PHILOSOPHY

In my career, I have led many classes, retreats, workshops and teacher trainings. Through it all, my philosophy continues to evolve. I believe that becoming healthy is a holistic endeavor. Being physically strong and bendy is great, but doesn’t address our mental state. How we practice yoga can serve as an exercise not only in body, but in mind as well. This means leaving our egos at the door. Doing fancy poses or showing off our skills has no part in a yoga practice. Simple, functional and straightforward will always be the baseline for my classes. Precise alignment in a pose is a form of meditation. To be consciously aware of exactly what is happening in the body keeps us present. When a body is in the perfect alignment for that body, one can stay in and maintain the pose for a long enough period of time to obtain the benefits of the pose. Pushing and forcing are not part of an intelligent yoga practice. We steadily relax into poses instead of squeezing into them. If it hurts, you are doing it wrong. We need to work with the fine line in our bodies each day. What works one day might not work the next. A yoga practice that includes precise individual alignment, intelligent sequencing, self-awareness and if in a class, focused group energy, is bound to be successful.

Incorporating a daily, seated meditation practice increases our ability to be with what is in the moment. I include some in my classes but encourage you to practice sitting outside the studio as well. These are tools to find peace and the more we use them, the more we see the benefits in everything we do.

From more than 12 years of observing hundreds of thousands of people practicing yoga, I have realized that those who continue are the ones who develop a sweet and enjoyable practice. They look forward to their time on the mat and have no problem making a commitment to do it. It becomes one of the most important and special parts of their day. The others, consciously, subconsciously, or unconsciously, quit practicing. It is my goal to do everything I can to inspire you to establish your yoga practice not just for the time we spend together, but for the rest of your life.

“Undoubtedly, the mind is restless and hard to control. But it can be trained by constant practice and by freedom from desire. A man who cannot control his mind will find it difficult to attain this divine communion; but the self-controlled man can attain it if he tries hard and directs his energy by the right means.”

— Sri Krishna from the Bhagavad Gita.