About Me

My name is Deanna Hughes.  My friends and family call me “D” or D.D.  I started my yoga and meditation journey on a very cold and snowy day in February of 2013.  At the time, I was providing hospice care for my “father-in-love” – my father-in-law Mario, along with my mother-in-law and family. We had scheduled breaks where we would get out of the house to refresh and regroup.  During one of my breaks, I found myself parked in a shopping center parking lot. It was snowing sideways and very blustery and cold. Through my tear-filled eyes, I saw a neon turquoise sign in the distance.  It read “Breathe”.  I felt compelled to get out of the car, walk across the parking lot and enter the building. It was a yoga studio and a class was about to begin.  I rented a mat, took off my shoes, and went into a wonderfully heated space to experience my first ever Vinyasa class.  I cried.  For most of the class, I assumed a position new to me – child’s pose – and I cried.  At the end of the class, every student silently touched me in some way to let me know they were there. They shared their energy with me, their intentions with me, their sacred space with me.

I was HOOKED.

I signed up for an unlimited pass, and took yoga almost every day.  That was over ten years ago, and since then I have committed time, energy, resources, and intention to my yoga and meditation practice and education.  I have taken a 200 hour Yoga Teacher training, Level 1 Restorative training with Judith Lasater, Yoga for Trauma training, meditation training, Laban/Bartenieff body movement studies, studied anatomy and physiology, studied clean eating and the impacts of nutrition on the body and mind, and I have taken countless yoga classes in many different styles. The reason I started Island Om Yoga & Wellness is so that I can help others start and cultivate a Yoga and Meditation practice in their own lives.  I want to create an individual experience for my clients that is free of any pressures of a formal studio class, and one that is easy for people to include in their daily lives.  Most importantly, I want to make a difference in people’s lives and help guide them to the enlightenment that a yoga and meditation practice can provide.