Shawn Parell, LMHC, RYT-500

Shawn Parell, LMHC, RYT-500, has served as a teacher of embodiment since 2002. Through this work, she has designed immersions worldwide — mentoring hundreds of yoga teachers and inviting thousands of students to the fundamental inquiry of what it means to awaken.

Shawn holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English and Religious Studies from Georgetown University and Oxford University, a Master of Arts (MA) in Eastern Classics and Sanskrit from St. John’s College, and a Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling Psychology from Southwestern College.

For more than a decade, Shawn assisted her teacher, Shiva Rea, and mentored others in Prana Vinyasa, a therapeutic matrix of living yoga. She served as Program Director for Anahata International, a grassroots organization with the mission to bring mindfulness training to trauma-affected communities in Washington DC, Rwanda, and the West Bank. Shawn completed her clinical training in counseling psychology at The Sky Center, a nonprofit organization in Santa Fe, N.M. with the mission to prevent suicide in children and youth through strengths-based, solution-focused family systems counseling. As a wellness educator and consultant, Shawn has partnered with visionary companies like Sweetgreen, U.S. Green Building Council, and Honest Tea. Her work has been featured in publications ranging from Yoga Journal and SHAPE Magazine to the Washington Post. She is currently completing a two year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program with renowned teachers Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.