Yoga Instruction

 

I teach hatha yoga and improvisational dance ~ drawing from in depth study and practice over two decades ~ both privately and in group contexts throughout the area. I received certification in 1999 at The White Lotus Foundation. Since then, I have taught at Avalon Art and Yoga Center, The Yoga Source, Yoga of Los Altos, Yoga is Youthfulness, and Planet Granite.  Previous to yoga, I practiced Kenpo Karate and, in 1985, as an affiliate of the USNKA, served as a martial arts instructor under the guidance of Senior Instructor Rod Martin. I have also spent an extensive amount of time in South East Asia studying Buddhism and Buddhist meditation. 

 

I'm available for private instruction in the below styles.

$85/ lesson. Friends welcome at no additional cost.

 

 

Tree Yoga

 

A contemporary rendition of our original movement discipline...tree climbing! 

For more details about Tree Yoga, click here.

 

 

Traditional Indian Mat Work

 

This style is most often likened to the various vinyasa, power, or "flow" styles of Hatha Yoga.   Based on exercise physiology, quantum physics, and psychology, my method of mat work utilizes many of the same shapes, postures, and movements of Indian and Chinese systems ~ with an emphasis on breath and body awareness, intention, and imagery.  Balance, strength, grace, coordination, and flexibility are equally addressed.  

 

 

Freeform Asana

 

Improvisation sequencing is a powerful arena for the advancing student of yoga to explore. The requirement of improvisation demands a deep state of inner listening or self-awareness, and automatically induces a meditative state.  During this practice, one can experience the same transcendent states of consciousness known to the ancient seers of India where they began spontaneously taking on the postures and breathing patterns later developed into the formal traditions and techniques of hatha yoga. 

 

 

Yoga Nidra (also known as Savasana)

 

Yoga nidra is the practice of maintaining consciousness while the body-mind continuum settles into deeper states of rest. Normally, while sleeping, our minds shut off. Even during dreaming we are not aware that we are dreaming. In yogic philosophy, it is said that there are four states of consciousness: waking (jagrata), dreaming (svapna), deep sleep (susupti), and pure consciousness (turiya). This fourth state is considered to be pure awareness, without beginning or end. It underlies and transcends the other three states which come and go. Turiya is associated with enlightenment and cosmic consciousness. In yoga nidra, the practitioner practices entering a state of conscious deep sleep and turiya.