Mary Paffard began her yoga journey in Europe in the early 1970s. She has been teaching in rural Northern California, the Bay Area, and other parts of the United States and Europe since 1985. Mary's yoga practice and teaching are influenced by her commitment to vipassana meditation and the desire to unearth the inner guru in herself and her students. In recent years, the breath, belly and the chakras have proved powerful mirrors in her exploration of the spirit in movement and stillness.

Mary is currently Director of Advanced Studies and Teacher Training at Yoga Mendocino “Yomo”, a non-profit corporation that has evolved into an inspiring yoga space in downtown Ukiah, California. Yomo supports the growing interest in yoga in this community with her colleague Maggie Norton. Yomo is committed to bringing yoga to a wider community, developing programs for teachers, and creating a support and referral network locally and beyond.

Since the early 1990s, Mary has been training local and visiting teachers in ongoing workshops and seminars in Ukiah. She was part of the core faculty of the 18-month teachers program at the Piedmont Yoga Studio and is currently running a comprehensive program for teachers and trainees.