Gillian Durham is an English as a Second Language instructor at Tidewater Community College. She received her BA in English from Elon University in 1995 and an MA in Applied Linguistics from Old Dominion University in 2005. Between the two degrees, she spent five years overseas, traveling and teaching in Asia and Australia. Her adventures broadened her understanding of and interest in other cultures, including India and yoga.

When she returned to school for her Masters in 2003, she also began practicing yoga on a regular basis and is particularly drawn to Astanga and Jivamukti classes. Gillian’s Sanskrit name is “Brahmi,” given to her by her teacher, Lisa “Asha” Rapp, under whose training she completed her 200-hour RYT certification in August 2008.