Get To Know Kelly

Why do you teach yoga?

• I am humbled and honored to have the privilege to offer yoga to my community. I have personally benefited so much mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically from my time on my mat, and wish the same for my students. I want yoga to feel safe, accessible, FUN, and successful. I love the philosophies that “it matters not how it looks, rather only how it feels”, and “yoga is not a work-out, rather it is a work-in”. I am so grateful when students take one hour to fill their cup, and resource themselves by the simple, yet so powerful, tools of breath and movement. I teach yoga because I love the practice, and I love the opportunity to share it with others.

How long have you been practicing yoga?

• I have been practicing yoga since I was teenager, and will be 50 next year! So quite some time. My practice has looked very different over the years, and has ranged from very physical, to quiet and meditative. My current personal practice is somewhere in between, with much more appreciation and reverence for the teachings and history of yoga. My interest continues to be learning more about the limbs of yoga other than asana (poses). Like peeling an onion, there is always so much to be learned and explored, and I love that we are all as teachers, forever students of the practice.

What can I expect in your class?

• You will be met and cared for in a safe practice, exactly where you are today. You can expect a class experience that will be what you need on your most challenging days to support you, and on your best days, to move and breathe with deep gratitude.

• I have found yoga to be my escape as a former type A personality, so you can be assured a class that will promise to bring you out of your head, and into truly feeling your body. My goal is always that you are able to bring whatever you need to with you on your mat, and by the end of class, leave the four corners of your mat a little lighter than when you arrived.

• *I teach to the room, and all levels, and I absolutely love having a “new to yoga” student in class. If you’ve been on the fence about trying yoga, this is your sign to give yoga a try!

What kind of music do you love to share in class?

• I enjoy making playlists, and finding music that speaks to me in the moment. I favor fun, faster tunes for flow, and gentle, relaxing music for yin. My goal in yin is always that music is a tool, amidst the quiet, that can aid in stilling the mind. I change my music and classes all the time in the effort to offer a new experience, and (as always) take students out of the mind, and into the body.

What’s your favorite Asana(pose)?

• I love skandasana. The extention and stretching of the leg feels amazing, and the shape can be accessed as a lunge of varying depth. I like to offer it as a variation of malasana, where it becomes a balance pose. I enjoy running, and am generally tight through the back of the legs, so this pose serves me well.

• *On that note, if you’ve thought you might not be flexible enough for yoga, this is another sign this practice is for you! ;-)

Do you have a favorite quote from a yoga teacher you want to share?

• “Remember to Love… You’ll never regret it” – Seane Corn

• “Pay attention. Attention drives transformation” –Beryl Bender Birch