About My Yoga
My teaching is rooted in the rigorous and structured Ashtanga method, which was the basis of my 200-hour certification from the Yoga Sanctuary in Toronto, completed in 2005. I've since kept a regular self-practice and take continuing education yoga courses for exposure to different traditions and philosophies I share with my students.
The reason to keep a personal yoga practice is to learn and from the time I started yoga I have never stopped figuring out something new. Whenever I've reached a plateau or settled pattern in my practice, it's never lasted very long as there would be new inspiration along the way. My self-practice informs my teaching and adds to a body of knowledge. When I teach I pass these lessons and experiences as I gather them. Observing students transform in discovery is also very informative as well as satisfying.
What's my style of yoga?
If there is a simple answer it would be that my style entails integrating a bit of everything. Having been exposed to a few traditional disciplines such as Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yin, and Restorative (in pre-natal training) I "get" many of the benefits that each offers. I use that experience to create practices that are flowing, fun and safe.
There are some things I don't or can't do. I'm not the strongest or the most flexible… though there are some cool tricks I can do. I'm not the best public speaker… but I can express ideas in my own plain words using descriptions that are meaningful and easily understood. I don't chant or teach sanscrit or the classic yogic texts …yet. By concentrating on what I can do and focusing on the present, I see that everything is well just as it is. That is ultimately the reason for practicing yoga. The specifics of the postures only provide a means to get you to bring awareness to yourself. It's about feeling. Ultimately yoga is an internal process so this will be different for everyone at any given time.
It's a challenge listening to the needs of my own body and trying to follow where it wants to go, but I'm getting better at it over a gradual climb. I work this out in my self-practice and it is what guides me when I instruct a class. As a teacher, the opportunity lies in realizing the needs of my students and helping them get there. It's with gratitude that I learn from my students when I observe them going through their own process.
Why the name "gentlepoweryoga?"
The reed is gentle power. It starts from a stable rooted foundation to grow and reach for the sky. Though strong enough to withstand the wind its suppleness lets it bend. Instead of resisting and snapping, the reed's wisdom and patience allows it to yield and stand again after the wind is gone.
Yoga is about uniting opposites — contraction and expansion, hard and soft, light and heavy. There can be stillness in vigor, calm in might, and strength in silence, all happening at the same time. There is power in gentleness. It's all connected with no separation. When opposites work together the results can be surprising and delightful.