“Richelle is a dynamic, bold teacher. I first met her when she taught anatomy in yoga teacher training. Her ability to make anatomy clear, engaging, and freakin’ exciting is unsurpassed. I adore this woman. She has an unquenchable fire for knowledge and a gift for sharing it with others. ”
“Richelle is a gifted teacher and healer. She has a unique ability to identify imbalance in the body and make practical, prescriptive recommendations that improve health and well being. I’ve studied with Richelle for years and her guidance has profoundly elevated my sports performance, my yoga practice, and my approach to teaching yoga. Her functional — practical — approach to anatomy both on and off the yoga mat empowers people to embody the balance they are designed for. She’s a real game-changer.”
“Richelle’s teachings have profoundly impacted my personal yoga practice as well as my teaching in vitally important ways. Before I discovered her work I was actually doing harm in my practice; both my body and mind were becoming more and more rigid, to the point of injury. Through the study of and focus on healthy alignment/biomechanics (while having lots of FUN!) she has taught me how to do the “real work” physically, mentally, and spiritually… Both on and off the mat. Richelle’s weekly classes are my delicious, nutritious medicine, and her workshops are simply THE BEST (they will blow your mind)! I have also worked with Richelle 1:1 and her private instruction has allowed me to connect with my healthiest, most effective and efficient personal practice in a powerful way. It’s not what we do, it’s how we do it! I am forever grateful for Richelle and all of her magical gifts.”
“I really appreciate Richelle’s enthusiasm and clarity in presenting complicated anatomy information. She often includes unique concepts to common poses which shakes up your usual approach to those poses! I teach a stronger class after her workshops because I’m so much better informed. I highly recommend her to teachers who want a better understanding of anatomy and to anyone who wants to expand their practice.”
“Asana and anatomy studies come to life in a practical and fun “where the rubber hits the road” manner with Yoga Engineer, Richelle Ricard. Her knowledge and experience are made manifest in her keen eye and articulate touch. I have been teaching and practicing for over ten years and each time I have the opportunity to study with Richelle I learn something that helps me to continue to refine and evolve these two facets of my relationship with yoga asana.”
“Using a wealth of anatomical knowledge, Richelle teaches simple movements to unlock energy in the bodies of beginner to advanced students, leaving them with healthier bodies and happier minds.”
“Richelle is a breath of fresh air to yogis. She not only breaks anatomy down in her workshops to an understandable and digestible format, but she also has an amazing gift when it comes to massage. She has forever changed my practice, and if you are open to it, she will change yours too. I look forward to any time I get with this special woman.”
“I’ve been practicing with Richelle for over three years and what I like most about her classes is her excitement and knowledge on how the body actually works — especially when doing yoga. She’s so down to earth and approachable, I always feel comfortable asking questions about how to further my practice. If you haven’t tried one of her workshops or classes, I highly recommend trying one out!”
“I’m a big fan of Richelle as both a yoga teacher and a massage therapist. I love how her yoga practice informs her massage practice and her understanding of anatomy and physiology from massage informs her yoga classes. I love that her yoga classes are never the same and never predictable. She goes with the flow and develops yoga classes that work for the season, the weather, the needs of the participants, etc. And her massage therapy is likewise not predictable and rote. She is the best!”
“If I know of an upcoming Yoga Engineer workshop, I make every effort to clear my calendar to insure I can attend. I know I will leave the workshop with many new bits of information and new insights to my practice as well as ways to teach. Richelle’s knowledge of the body and body mechanics is invaluable to anyone interested in yoga. Her awareness and familiarity of the body, particularly the skeletal and muscular systems as well as soft-tissue connections, puts her in a unique position to clearly impart vital information on ways to safely move the body. Richelle’s experience with the subtle body and other aspects of yoga beyond asana give her workshops a richness and depth in addition to facts and data. I highly recommend Yoga Engineer workshops!”
“I have worked very closely with Richelle for the past 5 years. I’ve taken many classes from her and have been honored to co-teach retreats with her. Richelle’s body of knowledge is impressive to say the very least. Her classes are deeply informative and she makes learning so fun! Her fiery passion for teaching keeps you engaged and coming back for more. The material she is bringing forth bridges science and spirit and is grounded in years of her own experience as a student, teacher and body worker. Her talent and natural leadership and teaching skills continue to blow me away with every class I take. If you are a body worker, yoga instructor or student and desire to go deeper into the anatomical and energetic workings of the body, I highly recommend taking any of Richelle’s classes.”
“Speaking from seven years of direct experience learning alongside and from Richelle, I can say with steadfast confidence that she is a truly extraordinary teacher, friend and person. Her passion is unparalleled and her dedication is unwavering, a combination that results in inspiring, effective and thorough instruction that leaves you feeling energized and informed. No one knows anatomy like Richelle knows anatomy, especially when it relates to the body in yoga. Her expert guidance in this arena is both detailed and demonstrative, making the process of navigating the human body in space equally enlightening and enjoyable. Any person who has the opportunity to learn from Richelle’s extensive wealth of knowledge should consider themselves very lucky, as her contagious enthusiasm, quick-witted intelligence and down-to-earth sense of humor is one-of-a-kind. Jai!”
“Richelle’s magic changed my life. When I got pregnant in 2011, my growing, changing body gave me loud warning signs that something was wrong with my yoga practice. I had recently completed a 200 hour teacher training, but I was somehow finding myself in pain after every practice. And not in the wonderful ‘I-am-going-to-be-sore-but-it-was-so-worth-it’ kind of way. My joints ached. My clavicle popped. My pelvis felt wonky. And then I walked into Richelle’s class.
It wasn’t a prenatal class, but I’m glad I let my partner drag me along. Those first 90 minutes truly changed my life. I had been a fan of moderately fast flows and heated rooms, but Richelle showed me how a slow, mindful practice that focused on the minutiae of yoga could ignite the deeper fire of transformative healing. She taught me about anatomically grounded alignment. She warned me about the pitfalls of being a sensation junky. She helped me to discover the power of engagement. She helped me to develop a safe, challenging practice. Each of her classes was structured like a workshop in which she would help me discover my body in entirely new ways. I learned more in one of her classes than I had during a weekend long retreat. Needless to say, I was devastated when she followed her bliss back to Seattle.
Despite the distance, I have managed to attend two of her absolutely transformative workshops.Her humor and lightheartedness make her a joy to be around, and her down-to-earth teaching style keeps you coming back for more. Fred, her awesome skeleton buddy, really helps you visualize and effectively internalize the nuggets of wisdom she generously offers. Her dedication to her practice is contagious, and her meticulous guidance through each pose or concept is conducive to a thoroughly safe but challenging practice.
I would not feel confident enough to teach yoga, to safely instruct others as they explore deeper parts of themselves through movement and breath, if not for the invaluable lessons Richelle has taught me. She has made me a better teacher, and a happier, healthier yogi.”