GETTING TO KNOW OUR TEACHERS (Cont):

I repeat this a lot……”Do your practice and all is coming”, Sri K Pattabhi Jois’s wise words to his students.
And with this wonderful line-up of teachers at Mala, we give you lots of opportunity to find a teacher you resonate with, or find a class that’s at a good time for you to be consistent in showing up at. Because ultimately the shifts and changes that this practice can help us initiate, only come with the discipline of practicing – and as we practice more, it becomes as much a juicy, stretchy, open-hearted asana class, as it does stepping off the mat and staying aware, mindful and present.

Thank you for showing up and being the great students that you are…. And thanks to our teachers, for showing up and teaching…….

CHRISTINE FINDLAY
Favorite Pose:
My favorite yoga pose (right now) is vipariti karani or legs up the wall. I rarely used to come into this pose, even when I needed something more restful. I have re-discovered this pose and now make it a regular part of my practice.

Most Embarrassing Yoga Moment :
My most embarrassing yoga moments (there are a few) usually involve my mind wandering off during class.  I am usually envisioning my next meal or planning out the rest of my day, week or month, when I come to…..

Teaching Inspiration:
My teacher inspiration is the teaching that all of this is a “practice.”  Everyday will be different.  Some days we will want to do full wheel, other days we will take supported wheel.  The hard things will get easier or at least we will have a better understanding of them.  We continue to practice so that we can be as present as possible for whatever comes up.

JYL KUTSCHE
Favorite Pose:
Adho Mukha Vrksasana – Le Handstand!! I love the combined feeling of strength & lightness that comes when you find that moment of balance, and the sense of thrill & uplift that the posture brings…and finally, I think it is SO cool & rejuvenating that I am able to still do something that I used to do as a kid!

Most Embarrassing Yoga Moment:
I was taking a class with a wonderful teacher in Austin & he wanted to do some partner work & asked me to demo with him an acro-yoga move where one person does a handstand onto the other’s back & then bend their knees over so that the partner can lift them & hold them by their ankles & give them a really wonderful spinal release/back opener. The combination of me being a little bit taller than I think he realized & me not having ever done this before (and a bit hesitant about hanging upside down from someone’s shoulders) turned out, well let’s just say the final result was not pretty…(but at least we both walked away laughing!)

Teaching Inspiration:
as a new teacher in a new city, i’ve found myself in a place where i feel like i find inspiration everywhere (which is so cool!) – i was fortunate to be able to catch a performance by the Alvin Ailey dance company a few days ago. the diversity in style, color, and size of the dancers was breathtaking – the one common thread being this unfathomable sense of spirit that seemed to emanate from each & everyone of them. seeing the combination of strength & grace (or rather grace through strength) and how all the different bodies interpreted those qualities reminded me of how the true strength in a yoga practice radiates from within – that it’s the spirit that moves the practice, not the body. very easy to forget on the days when the joints are a bit crackly or the energy is a bit low…

LAUREN MAPLES
Favorite Pose:
Vrkshanana (tree pose) has long remained my favorite yoga pose.  I love it because it makes me feel connected to my practice on so many levels.  On a physical and emotional level it instantly grounds me, while allowing me to express the lightness and joy (I especially love to add a slight upper back bend and gaze up at the sky).  Doing the pose with my eyes closed humbles me and reminds me of the benefit of challenging myself on the mat and all that my practice has brought to my life in terms of staying calm and connected during difficult moments.  The imagery of the tree helps me to recognize the interconnectedness of all things – trees truly are one the things I most love about nature.  I also love tree pose because even the most beginner students, and the children that I teach (sometimes as young as 18 months) can practice it and feel a sense of accomplishment and release. As with all balancing poses, vrkshasana brings my mind right into the present, giving me a momentary understanding of the benefits of moving meditation.

Most Embarrassing Yoga Moment:
I think that my most embarrassing yoga moment happened early on in my practice, I had probably only attended a few classes at this point.  My aunt took me to a hot yoga class that I enjoyed, so I decided to try a class at the Bikram studio in Soho.  I wasn’t prepared for the heat (which really doesn’t agree too well with me) and the teacher insisted that we do not drink water during the class.  The room must have been about 110 degrees.  After thirty minutes I felt horrible, the room was spinning and I started to get short of breathe.  I knew I needed to leave.  As I picked up my mat and started to slink out the instructor came over and told me that my reaction was normal and that I had to stick it out, that the door could not be opened during class or heat would escape from the room.  I felt like I was about to faint and so I went for the door anyway – he slipped in front of me blocking my exit.  I literally had to crawl under him between his legs to leave the room.  Let’s just say that I never went back to that studio ever again.

Teaching Inspiration:
So many things inspire me as a teacher, but if I had to choose one thing in particular it would be the children I interact with each day.  No matter what their age or how well I know them, they never cease to amaze and touch my heart.  Their inquisitiveness, unencumbered laughter, fearlessness and ability to live continually in the present are qualities that uplift me and remind me of what I look to connect to in my own practice and bring to my students.  They also challenge me and make me question the way that I view things, and I think that this is incredibly essential – sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when we look at our longstanding beliefs.

LINDSAY SULLIVAN
Favorite Pose:
My favorite pose has always been Trikonasana. I love how gracefully you can come into the pose and how open your heart becomes when your arms are fully extended. Trikonasana has always felt like an offering to me- an offering of your practice, your patience, precision, hard work and your heart.

Most Embarrassing Yoga Moment:
Uh one time I said while teaching a duo private to two guys (one of the first classes I ever taught), bring your weight into your balls- meaning “balls of your feet.” Of course we all burst out laughing. Is this an appropriate story for a yoga website?

Teaching Inspiration:
I have been forever blessed with incredible teachers. Lama Kelly Morris, Lama Kimberly Veenhof, Lama Marut, Brook Cosby, Angela Clark, Stephanie Creaturo and Christina Hatgis and so many more. But my first teachers were my parents and they continue to teach me to this day with their strength and devotion to one another. My father used to tell me that I needed to learn to be “mentally tough” when I was a kid and he still does to this day. As I continue to learn the practice of Yoga- Ethical Disciplines, Asana and Meditation- I’m starting to get a better idea of what he was talking about. He was my first yoga teacher.

JEN WHITNEY
Favorite Pose:
Each pose has been my favorite, it very much depends on the asana session, my body, my mind, and all the other factors that create the space in which I practice.  Each pose has a sweetness, a vibration, a depth that unequals the others. If I had to narrow it down, i’d say parvritta trikonasana, hanumanasana, adho mukha vrksasana, and paschimottanasana are some of my favorites.

Most Embarrassing Yoga Moment:
For my very first yoga class i knew i should wear something comfortable and not tight. unfortunately, i selected a pair of shorts that were a little too loose, ones that i wore to sleep in actually. to make matters worse, i was in the front row, and there were mirrors along the entire wall behind us, so no matter where you were in the room, there was a potential view of me. i spent the entire class terrified of downdog, uttanasana, and just about anything that wasn’t a seated posture.  luckily it was a basic class so no inversions were required.  thankfully i learned better clothing choices after that.:)

Teaching Inspiration:
I’ve had many beautiful teachers whose teachings continually affect my practice, sometimes long after I no longer study with them. A few are Becky Wasden from my first yoga studio “home”, Amy DeFilippi from my Hawaii yoga home, and of course my current teachers Steph and Angela at Mala.  But the experience I had with David Life and Sharon Gannon at my teacher training, their powerful ability to transmit not only the physical practices of yoga, but also the spiritual aspects, was the most life changing and inspiring yoga teachings I’ve been graced with.