solutions to deal with stress, eating habits and just overall happiness.
Upon meeting Kate, I immediately felt at ease with her, which is important if you are actually going to follow someone’s guidance. I felt that she genuinely took the time to listen to me and it was clear that she really is passionate about health and ayurvedic medicine. She gave me tailored suggestions for ways to improve my life and I appreciate that she really took my lifestyle into consideration. I would honestly recommend her to anyone who is interested in making long-​term changes to become your best version of yourself.

Kate’s yoga classes are fantastic! Her energy, personality and experience make every class a great experience. Thanks Kate!

I have worked with Kate in a variety of capacities and let me start off by saying she’s absolutely WONDERFUL! I started with the Spring Cleanse that she leads and after feeling so energized and just fabulous after that I sought some further one-​on-​one help. I have suffered from dry skin and skin irritation on my legs for some time and after meeting with Kate my problems quickly began to fade. I had tried prescription creams, certain soaps, etc. Nothing really worked until Kate and I sat down and came up with a nutrition plan to ease my symptoms. After just a few short weeks my skin irritation was immensely better. I had been eating foods that were irritating my skin unknowingly and Kate helped me find delicious foods to eat that gave me plenty of energy and made me feel the best I have ever felt!!! I’ve continued to see Kate and love her online blog it’s full of wonderful suggestions and recipes. If you’re looking for someone who can relate to you and is nonjudgmental you’ll find all those things in Kate. She really listens to your concerns and is flexible to finding solutions that fit your lifestyle. I couldn’t be happier with the services she provided and her positive outlook is simply contagious :)

FIVE STAR Go see kate for the best cleansing experince! I was feeling low down, heavy in my body, mind and spirit. The ayurvedic Cleanse with Kate really boosted me into a better place. I think she is an angel. It was her spitfire teaching and wonderful attitude that helped me get through ten whole days of cleansing and taking a deep look into myself. I am no longer addicted to sugar the way I was before (a miracle) She gives you wonderful tools and recipes to work with. Ayurveda is so interesting to learn about! I will be back to do her workshops whenever she has them.
Thanks Kate!
Talisha

Kate is an intelligent, diligent, knowlegeable teacher and nutritionist, and a person of high integrity. I recently completed her fall cleanse and am so glad I did. I highly recommend her!

I’ve been cleansing off and on in various ways for years. Kate’s cleanses are by far the best I’ve done. What I love most is that they are deep and also nourishing– I am able to stay with my incredibly busy schedule, and I only feel better and better with each day of the cleanse. In this last cleanse, my skin cleared up, i lost weight, my palate was «detoxified» (less craving for sugar or salt), and my digestive system got an amazing makeover.
The cleanse recipes take time, but it is worth the commitment. They are actually good!
Try a 10-​day cleanse with Kate– she will help you through the process no matter what your current state of health is, and you will be so glad you did!

I love Kate! Before taking her class, I was a fair-​weathered yoga do-​er. But after her classes, I’m a total convert. She’s super informative and she tells you what certain poses do for your body and what poses to do when you have specific issues. And she’s really attentive, she helps you with your form without making you feel dumb for doing it wrong. I always left her classes feeling relaxed and calm.
If you get a chance to do a yoga retreat with her, I’d highly recommend it. Trying her ayurvedic cooking is worth it alone!

Kate is an AMAZING yoga teacher — she comes in to every class with a calming force that really helped me de-​stress. She is super accessible and friendly, so I never felt like she was just my yoga teacher — she’s a great friend too! She helped create a class full of poses that were great for a bunch of beginners, then added in more advanced poses as we went. It felt so great to see our progress, and see how far we had come! I would recommend Kate to ANYONE who’s interested in yoga — from first-​timers to advanced students.

Our very kind bosses hired Kate to come in and teach yoga classes 2x a week for their overworked and sun deprived employees. I think every business should be required to do this!
Kate is a great yoga instructor and knows her stuff, but more importantly her personality is what made me love going up to the roof every tuesday and thursday. She is always smiling and makes the practice a little less typical. Our practice evolved from beginner and from what i hear, it got pretty advanced as people got better at their practice.
Leaving yoga was probably the biggest bummer about leaving my job! I need to make the trip out to one of her other classes one of these days.

Kate Lumsden made me a believer! In the beginning, I was for sure in the «What is this… Eye-​Yur-​Vayda… all about?» camp. After personal advice and tips, reading over her SanFranshakti blog posts, staying updated through her «The Mindful Body Newsletter» monthly column, and eventually two fantastic cleanses, I can tell you that she is a true expert and professional when it comes to Ayurveda. There’s a TON of knowledge and concepts when it comes to Ayurveda and it’s not always readily available (it can be a lot to filter through). Kate breaks down ALL of that information and makes it so EASY to understand, LOGICAL, and ACCESSIBLE, that you can’t help but get on board! Thanks to Kate, I am no doubt healthier than I have ever been, smart about what is good for me, PERSONALLY, and I know why. And that’s the key, because I am armed with the knowledge and insight to maintain myself going forward –though her continued support doesn’t do any harm!
Of course after already being a student of her yoga classes for years, it wasn’t hard to trust her when it came to Ayurveda. I already trusted her so much with my practice; learning more about Ayurveda just made sense. And she approaches Ayurveda much as she does her classes. She looks out for you, really gets to know you and your needs, and finds the best ways to help you out! Her classes are nurturing and strong! When I come out of Kate’s classes, I always feel like I am restored and that I have taken the time to check in with myself thanks to the awareness that Kate’s classes bring!
You’ve got to seek Kate out!

Kate is a patient, understanding and inspiring yoga teacher. I had the pleasure of studying with her for over a year when she offered a private class to a community of yogis in my building. As I continue to practice with other teachers throughout SF, I still her here gentle, insightful alignment cues and reminders as I cycle through the poses… she brought me a long way! It’s been inspiring to see her grow into a more well rounded ayurveda and wellness expert, in addition to teaching yoga. Her online recipes are excellent. One of these days I will get on board and do one of her magical cleanses to learn more about the ayurveda lifestyle. Until then, I miss her as a yoga teacher. Guess I should go check her out at The Mindful Body… if only it wasn’t all the way across town! Highly recommend her yoga classes or workshops!

I have been a professional in the field of physical health and wellness for the last decade. I have been a student of Kates for the last 3 years and have watched her grow from a teacher to a facilitator. Recently I have been working with her to balance out my scoliosis. Over the years I have obtained a series of injuries small and large. The work I have dome with Kate has brought both more awareness and more integrated strength both in my yoga practice, my work, and my daily life. Kate has a sharp eye for alignment, a curiosity for what she sees, and clarity with what she speaks. I highly recommend her!

Kate is an excellent teacher! She combines a strong practice with a gentle attitude. She has an excellent eye for alignment and a way of cueing for subtle changes (either verbally or hands-​on) in postures that helps you to get the most out of your asana practice. If you are someone who enjoys challenging yourself but don’t care for teachers with a rigid, hard-​core attitude, then Kate’s the teacher for you.