Kate Rivard

E-RYT 500 // Licensed Massage Therapist in DC
Lead Teacher at Bluebird Sky Yoga
B.A. Psychology from the University of Minnesota

I first discovered yoga in high school in 2003 during a tumultuous time in my life and found the practice deeply healing—unlike anything I had experienced before. When I went to college, I explored as many styles as I could, with Ashtanga yoga resonating most strongly at the time. After years of dedicated practice, I began teaching in 2011. 

In 2014, I became the first full-time yoga teacher at Womack Army Medical Center’s Intrepid Spirit Center at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where I taught yoga and mindfulness practices to active duty soldiers as part of the Pain Management and Traumatic Brain Injury Clinics. This experience helped further shape my understanding of yoga as a profound tool for healing. My curiosity for embodied well-being later inspired me to attend massage school in 2018, deepening my knowledge of somatic approaches to health and balance.

Over the years I have practiced with many amazing teachers, but David Swenson, David Robson, Eddie Stern, Shala Worsley and Sarah Powers have significantly shaping my personal practice and teaching. My classes draw from multiple lineages, with a foundation in the dynamic sequencing of Ashtanga and the safe alignment principles of Iyengar. My intention as a teacher is to create classes that inspire self-awareness through stillness and reflection, foster a sense of empowerment, and nurture connection—to ourselves, to others, and to the world we live in. 

For the past 15 years, I’ve had the joy of co-leading multiple teacher trainings and eventually creating my own 200 hour curriculum, guiding retreats, teaching in beautiful places like the National Cathedral and the French Embassy, and being named runner-up for Best Yoga Teacher in DC. I’m so grateful for this path and the opportunity to keep learning, growing, and connecting with amazing students and communities.

Beyond teaching, I love spending time with my partner and our daughter traveling, hiking, baking, and slowly renovating our 100-year-old home.