If you look in my 8th grade yearbook (in 1997) under the section, “where will you be in 2020?”, you will read next to my name - “Lauren Kramer will be a physical therapist for the Alvin Ailey Dance Company”.  At the age of 13 I knew two things for sure - I loved to dance and I loved movement and anatomy, and so, I naturally combined the two as my goal.  9 years later, I began my career working as a physical therapist, not with dancers, but in geriatrics mostly in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.  I worked throughout the country as a traveling physical therapist which helped me to learn more about myself and my career choice.  I loved traveling and I loved working with people, but I knew something was missing.  

In 2010, I began having pelvic pain and it wasn’t until 3 years later that it was properly diagnosed and I was given a prescription for pelvic floor physical therapy.  This truly changed my life.  I knew right away that this was what I was meant to do.  I started taking the continuing education needed to learn the manual skills for pelvic floor physical therapy.  I took a giant leap of faith, doing a complete 180 in my career, and have never regretted this decision.  My newfound thirst for knowledge was a signal that I was on the right path.  The way I felt when working with my patients with pelvic floor conditions, the excitement and connections I made, were all indications that I was meant to do this work.

Now, throughout all of this was yoga.  As a former dancer, yoga was a way to move, which, for me, was the best way to keep my mind and body healthy and clear to be able to work and live a full life.  In the fall of 2015 I reached a goal of completing a 200 hour teacher training.  Learning more about yoga fundamentals and history was hard work, but amazing.  Now, how could I combine my love of yoga with my love of pelvic floor physical therapy?  I learned of the Professional Yoga Therapy Institute soon after completing my teacher training and knew this was my next step forward in my career.  

I continue to have a thirst for knowledge and am always working to learn more and grow more in order to give my patients, and myself, as much as I can.  My future goal includes nutrition education which I know is a another amazing tool in my holistic approach.