alison bernasco yoga
and acupuncture
Alison Bernasco is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Yoga Instructor (RYT 500), practicing and instructing in the state of New Jersey. She is nationally board certified as a Diplomate of Acupuncture by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Alison obtained her Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Eastern School in Bloomfield, NJ. Alison enjoys treating so many of the indications within acupuncture's broad scope, and her specialties include helping her patients with their musculoskeletal pains, sports injuries, anxiety, depression, and stress. As a mother of one, women's health has additionally become a specialty of hers, and Alison feels privileged to assist patients in their fertility journeys and with each step of their perinatal care. She believes in a whole-body approach to healing, one which includes the physical body as well as the mind and spirit. Alison sees herself as an assistant in the healing process, and employs tools like acupuncture, cupping, breath work and yoga to support and encourage each patient to function at their own most optimal.
Since childhood, Alison has been fascinated by art in all its many forms. She graduated college in 2010 from Ithaca College with dual BAs in Art History and the Fine Arts with a concentration on Figure Drawing. Through an artist's eye she fell in love with the intricacy and beauty of the human form. Yoga was a logical next step. She received her initial 200-hour teaching certification from the renowned Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and soon after obtained her 500-hours of Yoga teaching certification, the highest international standard for yoga education, with a specialization in anatomy and orthopedics. Alison has now been teaching yoga and anatomy for 13 years, yet considers her education ongoing and thus her practice and teaching are constantly evolving in style and content. A strong background in meditation can be attributed to her experience with Vipassana retreats at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and her multiple visits to India for different areas of study. Her academic background in Traditional Chinese Medicine is also a large foundation of her teaching philosophy. From her varied interests and pursuits, Alison weaves influence from all corners of her experience together to create an intricate web of ideas and to provide her students with flowing, comprehensive yoga classes and sequencing.
Alison offers a challenging but accessible, sweet and occasionally sweaty yoga practice to all levels. In general she teaches an open-level vinyasa practice which is heart-oriented, spiritually inspiring, and yet grounded in a deep knowledge of optimal body awareness and alignment. She can be known to teach alignment oriented restorative and therapeutic yoga classes as well. She also caters to more individual needs via workshops, private and semi-private sessions. Contact her for more information and to determine rates and availability.