Samantha teaches from compulsive compassion to share the yogi way of life. She 100% nerds out on facia! It is almost funny! She is a yoga science, geek, body expert... or something like that! To ensure that her students and the students of yogi practitioners she guides are safe in their practice, she takes the time to explain in detail the why's of the information she is presenting. Never afraid of questions, she blasts out more information at each detour along the path of class."
- Suzanne Gibbs - RYT 200

I thought I knew what yoga was. I was so wrong. Sam helped me understand that a deeper practice was a different way. I profoundly and completely recommend her teaching to anyone who can feel the path stretching before them, who feel that little flicker of the divine beat a steady tattoo in their heart-space. This practice is your knife if you want to hone that heart to see what lies at the center. And the journey is so indescribably worth its while. With my whole heart, I invite you to the first steps and recommend Samantha Akers without reservation. 
- Jack K

I came to Therayoga with some spinal injuries and associated back and hip pain, and I took a restorative yoga class with Samantha at her studio. After 12 years of being a yoga student, it was such a wonderful surprise to be introduced to this wonderful type of healing yoga. Her classes offer a loving and safe place for all bodies to relax into supported poses and receive the benefits of yoga and guided mindfulness practice.

After seeing and feeling the results of regular practice, I took Level 1 and Level 2 Restorative Yoga Teacher Training with Samantha in 2015! Both weekends cover a lot of valuable information. They are presented in a manageable way, balanced with guided meditation practices and practical examples of restorative poses and techniques that can be adapted for group classes and private sessions. I enjoyed the discussion on special conditions and further modifications of poses since I work with a unique population of children and adults with special needs, including a range of orthopedic impairments.

Samantha truly has a gift for teaching and is very passionate about this practice. She supports and empowers her students to take the best care of themselves so they can take the best care of their yoga students and loved ones.
- Melanie Gingerich, M.S., CCC-SLP, RYT 200

Completing the yoga training with Samantha was a greater gift to myself and my clients than I could have imagined! Within 48 hours of completing this training with Samantha, I confidently and effectively used the yoga pose and breath techniques she had taught me with several of my psychotherapy clients. Samantha brings great skill as a teacher, kindness, compassion, and a wonderful sense of humor to the training, making them thoroughly enjoyable and immensely informative.
- Kim Hollingdale, Licensed Psychotherapist MFT#88227

Samantha Akers' Yin yoga class and her Yin Yoga & Metta workshop have inspired me. Before taking her class, I had been intrigued by the concept of Yin yoga — practicing longer-held passive postures. When I first took Sam's class, her incorporation of Yin poses uniquely included muscle activation, breath work, and Metta, which opened up a wider world. I started to explore strengthening with stretching, the importance of fascia, meditation tools, the differences in the body when using props, and a reminder that "pain" isn't equivalent to "gain." I recommend trying Sam's class — this class helps create nurturing space to explore one's well-being. 
- Marcella Ogata-Day

When I first signed up to take Samantha’s yoga teacher training, I could immediately feel her warmth and care, just via email! Upon meeting her in person, I wasn’t disappointed. She clearly knows her stuff and has a straight forward yet gentle way of teaching that made for both a fun and informative learning experience. She has a clear purpose in this world to heal. The world is lucky to have her!

- Annie Wood. Actress, yogi, and human.

Engaged Yin Yoga with Samantha Akers, like all modalities she teaches, is remarkable and one-of-a-kind. Truly interdisciplinary and informed by her years of extensive training and the latest scientific research, she perfectly layers and intertwines the mind, body, and heart. Her unique form of Yin Yoga is revolutionary and radically transformative, infusing her deep understanding of the physical body with her sweet interest in loving-kindness and holistic healing. I wholeheartedly recommend soaking up this wonderful training with this incredibly skilled and deeply kind teacher.
- Laura Johnson, RYT 500

I have always felt that every yoga class with Samantha Akers is like a mini-teacher training and/or workshop. I have been her student for almost two years and highly respect her teaching, which prompted me to do her Yin Yoga Training. She differentiates Yin from Restorative Yoga and critiques her teachers on how they misrepresent poses for the average practitioner.

Sam brings calm, approachable, and informative teaching to her training. She is very knowledgeable about the body and does a great job breaking down concepts I would otherwise be lost and confused about without the translation. I like how Sam not only critiques the images presented to yogis but also explains why it is harmful to practitioners and provides an alternative to fit individual needs.   

Peace
- Joe RYT 500

200-hour teacher training with Sam has profoundly affected my life. My knowledge of yoga and my practice has deepened to levels I did not know existed. I have gained confidence and acceptance. I feel strong in my new knowledge of alignment. My favorite topics were anatomy and metta, which I appreciate combining and are not often found in teacher training. This was one of the best experiences of my life, connecting me more deeply with family, friends, and myself. PRICELESS!
- Amber RYT 200

My entire practice has changed due to my 200-hour teacher training with Sam. I can now apply alignment and anatomy principles to my teaching and awareness. I fell in love with the philosophy of the Yamas and Niyamas and the bringing together of these limbs with the Buddhist tradition of Metta. The myths were always a lovely thought to me, but being shown how to bring the morals and precepts into my life and off the mat, was profound. I would recommend 200-hour training with Sam. She brings a certain quality of deep knowledge and teaching to the table that I could never have expected.
- Clare RYT 200

I highly recommend training with Sam! I’ve always been hesitant with YTT courses and never felt fully aligned with any. As soon as I can across the 200 hours with Sam and Peggy, it was an INSTANT yes! The training proved to fill and fulfill every part of my need to become a confident and compassionate yoga teacher. Thank you for helping me and allowing me the space to find my purpose.
- Khyla RYT 200

If you’re looking for training on fascia and yoga, Sam is your teacher. Through the knowledge of fascia, she brings hope to those who may believe they cannot heal from physical pain and injury. I will continue to recommend her training 1000 times over. I am grateful to her for inspiring me to teach and to believe in my confidence.
- Kelly RYT 200

Sam is not only a knowledgeable, skilled teacher and leader, but her warm, positive nature is unmatched. She makes all her students feel at ease in her classes and their skin. I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing her as a bodyworker, a mentor, a teacher, and an employer, and she’s exceeded my expectations in every capacity. Her passion for and belief in restorative yoga and back care is contagious. Her work honors the complexities of the body, and the mind yet is accessible and enjoyable. Plus, she generously and readily provides tools and education; you always leave with new understanding and applicable skills. Her vast understanding of the body is unlike anyone I’ve worked with, which certainly shows in her teaching, training, and bodywork. I’ve never met such an experienced, intelligent teacher who truly walks the walk of practicing compassion and kindness. She is approachable, passionate, and sincere and embodies all she shares with her students. She is a true gem; when you work with her, you feel like you hit the jackpot.
- Melissa Brooke, RYT 200 and Restorative Yoga Teacher

From asana to meditation, or as you'll learn in Restorative Yoga... meditation during asana! As your body relaxes, Samantha teaches you to follow your breath while paying attention to the many sensations you'll discover along the way. Restorative yoga helps unlock and open areas of your body that have been closed off for too long. Samantha teaches how to show loving kindness to yourself through Metta and then send that same love and kindness throughout the universe.
- Michael Banks, RYT 500