I love yoga. I practice yoga, because it brings me to a natural, simple and true space. I practice yoga because it grounds me while connecting me to the vastness of the universe. I teach yoga, because I simply must share these practices that I love so much with other students.
The physical practice of yoga leads to myriad physical benefits, and I love what yoga does for my heart and soul. By living my yoga, I feel like I am part of a movement toward a healthier, more positive human experience.
I have been practicing yoga since 1997, when I was a college student in Minnesota. My practice began as a compliment to my athletic lifestyle (I competed in track, cross-country, and hockey in college). Over time, I became aware of many additional benefits of this practice-- I slept more soundly, had more focus, and experienced less anxiety. Meditation and a deeper study of yoga quickly followed my physical practice.
I study Shambhava yoga, and I actively pursue a yogic lifestyle. I earned my yoga teacher certification at Shambhava Whole Yoga School in 2006 while working as a prosecutor in Colorado, at a time when I needed to bring more yoga into my own life and felt compelled to share that yoga with the world. I am a Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance and teach classes like hatha flow yoga, bliss flow yoga, juicy joints yoga (yoga for stiff bodies), kids’ yoga and family yoga. I am an activist for the environment and an artist, and I try to bring the creativity and passion from those areas of my life into each yoga class.
I strive to share “whole yoga” with my amazing students: a complete practice, consisting of asana (postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), study of the yoga sutras and other yogic texts, repetition of mantra, meditation, bhakti (devotion) and other practices as students express interest. My adult classes are inspired by our encounters with yoga in the everyday and generally center on an alignment-attentive and joyful physical practice, incorporating yogic philosophy and principles throughout as concepts for exploration on and off the yoga mat. My classes are light-hearted and I base the intensity of the class on the energy of the students. In my classes, we chant om, practice postures and give ourselves a break from the thoughts associated with our day, our judgments and our fears. We return to ourselves. My classes are appropriate for students of all levels and tend to attract brand-new beginners as well as seasoned practitioners and fellow teachers to my classes. I work with each student to facilitate the most beneficial yoga class for his or her unique body and situation.
Peace. & LOVE. Always.
Kelly