Emily Casaretto is from the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated with a BA in Psychology from Yale in 2010 and continues to live in New Haven. She was introduced to yoga during college, after years of struggling with weight issues as an adolescent. "Yoga was the first form of non-competitive exercise that I truly enjoyed. The mat is a place for me to challenge my mind and body in a way that is safe, comfortable, and empowering."

After developing a personal practice of her own, she received her 200-hour RYT vinyasa yoga certification from Anna Laurita, owner of the Davanna® Yoga School in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She got her first opportunity to teach yoga to children in Mexico during her training, and she has previously worked with children in a variety of capacities, including: leading school groups at the Yale Farm, co-teaching history and health sciences at a local children's psychiatric hospital, and babysitting. She is CPR and Wilderness First Aid certified, and like any kid, she enjoys jumping, climbing trees, and being silly.