Veronika Patton has built a career that reflects both her personal journey and her deep commitment to health and movement. She is known in the wellness field for her work in therapeutic yoga, functional aging, and cancer exercise recovery. Through her company, V Yoga Health LLC, and more than 20 years of hands-on experience in medical and wellness environments, she has developed a practice that brings together movement, breath, and rehabilitation in a way that aims to support the physical and emotional needs of every individual who comes to her for guidance. Her work stands out because it is shaped not only by professional training but also by her lived experiences across three countries and her own path through breast cancer recovery.
Veronika was born in Kyiv on October 8, 1985. When she was five years old, her family relocated to Israel, where she spent the rest of her childhood and teenage years. At the age of seventeen, she moved with her mother and brother to the United States. This move marked the beginning of her long journey in wellness and education. Her early interest in medicine began in Israel, where she entered medical training in 2000 and completed a paramedic degree. Her education was originally designed to prepare her for service with medical units in the Israeli army. That period helped shape her confidence in emergency response and clinical care and also formed the base of the medical knowledge she would later apply to her wellness work.
After relocating to the United States, Veronika continued her studies by enrolling in nursing and psychology courses at Harper College. At the same time, she worked in private and hospital environments where she gained day-to-day experience with a wide range of patients. Those early years included roles in medical offices, outpatient care centers, and clinical support positions. Between 2003 and 2017, she worked at several medical facilities across the Chicago metropolitan area, including California Devon Medical Center, Lutheran General Hospital, and The URO Center in Wheeling and Vernon Hills. These roles brought her into contact with physicians, nurses, and patients dealing with acute and chronic conditions, giving her a direct view of the physical and emotional challenges people face during medical treatment.
During this period, Veronika began developing a deeper interest in movement-based healing. She later pursued formal yoga education and earned her RYT 200 certification in 2014, followed by her RYT 500 certification in 2020. Along the way, she completed advanced studies in therapeutic movement, nutrition, and adaptive fitness through Penn Foster College. She continued to build her knowledge with additional training in aerial yoga, yin yoga, restorative yoga, pediatric yoga, cancer exercise recovery, functional aging, and cognitive fitness. These programs strengthened her understanding of how movement and breath can support the body during periods of stress, illness, or injury.
Her shift into professional yoga instruction began in 2014 when she started teaching at studios and wellness centers across Northern Illinois. Over the years, she taught at House of Ayurveda, Wild Roots Yoga, Barrington Yoga Loft, TGM Northshore, and Fitness 19. The more she worked with students, the more she learned how to adjust movements for people with limited mobility, chronic pain, or anxiety. Since 2019, she has worked independently as a yoga and wellness instructor with a focus on adaptive, therapeutic, and trauma-informed practices. Her approach emphasizes safety, emotional awareness, and the belief that small, steady improvements can transform a person’s relationship with their own body.
In 2016, Veronika founded V Yoga Health LLC, which allowed her to expand her work into private sessions and specialized group programs. Her practice offers support for individuals recovering from cancer, surgery, injury, or long-term physical strain. It also includes breathwork and techniques designed to help clients regulate stress and improve focus. Her work in cancer exercise recovery is informed by her own experience as a breast cancer survivor, which gave her firsthand insight into the physical and emotional demands of recovery. This personal connection strengthened her dedication to making rehabilitative movement accessible and encouraging for people who may feel overwhelmed during or after medical treatment.
In addition to her wellness work, Veronika has also contributed to early childhood education. Since 2020, she has served as the Early Childhood Program Director at Yachad Kids Academy in Buffalo Grove. In this role, she oversees programs that support motor development, emotional growth, and physical activity for young children. Her medical background and yoga training enable her to design activities that are both development-focused and mindful of each student’s individual needs.
Her multicultural background has influenced both her style of instruction and her understanding of wellness. Having lived in Ukraine, Israel, and the United States, she blends perspectives from each place into her work. She views wellness as something that connects movement, breath, culture, and personal history. Her family also played an important part in shaping her direction. She comes from a creative and entrepreneurial household. Her mother owns a long-standing childcare and early learning program in the Chicago suburbs, while her brother, Alex Kislov, has built an international career as a music producer and event organizer in the electronic music industry. Veronika credits her family’s ambition and resilience as part of what inspires her to continue developing her work.
She is also the author of V Yoga Health Teacher Training RYT200: Enhance Your Knowledge of Yoga, which she published in 2024. Through this work, she aims to help future instructors understand the importance of careful instruction and balanced wellness education.
Today, Veronika continues to live and work in the Chicago metropolitan area. She remains committed to the study of therapeutic yoga and the development of programs that address physical and cognitive health. Her focus on rehabilitation and her experience in medical environments allow her to bridge the gap between traditional yoga and modern wellness needs. Her story reflects the idea that healing is not a single event but an ongoing process that requires strength, patience, and compassion.
