How long have you been teaching at Sonic Yoga? What have you learned from the Sonic community in that time?
I did my first teacher training at Sonic Yoga back in 2004, and have been teaching here ever since!
In that time, I have learned quite a bit, mainly that the community at Sonic is unique in a world driven by corporate fitness shareholders.
The teachers here are really authentic, and the vibration that is created here is very good for both yoga in terms of education, but also the community. Community is really a buzz word these days, but I see a community at Sonic that is nurtured where people can be themselves, and truly feel a safe place to practice at their own pace and explore their own passion and spirituality, which is rarity in city such as New York. People sometimes come to yoga because they are broken, and I see so many people blossom and prosper here. Don’t be afraid to share your story with someone, you may have something in common, and may make very good friends here!
How do you think you have grown as a teacher from when you first started?
I have grown so much since becoming a yoga teacher, I am much more grounded, and have enriched my wisdom in yoga beyond what I knew was even possible. I have been fortunate to meet so many inspiring yoga teachers that have illuminated my path.
Your upcoming Master Classes, Arm Balances and Back Bends, challenges students to “move beyond their limits.” Previously, when teaching this set of workshops have you witnessed people pushing themselves further than they expected they could go? If so, explain that experience.
Typically a breakthrough doesn’t happen over night, its the result of many “failed” attempts and many practices but there is one small critical detail that is missing. One small change in perspective can radically altar the practice which is exciting for me to see as a teacher, and even more exciting for my students. Often I literally see people jumping for joy when they finally get into an arm balance or inversion that they have been trying to get in for years.
I have also witnessed the transformation that is kind of the opposite where someone finally softens, lets go, and experiences a total relaxed and meditative state throughout their practice, which is even more exciting, because they have found a new pathway, a new way of embodying peace.
What excites you about these two Master Classes?
I am excited to offer the master classes for the 8th year because I have shifted my focus to the larger picture of what yoga can be for the students, not just the topic of advanced asana or sequencing, but its relevance in the world of yoga that has gone so wild. When I was a younger teacher I felt a need to prove my worth now I know what’s more appropriate and most helpful for my students to gain a more secure hold in their practice. It’s a joy to be able to offer the longer format of a 2 hour class and really create a specific energy for the class. I remember a time where the 1 hour class option simply did not exist, I mean what can you really create in one hour that is anything of real substance?
What advice would you give to a new yoga teacher?
My advice to new yoga teachers is to teach what you practice, to be yourself, and to trust the process, as it can seem intimidating. What and why you practice at home is your greatest teacher, not what you read in books or see on Instagram.
How does the second set of Master Classes you are teaching this month (Sequencing I and Sequencing II) help blossoming yoga teachers? What can they expect from these exciting and challenging classes?
The sequencing aspect of vinyasa is such a critical and vital component of the class, it demands the utmost respect and homage. When the intelligence of the class is rooted in a sound and logical sequence that progresses, there is a real steady quality that you can feel, like the feeling of stability of the Earth, its very grounding, calming and reliable. I always say its like the room becomes the teacher. In the Wild West world of vinyasa and hell-bent fitness, people can easily get thrown off course, and this series of Master Classes will restore your faith in the authenticity of the timeless Yoga practice and its ritual container for healing and transformation.
Could you give us a highlight reel of some of your incredible yoga teachers, mentors, and training?
I traveled to India and meditated on the Ganga, I taught Yoga to a group of dancers in Sibera, Dr Lad accessed my Prakruti on a Solar Eclipse, I’ve practice yoga with live music by incredible artists, and musicians, I taught 1500 people in a thunderstorm in Bryant Park, I have seen God, I picked up 150 vegan burritos at Chiplote and stuffed them into a rental car in Malibu.
What would surprise most people about you as a person?
I think most people are surprised when they learn I was born and raised in North Dakota.
One last question and it’s a serious one: Do you believe in unicorns?
I believe in magic and the imagination, so they exist on some level. I am looking for the glitter poop for proof.
