BIO
My Story
I am an enrolled member of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone. I am Indigenous to the Lands known as Newe Sogobia currently known as Elko, Nevada in the English language. I currently reside in Portland, Oregon. My Mother is Indigenous to the Lands known as Newe Sogobia. My Father is Indigenous to the Lands currently known in the Spanish language as Morelia, Michoacan Mexico. English and Spanish are not the first Languages of the United States or Mexico, both countries have several different Indigenous Tribes, Languages. Cultures and Customs in different areas throughout the Continent long before it was ever known as the Continent of North America.
As a young child I would sit with my Elders and listen to their stories. They spoke about our ancient ways and offered invaluable traditional wisdom that I still practice today. The rich knowledge that I absorbed from my Elders stories is a legacy that I was blessed to be gifted with. When I became an adult and moved away from home to obtain my Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, I never forgot those stories and carried them with me near and dear to my heart. While exploring the world of the higher educational system, I originally majored in the Arts since I had always loved being creative and found healing in my recovery process by having artistic outlets to creatively express myself. After a year of majoring in the Arts I decided that Art was something that I enjoyed doing for myself as an outlet and not as a profession so I switched majors and joined the School of Social Work with an emphasis on Human Sciences. I chose Social Work because I always had an affinity for hearing other people's stories and for helping people. I believe that everyone's story matters and that there is healing in sharing your story. That is why I share my life story and healing journey because what I have gone through may help someone else.
Yoga was introduced into my life during my first year of college and I've been practicing it for almost 20 years and teaching professionally for 7 years. I realized after years of working in the Social Work profession and experiencing trauma in my own life that those experiences were taking a toll physically on my body and I would experience pain in my body that didn't make sense to me. I became so wrapped up in survival mode that I didn't make time for a regular movement practice in my life. Then I became a mom to one of the most extraordinary little humans I've ever met, Evee-Ann. My daughter was the first to be prenatally diagnosed with a rare syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome/4p-minus. My daughter was not expected to survive birth or thrive long after, many years later, many diagnoses later, many surgeries later she is still here! She is living and thriving! She faces many challenges in life but she lives a life full of love, laughter, and adventure. I retired professionally from Social Work to be her full-time caregiver, Social Worker, advocate, and Momma. She is non-verbal and has taught me to communicate without words, she recently lost her vision but taught me to see things differently and to look with more than just my eyes, she has experienced challenges with eating and getting proper nutrition so she encouraged me to garden and become more conscience of what I put in/on our bodies, she is differently abled and uses a wheelchair to move around that taught me to be thankful for my abled body and to take care of it so i can be strong and well enough to care for her. Originally, I became a certified yoga teacher to deepen my yoga practice and as a form of self-care. I found so much healing in Yoga School that I knew this was something I had to share with others.
Over the years I have publicly shared about mine and my daughter's healing journey to the International Board of Genetic Pediatricians, Parent Panels, Women in Wellness Panels, and I have written an article in an internationally known tribal magazine. I teach a variety of wellness workshops, in-studio yoga classes, women's circles, group classes, individual sessions, and community presentations in person or via video call. Social Work and Yoga has given me the opportunity to work with people from all over the world in a wellness setting. I have experience working with people of all ages, races, religions, genders, abilities, job professions, and with an array of varying health conditions. I use a strength-based approach with a trauma informed lens when working with individuals or groups. I braid together my Social Work skills, Wellness expertise, and Cultural teachings into my business practice. I believe that with this approach and through breathing exercises, yoga movement, and meditation we can embrace the healer that's already within oneself and alchemize our experiences to be used like a salve to heal ourselves and be the best version of ourselves on our path to wellness while creating balance in our lives. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me. Namaste. (Namaste is a yoga greeting in the Sanskrit/Hindu language that translates to, "the light in me, sees the light in you and I bow in respect to it")
Veronica Rising Moon, BSW; E-RYT 500