About Darlene Listro

My Journey

A path shaped by decades of dedication to education, wellbeing, and the transformative power of yoga.

I’m Darlene Listro, founder of Just Breathe Yoga and Wellness. After more than 30 years as an educator, I followed a path that blended my lifelong interest in learning, brain health, and wellbeing with my growing passion for yoga and holistic healing.

Early in my teaching career, I became fascinated with brain research and how the brain forms pathways that help students learn to read and comprehend fluently. Over time, several life-changing experiences involving brain injuries in my personal life deepened my curiosity about cognitive health and inspired me to explore holistic approaches to healing and wellbeing. Yoga became an important part of that journey. When I completed my yoga teacher training in 2019, I began sharing the practice with friends in a small home studio, gathering each week to move, laugh, and support one another. Those early classes showed me the power of yoga to bring people together and nurture both physical and emotional wellbeing.

During this same period, I pursued my Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), researching how school leadership can better promote teacher wellbeing. Today, I am a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) with Yoga Alliance and a certified Brain Longevity Specialist through the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, and I am continuing my studies to become a certified yoga therapist. Through Just Breathe Yoga and Wellness, I teach a variety of classes throughout the community, including restorative yoga, yoga for stress relief, Yoga Chi (a blend of yoga and Qigong), and chair yoga for seniors and individuals recovering from neurological injuries.

I believe yoga should be accessible to everyone and that the practice has the power to support healing, strength, and self-discovery at every stage of life. My goal is to meet people where they are and help them develop a practice that supports their unique needs on any given day.

To learn more, please visit my Google Scholar and LinkedIn profile pages.