Ayn Devera, MS, MSW, ASW

I received my M.S. in Human Nutrition (magna cum laude) from the University of Bridgeport and am a movement educator grounded in physical therapy, Pilates, the science of fascia, and yoga philosophy. My training techniques incorporate the essential components of Contrology, the method developed by Joseph Pilates and fine-tuned by Romana Kryzanowska, Ron Fletcher, and Rael Isacowitz (among others), now simply termed "Pilates."
I found my "true" yoga practice in my first non-gym experience at Camarillo Yoga Center (now Camarillo-Somis Yoga & Mindfulness), and was tremendously affected by Audrey Walzer, who inspired in me the pursuit of yoga physiology and anatomy. In addition, I have gained invaluable insight from the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar and Mukunda Stiles into physical alignment for pain relief. I am most indebted for the shift in my practice toward a deeper exploration of the internal landscape of the body to Yogi Kira Sloane, director/owner of Lulu Bandha once located in magical Ojai, California (she now produces Yoga Anytime). By helping my clients reestablish their intuitive form and posture, daily movement patterns, whether it is sitting, standing, walking, running, exercising, or playing sports, are improved.
I became a personal fitness trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine in 2007 and was selected to teach Pilates exercise for Bally Total Fitness, training with elite Polestar instructors to acquire an understanding of these new movement skills. I pursued further body movement education from Simone Schmidt, former ballerina, celebrity fitness trainer, and owner of Roxbury Pilates Spa/ Beverly Hills where she helped sculpt stars into tip-top Pilates shape, including Madonna (those arms!). Her style of teaching was influenced by Stott Pilates and chiropractic medicine.
In 2008, I became a trainer for the U.S. Navy at the Port Hueneme and Point Mugu bases to affect the cost of injuries within the Naval branch by teaching stretching, alignment, and appropriate muscle activation to support form and movement, thereby reducing/preventing injury. After my work at the Naval Bases of Ventura County, I sought to deepen my understanding of functional movement and fascia. I assisted the doctors at Kang Physical Therapy Clinic in Ventura, California and worked with pre- and post-operative joint surgery patients, especially supervised by Dr. Josh Turner (Ventura Orthopedics). Dr. Kang now spearheads the physical therapy department at George Fox University in Oregon, and before he left in late 2013, encouraged me to open my own studio. Having observed thousands of bodies in motion, I have cultivated a keen eye for identifying injury risk and offering appropriate prevention options to improve sedentary and active lifestyles.
I continue to develop knowledge and expertise through seminars, research, workshops, and self-practice, emphasizing the areas of biomechanics and injury rehabilitation. I have practiced Qi Gong with third generation Eastern medical doctor, Joseph K. Kim (Encino Acupuncture and Herbs Center), and taken Qi cultivation courses, including Self-Healing Qi Gong at Yosan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Los Angeles.
In 2015, I received continuing education in scoliosis care from international Pilates expert, Marie-José Blom, and in 2016 became a licensed Yoga Tune Up® Teacher with the incredible instruction of Trina Altman and Gwen Yeager (a system developed by the ingenious Jill Miller, whose work was fatefully introduced to me by one of my earliest and dearest mentors, the amazing Lisa West, PT and somatic expert at Lisa West Wellness, Ventura. I completed training in somatic therapies, including neuro-structural bodywork and Thai massage, at the Kali Institute located in Ventura, and am licensed as a massage therapist, also since 2016. My movement classes and sessions incorporate myofascial release, core awareness, mindfulness, Patanjali's Sutras, and Ashtanga yoga philosophy. Through innovative fascial release techniques and my specific cueing language for optimal, pain-free movement, I have helped thousands of people in Ventura continue to enjoy the activities they love and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to share my insight doing what I truly love- exploring our somatic layers.
I ran my first two half marathons in 2018 and 2019 to encourage my understanding of the running body and used the Jeff Galloway training method. In May 2023 I graduated as a Master of Social Work (with distinction) with an emphasis on urban community wellness and de-colonizing mental health care. This lineage includes Dr. James Decker, Dr. Susan Love, and Dr. José Paez. I am an advocate of enhancing family well-being for the prevention and resolution of much of societal disharmony- violence, drug abuse, and homelessness. Through my own personal journey, I believe that parenting is the root we must nurture as a community. As a long-time resident of Oxnard and Ventura (40+ years), I look forward to serving and empowering you to be the authority on your own well-being. Joseph Pilates once stated, “Change happens through movement, and movement heals.”
I am currently in the process of becoming a Tune Up Fitness Certified Instructor, with training in all three of Jill Miller’s methods: Yoga Tune Up™, The Roll Model Method™, and Body by Breath™. Among my other interests are consciously crafting skincare products. When I’m not researching or managing ISW, I’m claying around on the pottery wheel or lounging with my Shih Tzu, Roxy Balboa.