Tessa Manning YOGA

Tessa Manning YOGA Tessa teaches Iyengar Yoga in Sebastopol & Berkeley. "Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured." - BKS Iyengar

Tessa is a certified Jr 1 Iyengar Yoga teacher and has been practicing Iyengar yoga since 2007. She received her teacher training at the Iyengar Yoga Institute of San Francisco. She is dedicated to the Iyengar method because of its attention to alignment and the thorough change it brings about in the body. And avid practitioner, Tessa has used Iyengar Yoga to help treat her scoliosis. She teaches

in a way that is safe, accessible, and compassionate - providing individual attention to each student.

06/01/2026

When my back pain flares up, this is one of the first poses I come back to.

A tall block for supported Viparita Karani = a gentle inversion that helps shoulder blades move into their natural place, calm the nervous system, and create space in the upper back and SI joint.

I love this variation because it gives so many of the benefits of inversions without pressure in the neck or needing lots of props.

Especially helpful if you’re:
✨ overstimulated
✨ holding tension in your upper back & shoulders
✨ feeling compressed from sitting, stress, or carrying kids
✨ dealing with SI joint or low back discomfort
✨ wanting deeper breathing and nervous system support

Save this for the days your body needs support 🤍

05/30/2026

If your low back always feels tight, compressed, or stuck- this variation of Supta Padangusthasana might be the missing piece.

Using the belt to create traction through the hip and lumbar spine helps create space where so many of us hold tension - especially with low back pain, sciatica, SI imbalance, long hours sitting, pregnancy/postpartum changes, or just the wear and tear of daily life.

I love this pose because it doesn’t just stretch the hamstrings, it helps decompress the entire low back and hip joint while teaching the pelvis to reorganize and settle.

Try staying for 1–3 minutes with soft breath and let your back receive support instead of gripping. ✨

Save this for the next time your back feels tight and send it to someone whose low back is always bothering them.

05/29/2026

If you spend hours nursing, carrying kids, sitting at a computer, driving, or constantly looking down at your phone… your chest, shoulders, and upper back slowly start collapsing forward.

And over time?
That can lead to:
• upper back pain
• tight shoulders
• tension headaches
• neck pain
• feeling compressed and exhausted in your body

This supported chest opener is one of my favorite ways to gently reverse that pattern. If your upper back is tight sit on a folded blanket before you go back over the blocks.

It feels simple… but done consistently, it can completely change how your body feels.

Save this for your evening reset, and send it to that friend whose upper back needs this✨

05/28/2026

One of the biggest mistakes I see in standing poses for low back pain is compressing into the lumbar instead of creating space.

In Ardha Chandrasana, I actively push my outer pelvis away from my waist to lengthen the side body and create space the low back.

That one action changes the entire pose, and brings me relief in seconds.

Small alignment details matter when you’re dealing with back pain.

Comment “BACK” for my free guide to back pain relief and home practice tips.

05/22/2026

As a busy mom, my low back can easily start feeling tight, compressed, and exhausted from carrying babies, bending, lifting, feeding, and long days on my feet.

These are 3 of the poses I come back to again and again to create more support and space in my low back.

The block between the thighs helps activate the inner legs and pelvic floor, which can completely change how the low back feels in standing poses and downward dog. Instead of dumping into the lumbar, the spine begins to lengthen and decompress.

1. Tadasana + Urdhva Hastasana
Lift the abdomen up while descending the buttocks down to create length through the trunk.

2. Half Uttanasana
Push the thighs back to create massive space in the low back.

3. Downward Dog at the Wall
Press the thighs back to lengthen the lower back and abdomen.

Small adjustments like these can make a huge difference in back pain, posture, and how supported your body feels throughout the day.

Comment “BACK” and I’ll send you my free guide for back pain relief ✨

We would love to have you at our De Tierra Mini Retreat on May 30th from 2-5pm Come spend an afternoon reconnecting to y...
05/21/2026

We would love to have you at our De Tierra Mini Retreat on May 30th from 2-5pm

Come spend an afternoon reconnecting to your body through yoga, Afro Fusion dance, movement, community, and deep restoration. We go deep, we laugh a lot, and we always leave feeling more grounded, alive, and connected. 🫶🏻❤️

Sign up: https://momence.com/l/79heobGD

12/03/2025

This is one of the most sacred parts of our Baja retreats. We rise at sunrise to gather in ceremony with a medicine woman — to pray, set intentions, and receive guidance on what we’re being asked to release. There are tears, sisterhood, deep opening. This is what a true retreat is all about.

Yoga Retreats February & March 2026

We only have a couple single rooms left.

🌊 Comment “BAJA” for more information.

12/01/2025

You don’t need core work yet — you need nervous system repair.

Comment “postpartum” for the full video.

Your body has done the hardest work already. The first month isn’t about toning, it’s about repairing with mental and physical rest.

Too much activity may not cause immediate problems but could cause them later on. It’s important to wait until 6 weeks to return to strenuous activity.

These two poses teach your body and mind how to rest again:
🕊 Supported Savasana
🕊 Supta Baddha Konasana

They:
✨Increase oxygen which helps lactation and milk quality.
✨Releases the nervous system
✨Helps soothe reproductive organs
✨Helps back pain

🛑 If you had a c-section only to supported Savasana and wait until your cut is healed.

Save + share with a new mama who needs to hear this 🤍
Follow for real postpartum recovery yoga — not bounce-back culture.

11/18/2025

Have you ever tried this??

Anantasana 👉🏼 Supta Padangusthasana 2.

At my yoga retreats we get to delve into fun and dynamic transitions. This retreat was in Costa Rica in 2019 😊
✨ Next retreats in Baja 2026, link in bio.

11/01/2025

🚫 Why reclining might not be the best idea in your 3rd trimester…

When you lean back in a reclined position, baby’s weight can press on your spine and major blood vessels — making it harder for both of you to get good circulation and oxygen. It can also encourage baby into a less-than-ideal position for birth (hello, sunny-side up 😬).

✅ Instead, try:
✨ Sitting upright with your pelvis slightly tipped forward
✨ Baddha Konasana — sitting on height and supporting your spine with couch or wall
✨ Sitting on a birthing ball to open the pelvis
✨ Or lying on your side (especially your left) to keep blood flow optimal

These positions help relieve pressure, keep baby well-positioned, and make you feel more comfortable as your due date approaches. 💛

Comment “BALL” for my favorite birthing ball recommendation.

👉🏼 Save this for later and follow for daily ways to move through pregnancy with less pain and more ease.

Address

7385 Healdsburg Avenue
Sebastopol, CA
95472

Opening Hours

Tuesday 4:30pm - 7:45pm
Wednesday 4pm - 5:30pm
Thursday 9:15am - 11am
4:30pm - 7:45pm
Sunday 4:45pm - 6:15pm

Telephone

+17079780640

Website

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