Pulling Down the Moon - Classes, Workshops & Support Groups

Our staff includes yoga instructors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, nutrition and weight management experts. All our practitioners are licensed and highly trained in their area of expertise. You can see their full bios here.

Beth Heller, MS, Reg. Yoga Teacher

Beth is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Pulling Down the Moon, Inc., Integrative Care for Fertility (ICF ™). Beth earned her Master’s Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics in 1999 and prior to founding PDtM, she spent four years working as a Nutrition Researcher for the Women’s Walking Program, a large National Institutes of Health-funded study that examined the impact of walking exercise on the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of menopausal women. As she witnessed women become stronger, less anxious and less depressed as a result of adding walking to their lives Beth had her first introduction to the powerful connection between mind and body.

Beth came to yoga in 1998 when she realized that a stressed out graduate student like herself was likely to have difficulty starting a family. After stumbling into a yoga class and loving it, Beth began a regular practice. Soon thereafter, her periods, which had been absent for four years, returned without change to her diet, body composition or exercise levels. Beth decided there was something unique about yoga that had helped to restore her reproductive function. In confirmation of this hunch, several months after her menses returned, Beth became pregnant. Unfortunately the pregnancy ended in miscarriage and it was back to the drawing board.

Still confident that yoga was a key element of reproductive health, Beth began trying to conceive again. As she struggled with this challenge, her interest in yoga and fertility grew and led her into deeper practices of breathing, meditation and the work of bringing yoga practice “off the mat” into daily living. She entered teacher training at Moksha Yoga Center in Chicago where she researched and wrote her thesis in 2001 on yoga practices to restore fertility. She also began work with an ayurvedic physician who suggested changes to her diet and life habits. Eighteen months after her first miscarriage Beth conceived again, had a wonderful, healthy pregnancy that ended with a sad surprise, the stillbirth of a daughter at 38 weeks due to unknown causes.

It was in that moment of loss that Beth learned the real value of the yoga she had been studying. In addition to calming and balancing her physical body, the practices of asana, breathing and meditation had provided her with an inner stability, or peace, that she had not recognized until that moment. This peace allowed Beth to grieve the loss of her daughter fully, keep an open heart and have hope for the future even in the darkest hours. Shortly after the loss of her daughter she founded Pulling Down the Moon with fellow yogi Tami Quinn.

Simultaneous to the “birth” of PDtM, Beth returned to the work of getting pregnant. This time she went directly into medical fertility treatment. After five rounds of clomid and another miscarriage she conceived the pregnancy that ended with the healthy birth of her son Jackson. At the age of 37, two years after Jack’s birth, Beth added acupuncture and herbs to her yoga regimen and conceived again after only one month of “trying.” With the birth of her second son, Calvin, her family is now complete.

Throughout every aspect of the journey, the teachings of yoga and the wisdom of traditional healing therapies were her guide and solace. Beth’s goal in founding Pulling Down the Moon was to teach the tools that allowed her to learn and grow through one of the most challenging times in her life. Beth is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. She teaches yoga in classes and in one-on-one instruction throughout the Chicago-land area and is a creator, co-director and teacher for Pulling Down the Moon, Yoga for Fertility.

Tamara Quinn, Reg. Yoga Teacher, Yoga Swami

Tami is the Co-Founder of Pulling Down the Moon, a revolutionary holistic fertility center that has changed the standard of care for women experiencing infertility. Tami was called to this work after a 14-year career in the corporate world, most recently with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia where she spent 8-1/2 years in advertising and marketing. Struggling to find balance between career and family, Tami turned to yoga and discovered ancient healing techniques that not only helped with her stress, but also provided tools to help live a more balanced life. These tools also gave her the courage to leave the corporate world and the financial security it represented. Remembering her own difficulty in conceiving her twins, Tami knew these yoga tools would be meaningful for women experiencing similar challenges.

She became a registered yoga teacher (RYT) through Rod Stryker of the Para Yoga School based in Los Angeles, California. Her training includes in-depth study of the principles and practices of the mystical yogic tradition including Kriology and Ayurveda, which are considered to be yoga sciences as well as spiritual paths. Tami is a reiki master, a disciple of the Kriya yoga lineage through her guru Goswami Kriyananda, and an ordained Swami. Her studies have included the doctrine of karma, meditation or guided imagery, hatha yoga, breathing techniques, sacred texts, astrology, religions of the world, kriya yoga philosophy or psychology, dream interpretation, the language of symbols, and pastoral care.

Tami uses her training as a swami to create fertility specific rituals, clearings, meditations and yoga classes which help women struggling with disappointment, loss and the stresses associated with infertility. Many of these yoga techniques can be found in her book, “Fully Fertile, A 12-Week Plan to Optimal Fertility” which she co-authored with business partner, Beth Heller. Tami also completed Level 1 training in iRest, a restorative yoga technique that has been shown to help soldiers returning from Iraq with post traumatic stress disorder. Tami has a Bachelor of Science degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio; is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Tami still considers herself a student, learning new spiritual lessons daily from her Guru and the life lessons of inspiration, hope and courage from her students.

Christine Davis, Acupuncture Director

Christine is a Licensed Acupuncturist and the Acupuncture Director at Pulling Down the Moon, a fertility-focused integrative complementary medicine center in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Christine holds a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine and a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine. She has been a Board Certified practicing acupuncturist since 2004.

