Hallöchen! Thank you for visiting the Sunburst Yoga website and if you are in the area, we hope you can visit the studio too!
My yoga journey started in 2001 when I was invited to a yoga class at a local gym in a small town in America. To my delight, the class was physically challenging and the instructor, Hertha, was phenomenal; she even had a self-published instructional yoga guide on hand and gave me a copy after my first class! Henceforth, I knew that Yoga was going to be a part of my life. Fast forward twenty five years later, it still is and counting...
After researching different Yoga methodologies, I decided to learn the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga system. Starting in 2002, I dove in, learning from some of the first western students of Sri K. Pattabhi Jois: David Williams, Tim Miller, David Swenson and others, as well as from Sri K. Pattabhi Jois himself (and Sharath) in Encinitas, CA during their world tour in 2005.
What is ASHTANGA YOGA? The Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice consists of set-sequences of dynamic, flowing, increasingly challenging postures linked together w/ the breath. The "music" in a traditional practice is the ocean-sounding breath utilizing a special breathing technique (Ujjayi). The idea is to memorize the sequence enabling the practice to become quite meditative over time with no thinking required about what you are going to do or choose to do next! Another key aspect of this system is to balance effort with ease in each movement as you progress through the series. I embrace this advice and can luckily say that I have never regretted a yoga practice, each one strengthens me and brings me to a more calm-but-energized, creative, focused and thriving state.
Over the years I learned from other teachers in this lineage (Annie Pace, Anthony "Prem" Carlisle, Darby, BB Birch, Kino McGregor, Danny Paradise...) and continue to explore other yoga lineages to include specialized trainings in Trauma-Informed Yoga and Yoga for Warriors. I received my 200-Hour Hatha Yoga certification (RYT-200) in 2005, and recently a 300-Hour certification (RYT-500) covering Therapeutic Yoga methods, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Ayurveda.
I like to incorporate all my learnings in my teachings and find that each approach offers tools that serve as guides on the path to peace and health in our lives.
Key Guidelines in my learning:
- Consistency is more important than how long you practice each time
- Balance effort with ease as you move through the poses
- You are your best yoga teacher, let your breath and body be your guide, listen to those signals and modify your approach each time
And lastly, paraphrasing advice I heard from a senior Ashtanga Yoga teacher, David Williams, over 23 years ago that I still pass on today: the best yogi is the one practicing what's appropriate for them on any given day!
