I am Justine Mae Weitzman
Yoga Therapist, ERYT300, YACEP, artist, poet, student of life
I am dedicated to the path of embodied living, of deep soul diving, of getting curious—
By learning to trust that our breath and body are wise messengers, our greatest guides, we uncover an ancient knowing, a potent and transformational ability to be present with whatever it is that is showing up, offering infinite opportunity to transmute challenge, to metabolize and process stress, and to arrive at embodied wisdom, mental freedom, and true belonging.
Much like a mountain glacier carving a canyon of rock, slow and steady, yet undeniably transformational, Alaska has had a profound impact on the way in which I communicate and transmute the ancient and infinite wisdom of the body and soul.
Much of my life’s work has been centered around connecting people to themselves, through intuitive movement, breath awareness, and daily reflection and curiosity about one’s experience; yet, it is through this connection to our inner universe that we begin to remember, that we discover and reclaim the depth at which we are intimately linked to the life that holds us, to other beings, to oceans and rivers, to the land, and to the infinite unknown. I am immensely inspired by the ecology and intimacy of the land I have always called home, and it is through this developing relationship to place, alongside my relationship to my own ecology, the multidimensional ecosystem that thrives and pulses with life within me, that truly bring me to this moment of offering.
After receiving a formal yoga certification in Costa Rica in 2015, I promptly catapulted myself into consistent teaching, personal development, managing a yoga studio, and simultaneously digging deeply and excavating the patterns that were directing my path prior. I delved into various therapies, saw body workers and shamans, a Chinese medicine doctor and an Ayurvedic coach, practiced manifestation work and reprogramming of my psyche in group therapy, and continued expanding my yoga education seeking out something tangible to offer the world, something tangible to bring home that I wouldn’t forget or lose in the chaos that was being human.
To this day, I struggle to credit a specific modality, lineage, or philanthropic belief for the teachings that come through me. It is a conglomerate of integrated information, knowledge, and wisdom, received from a variety of remarkable teachers and sources, book and poems, art and Mama Earth, then filtered through an extensive, intuitive process of feeling and listening deeply to the information in my breath, my nervous system, and somatic responses. It is through profound acceptance and continual reverence for the messy yet extraordinary human experience that I learn to meet myself, time and time again. It is through the revelation of my own innate wisdom that I come to you now.
My introduction to our potential for healing began while raising a son on my own in Alaska’s largest city. As I’ve learned to truly step into my own power, I have grown to create a life abundant in love, a healthy partnership, two beautiful children, with animal companions and something of an urban homestead. It is from a cozy home on a paved road in the North, with my beloved and my children, that I might offer you a comfortable seat, a sacred place to rest, and permission to meet yourself, too.
Professional Timeline
I became a certified 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher in the summer of 2015 at a permaculture farm on the border of Costa Rica and Panama.
After returning home to Alaska, I began teaching group Yoga classes, and gradually expanded to offering one-on-one sessions, workshops, and continued education training.
Between 2016 and 2019 I managed Deha Yoga, a studio in Anchorage, AK, and had the privilege of mentoring under its creator, Megan Piersma during much of that time.
I have obtained certifications in Restorative Yoga, Yin Yoga, Advanced Vinyasa Sequencing, and Yoga Nidra, further advancing my knowledge through training in Chakra alignment, Sanskrit chanting, Ayurveda, and trauma-informed teaching.
I completed my Yoga Therapy Certification through Soul of Yoga in December of 2022, where I received advanced trainings from a wonderfully diverse and experienced group of Yoga, Ayurveda, and holistic wellness professionals and experts.
My studies have covered depression, trauma, grief, chronic illness, sleep disorders, prenatal and end-of-life, and much more. In the coming years, I plan to deepen my studies of land and place, mental health, and frameworks of anti-oppression and transformative justice.