Douglas Goodbee: Yoga Instructor Biography
Douglas Goodbee, E-RYT 500, is a soulful and passionate Kripalu educator who leads and directs yoga classes for diverse populations. In addition to his yoga expertise, he holds a second degree black belt in Budoki Karate. As a past recipient of the TFD (Teaching for Diversity) grant, Douglas has taught yoga within the after-school summer program at the Hamilton Hill Arts Cultural Center in Schenectady, NY, where participants primarily include low-income students aged 6-18, at risk for various challenges such as gang involvement, violent crimes, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and difficulties completing high school.
Born and raised in the Capital District of Upstate NY, Douglas currently resides in Altamont, NY, with his beautiful wife and three children, contributing to a family of five children and two grandchildren. After 20 years of practicing yoga, he has spent the past six years leading classes and workshops.
In the spring of 2014, Douglas graduated with his E-RYT 500 hour certification and completed the KYIS (Kripalu Yoga Instructors in the High Schools) certification. He has extensive experience teaching yoga workshops for students of all ages, including various children's programs that cater to participants from diverse ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. His mission to promote health and wellness has also led him to teach yoga to staff at Ellis Hospital. Additionally, he leads the Creative Arts Therapies Conference, a one-day retreat featuring a morning yoga session and an afternoon standing meditation, held at the Academy of Holy Names in Albany, NY, during 2014 and 2015.
As a dedicated Kripalu educator, Douglas has facilitated numerous yoga workshops, retreats, and corporate conferences, including the 6th Annual Boys Day Out Conference in 2018 at The Glen Sanders Mansion, where he co-led a journaling and yoga workshop. His collaboration with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), a statewide anti-hunger organization, provides essential meals for children. Douglas has also been a guest presenter at the 2017 BYTA Black Yoga Teachers Alliance Conference at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. Continuing to share his gifts, he has been invited for three consecutive years as a guest presenter for NYSED (New York State Educational Department) and Syracuse University's Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP), where he led a Self-Discovery Through the Joys of Journaling Workshop and a Fun Glow Flow Yoga class in 2019. This year's conference anticipates around 640 participants, including 426 middle and high school students and staff members from 43 colleges and universities across the state, taking place at The Albany Marriott Hotel. Previous presentations have included The Creative Arts Therapies, Healthy Hearts on the Hill at Trinity Alliance in Albany, NY, and a yoga summer camp for kids aged 6-18 in Orenda Springs, NY, among many others. Douglas's intent is to inspire students to learn about refilling their well-being in our fast-paced, electronics-driven society while emphasizing the importance of rest. Research has shown that yoga revitalizes the body, calms the mind, slows the heart rate, and deepens self-awareness and compassion. Douglas aims to make the ancient science of yoga enjoyable and rewarding for everyone.
