Rie Radha Tanaka
- D.M.A. (Doctor of Musical Arts) – University of Minnesota
- RYT 200 (Registered Yoga Teacher) – Yogi Hari’s Ashram
Rie Radha Tanaka is a Yoga practitioner, concert Pianist, and music educator. She completed her 200 hours of Yoga Teacher Training in Florida in 2020, studying under Shri Yogi Hari, an internationally recognized Guru from the Shivananda lineage. He initiated her as one of his disciples, and named her “Radha” the fortunate. She has learned, practiced, and is certified to teach Sampoorna Yoga – Yoga of Fullness, which combines 6 paths of Yoga; Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Gyan Yoga, and Nada Yoga.
Rie’s serious pursuit of wellness and healing began when she injured both wrists from playing the Piano in 2012 which prohibited her from playing the Piano for over seven months. She was able to recover from injuries through physical therapy and Yoga practice, and she has been passionate about bringing wellness and peace to others.
For the past six years, Rie has led her original program “Wellness for Musicians,” designed to help musicians to prevent performance injuries through lectures and daily Yoga sessions. Developed by her doctoral research and her own recovery from injury, she taught at various music camps and festivals, including Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, Minnesota International Piano Camp, Saint Paul Chamber Music Institute, and Green Lake Chamber Music Camp. Her comprehensive approach to raise awareness, develop strength and flexibility, and regain a healthy body and mind has impacted many lives.
Rie’s mission is to aid the weak link between the vast majority of music students to the wealth of methods and information about injury prevention. To build a culture of healthy musicians, she believes that it is essential to educate teachers. In her doctoral thesis, “Wellness for Musicians; Blueprint to Your Very Own Injury Prevention Course,” she introduces applicable Yogic activities, methods, and mindsets that an individual teacher can implement into their own teaching to promote healthier instruction. She has been featured as a guest speaker at Universities and Music Teachers Associations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, and South Dakota.
In response to Covid-19, she co-directed an online course “Peaceful Musicians: 5-Day Challenge” and taught at the University of Arizona as well as independently, which included daily live class via ZOOM: lecture, Yoga, meditation, workbooks and more.
Rie currently lives in Mound Minnesota with her husband Jesse and cat Munchie, and enjoys being surrounded by abundant lakes and nature. She teachers weekly Yoga class via Zoom independently, and leads one-on-one Yoga session by appointment. She performs often with her husband and cellist Jesse Nummelin regionally and nationally. She currently teaches Piano at Macalester College and MacPhail Center for Music.
Pianist Rie Tanaka 