Paula Tapia, C-IAYT, is a Yoga Studies Professor at Loyola Marymount University and the Yoga Therapist, Mindfulness Advisor, and Research Associate at Attune Health (an Autoimmune and Inflammation Care and Research Center) in Beverly Hills, CA. Having grown up in Patagonia, Chile, Paula was a competitive gymnast in her teens, obtaining her first national medal at the age of 14. In her early 20’s, she became a three-time national champion in group fitness and was a regular fitness performer and dancer on Chilean Television, a lifestyle model, and a well-known fitness instructor at the most respected health centers in Chile.

After moving to Los Angeles, CA, in 2000 by following her first true love, dance, Paula eventually discovered the healing practice of Yoga as a therapy to help her with a life of dance and gymnastics-related injuries. This pursuit led her to specialize in Yoga Therapy Rx at Loyola Marymount University under the direction of Larry Payne, Ph.D., in the lineage of Sri T. Krishnamacharya., and to complete a clinical internship at the Venice Family Clinic working as part of an integrative medical team. She has also collaborated in a study applying Yoga Therapy for Astronauts and Space Health and has worked as a medical interpreter for some of the most respected physicians at Cedars Sinai Hospital and UCLA Health Centers.

In the movement world, Paula studied functional movement under Dr. Craig Liebenson (former L.A. Clippers Team Chiropractor) at LA Sports and Spine and has been heavily influenced by master Yoga teachers, Lisa Walford (Iyengar), Vinnie Marino (Vinyasa), and Mark Whitwell (The Heart of Yoga). Overall, she has been teaching body movement and body awareness techniques for 20+ years including dance, fitness, aqua therapy, and Yoga. Her approach to Yoga and movement practices is preventive, functional, dynamic, safe and suitable for everybody. What’s more, she is a commercial dancer, lifestyle model, and has been featured in several Yoga publications.