Diane Kistler
My journey from the corporate pharmaceutical world, working with international clients, to one of working with individual clients therapeutically has been one built on a strong foundation of compassion and serving others through teaching.
My strong foundation for serving others was set from very early on in my life. I have two incredible parents, who volunteered in their community and are my examples to live by. I became a yoga teacher because I saw Yoga as a way to deepen my own practice and a way to share tools with others which may make a positive impact on their lives. In 2005, I completed my 200 hour yoga teacher training at Moyo Yoga in Skippack, PA. My first therapeutic class was with the Cancer Community of Philadelphia. It was there that my real education took place, as I learned from the stories of my students enabling me to be more compassionate, a better listener and obtain greater understanding of their conditions.
The practice became even more poignant, as I had my own diagnosis of breast cancer. I experienced firsthand, the need for support, comfort and having someone to listen to me. Yoga and the incredible community of people that rallied around me got me through three surgeries, radiation and the fear of reoccurence. To this day, I continue to teach to cancer patients. Further training in Prenatal Yoga and Restorative Yoga gave me a broader background in therapeutics. I’ve taught with these three populations/disciplines for the past 12 years. I began to offer classes and workshops for students with conditions such as MS, Parkinson’s, Stroke, chronic pain, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Diabetes, and emotional and mental conditions.
In May 2018, I graduated and earned my Yoga Therapy certification from IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists). The IAYT certified training programs are 800 hours of training, equivalent to a Masters of Science at some schools. I choose Inner Peace Yoga Therapy for their reputation in providing a solid education in diseases and conditions, emotional issues, functional yoga, yoga philosophy, and real world experience in their mentorship program.
My interest in Chronic Pain was piqued by the excellent guidance from Neil Pearson, faculty member of Inner Peace Yoga Therapy, physiotherapist and yoga therapist. His Pain Care Yoga program (www.Lifeisnow.ca) is one of the leading programs to combine pain knowledge and yoga. Their First 5 Steps are Free guide is an excellent resource for people with pain. I have completed the Professional Pain Care Distance Mentorship Program (300 hours) as a certified Pain Care educator and certification as a Pain Care Specialist. This part of my journey has taken me to study pan science through the lens of some of the leading pain researchers in the world like Lorimer Moseley, David Butler, Tasha Stanton, Fadel Zeidan, Sat Bir Khalsa and healthcare practitioners who combine the western model of healthcare with eastern models, like Lonnie Zeltzer, Sonu Haikerwal, Marlysa Sullivan, Tracy Jackson, Susie Gronski, Matthew Taylor and Richard Miller.
As a founding partner in Pain Care Collective, my work has the opportunity to reach more and more people in pain. This online yoga therapy studio is just the initiative that this world needs as we address the epidemic of chronic pain. For more information to Pain Care Collective or to sign up for a Free Trial, go to our website.
Now armed with the useful knowledge of how pain works, my vast yoga toolbox, and my own desire to help my community, this journey that began with my parent’s influence, is coming to fruition. I look forward to how I can help others come back to their sense of well-being and joyful living.
Credentials
- Certified Yoga Therapist completed in May 2018 as accredited by the IAYT (C-IAYT)*
- Pain Care Specialist (Advanced Pain Care Yoga Certification)
- 500 hour e-RYT (Yoga Alliance certification, experienced yoga teacher)
- PYT (Prenatal Yoga Teacher – Yoga Alliance certification)
- Restorative Yoga Teacher (certified by Jillian Pransky)
- Laughter Yoga Leader (certified by Dr. Kataria School of Laugher Yogal)
- Bachelor’s of Arts, Elizabethtown College
- Masters of Business Administration, St. Joseph’s University
* The yoga therapy components of my teaching are based on my C-IAYT credential not derived from my status as an RYT with Yoga Alliance Registry.
Teachers and Influences
- World’s leading Pain & Yoga Researchers – Lorimer Moseley, David Butler, Tasha Stanton, Fadel Zeidan, Sat Bir Khalsa, Bessel Van der Kolk
- Healthcare Practiioners – Lonnie Zeltzer, Sonu Haikerwal, Marlysa Sullivan, Tracy Jackson, Susie Gronski, Matthew Taylor and Richard Miller, Timothy McCall
- Inner Peace Faculty – Maria Mendola, Amy Weintraub, Nischala Joy Devi, Durga Lee, Neil Pearson, Antonio Sausys, Laura Kupperman, Dr. Marc Halpern, Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Jai Dev Singh, and Chinnamasta Stiles.
- Other Key Teachers and Influences – Jillian Pransky, Pema Chodron, Erich Schiffman, Doug Keller, Judith Hanson Lasater, Carolyn Myss, Donna Farhi, Stephen Cope, Marshall Rosenberg, Gurmukh, Mukunda Stiles, Bo Forbes, Leslie Kaminoff, Nikki Robinson
TESTIMONIALS
Diane is amazing! Super informative, fun, easy to connect to really overall amazing. I very much enjoyedour work together. She has made a great positive impact on my life.
Diane is so knowledgeable and has so much to offer to the community. I was very impressed by the plan she created for me. It has given me more energy, better sleep, and has made me more clear minded.
I have been working with Diane in both private sessions and yoga classes for more than ten years. Her professionalism and gentle nature are what enable her to maintain long term clients.
I started working with Diane in April 2022 after nursing a couple of back issues, primarily an inflamed sacroiliac joint. I’d already been in PT but the results were very slow and unsatisfying. Working with Diane and Yoga Therapy proved to be a blessed event in the realm of healing the physical body. Diane did a thorough interview at the outset and each session came with a thorough follow-up email. She also sent me home with print-outs of the various techniques that had been instructed. I make a point to mindfully check in with my lower back, and re-visit the yoga practice at least once a week. To date, the lower back seems to be at peace and has been that way for several months. I’m back to running, lifting weights and some high-intensity interval training. She is a committed yoga therapist, fully informed about pain management and other aspects of self care.