She has studied Chinese Tai Ji Quan at Wu Dang Mountain and Gong Fu at Shao Lin Temple in China. In addition, she studied Chinese herbology at the Beijing University of Traditional Medicine in 2003. She is a Certified Hatha Yoga Instructor in the Iyengar method and has been practicing for over 20 years.

Christine focuses on helping people achieve maximum, lasting wellness by giving them the tools to heal themselves. She believes that health can be improved by using traditional methods of moderation and balance. Christine has helped support many couples on their journey to conceive.

She believes it is important to address both the body as well as the mind and the spirit, especially while trying to conceive. When Christine is not treating patients, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two sweet daughters, listening to all kinds of music, strolling through the Chicago Botanic Garden and reading.

Cassie Harrison,  Yoga Director & Registered Yoga Teacher

Cassie is a certified Yoga Instructor who trained at Urban Breath Yoga in Saint Louis. She is also a certified Prenatal Yoga Instructor, with an additional 95 hours of instruction through Amala School of Prenatal Yoga and her Yoga for Fertility training through Pulling Down the Moon. As a way to offer personalized instruction and build relationships, Cassie prefers to keep her classes small. She employs Kriya yoga, including Hatha Yoga — involving body, breath and mind.

Cassie’s most recent focus is in Yoga for Fertility, and her classes can help you prepare your body and cope with the stress and emotions of the fertility journey. Her own journey led her to acupuncture, nutrition and chiropractic care — a holistic approach that helped her conceive her two sons. Cassie credits teaching Yoga for Fertility classes with truly helping her to heal, and she hopes to provide a supportive environment where students know they are not alone in their fertility journey.

Yoga has been a constant in Cassie’s life since college, providing a healthy, supportive outlet. She believes that it’s possible for anyone and everyone to reap the benefits of yoga. Thanks in part to her calm, friendly demeanor, Cassie’s students frequently say that they’ve forgotten the stresses of the day for a while and go home feeling relaxed. That equals success in yoga terms.

When Cassie isn’t in the yoga studio, she’s balancing life with a family of four and her career as a sales engineer. She loves spending time outside, whether she is cycling, hiking or skiing. Cassie has a passion for cooking — from gourmet meals at home to fancy meals on family camping trips. She lives with her husband and sons in the northwest suburbs of Chicago but stays true to her St. Louis roots as a die-hard Cardinals fan.

Michelle Johann, Business Director and Patient Advocate

Michelle Johann is the friendly and compassionate face that greets you at the door or on the phone, but also our “behind the scenes gal” that gets things done! She considers herself a planner, and “type A” who believes that hard work and determination always gets you through. Until it didn’t. In Michelle’s words, “Community got me through my own journey of infertility and loss. Community that I found at Pulling Down the Moon.

That is why I am here — to outreach and connect others; to help you on your journey in whatever way I can.

My education and experience as a caregiver, counselor, advocate, and working in nonprofits for many years helps me navigate systems as well as provide support. I love working in and with our community from Star Legacy Foundation to the Broken Brown Egg, Chicago Coalition for Family Building, Return to Zero: H.O.P.E.(as her twins are included in the movie credits), Chicago Family Doulas, and more. When I am not at our centers or working in the community at various events, this pisces loves to be outdoors, to get my feet in the water, +enjoy good food — especially brunch, and spend time with my husband Brian and Moon baby Gavin.

I am grateful for this center and for the opportunity to make a difference as we can move mountains when women support other women.”

EDUCATION

University of Delaware: National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities
Dartmouth College: Individual Placement and Support: Supported Employment for Supervisors
Bradley University: Leadership, Education, and Human Development: Community Counseling (Master’s Degree)
Illinois State University: Psychology Major, Sociology Minor (Bachelor’s Degree)

LICENSURE & CERTIFICATION

National Certified Counselor
Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional
Licensed Professional Counselor

Meredith Nathan, Director of Massage

Meredith Nathan, L.M.T., graduated with honors from Northwestern University and Chicago School of Massage Therapy. Meredith has continued her education through the Upledger Institute as well as Mercier Training Institute, and is certified in Gynovisceral Manipulation, Lymphatic Drainage Technique, CranioSacral Therapy, and Prenatal Massage. Meredith created the Fertility Enhancing Massage (FEM) Protocol™ in 2008 after working with thousands of women seeking to improve their fertility since 2004.

In 2017, in partnership with Pulling Down the Moon, Meredith became an approved provider of Continuing Education in the field of Fertility Massage with the NCBTMB. Meredith was the esteemed recipient of the AMTA’s 2018 Pioneer Award, co-founded the Fully Fertile app, co-authored Fully Fertile’s Nutrition for Life program, and created Fully Fertile’s Holistic DIY for TTC. She has been highlighted in Massage Magazine and Conceive Magazine, and was a contributing author to ‘Fully Fertile: A 12 Week Holistic Plan for Optimal Fertility’.

The daughter of a biophysicist and biologist-turned-healer, Meredith is passionate about blending the best of holistic modalities, grounded in modern science. As a fertility baby herself, Meredith is dedicated to helping patients become parents, and is committed to breaking new grounds and creating a standard of excellence within the world of holistic fertility.