Molly Lannon Kenny is a thanatologist, teacher, therapist, lecturer, and writer, who has spent over 30 years dedicating her life to individual transformation and radical social change.

It was her first job in Seattle, at an agency that supported adults with developmental disabilities, that sparked Molly’s winding journey of advocacy, curiosity, compassion and equality, and her love of people in all their complexity.

Throughout the 90’s, Molly continued on to graduate school, became a hospital based speech and language pathologist, played in rock bands and followed a strict Ashtanga Yoga routine.

This unique combination of life experiences led Molly to develop Integrated Movement Therapy, a therapy framework that combined her rebel spirit, her clinical experience and her love and knowledge of yoga practice and philosophy.

In 1999, she left her clinical position and in 2001, founded The Samarya Center for Integrated Movement Therapy and Ashtanga Yoga, the northwest’s first non-profit yoga center.

Based in Seattle, The Samarya Center was the first yoga and therapy center of its kind, focusing on deep spiritual inquiry, social justice, and yoga as therapy with classes as diverse as Yoga for Addiction, Depression and Anxiety, Recovery from Childhood Sexual Trauma, Grief and Loss, and End of Life Care. 

Under Molly’s stewardship, Samarya thrived for nearly 15 years as a community, training and service center committed to radical inclusion. It was home base to over 25 different community based volunteer programs, twice yearly yoga teacher trainings, and 800 + hour trainings in Integrated Movement Therapy.

When The Samarya Center closed its doors in 2015, Molly relocated permanently to her home in Nayarit, Mexico where she had been cultivating deep friendships and community connection for more than a decade already. 

Molly is the recent founder of La Ermita, a center for contemplative community, where she offers a beautiful, sacred and welcoming space, free meditation, classes, workshops and individual therapy sessions, both live and online.

She draws her primary inspiration from Swami Vivekananda, Ram Dass, Larry Ward, Richard Rohr, Howard Thurman, Liz Caemmerer, and her beloved sister, Erin, who died on October 19, 2018, changing Molly’s life and perspective forever.

Molly is an open ocean swimmer and is currently pursuing her Masters in Theology. She is passionate about anti-colonialism, solidarity, and creating meaningful connections with her beloved local community. 

Formation

• Masters in Speech-Language Pathology, University of Washington, 1993

• Hospital based speech-language pathologist, 1993- 1999

• Autism specialist

• Founder and developer, Integrated Movement Therapy, first published in 2002 in the International Journal of Yoga Therapy

• Lead developer and trainer for 800 + hour training in IMT

• Founder and Director, The Samarya Center, 2001 - 2016

• Founder and lead trainer for over 25 different volunteer and outreach programs, offering yoga and meditation to underserved and marginalized communities

• Lead developer and trainer for 200 + hour Samarya yoga teacher training

• Vice President, International Association of Yoga Therapists, 2005 - 2010

• Board Chair, international committee to develop educational standards for yoga therapy

• Contract trainer for clinicians at Johns Hopkins affiliate, Kennedy Krieger Institute

• Academic Advisor, Yoga Therapy program, Riedman College, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2008

• Board member and conference coordinator, Yoga Service Council, 2017 - 2019

• Graduate, The Living School, Center for Action and Contemplation with Richard Rohr

• Member, Seattle Vedanta Society, 2012 - 2015

• Host, Transparent- Yoga and Every Day life podcast, 2013 - 2015

• Author, No Gurus Came Knocking, a collection of essays on yoga and everyday life, 2013

• Currently pursuing a Masters in Theology, College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University

• Featured, interviewed and published extensively in scholarly journals and lay press