5 Questions with @yoganamastacy
1.) Tell me about your personal journey with yoga.
Although I took my first yoga class in 1985, I didn’t dedicate myself to the practice until a few years later when I persuaded a renowned Encinitas Ashtanga Yoga teacher to begin teaching at the health clubs I was managing. I became a dedicated student of the Ashtanga lineage and was blessed to study with founder, Pattabhi Jois, affectionately known as Guruji. When Guruji passed away, I ventured beyond Ashtanga, studying the other modern day greats of the Krishnamacharya lineage- Iyengar, Desikachar and Indra Devi. Today, my personal practice as well as my teaching is a blend of their styles and insights.
Why is it important to you?
From a humble starting point, yoga has taken me places I never dreamed possible. Having a daily yoga and meditation practice for a quarter of a century, I’ve worked through many transitions in life: graduations, marriage, pregnancy, raising kids, career building, and taking care of elderly parents. Through the many chapters of my life, my practice has taught me that there is no point in my life at which I am DONE or have ARRIVED. There’s no great accomplishment that won’t be followed by the next goal, the next great dream- whether it be a yoga pose or something else. My practice, just like life, is a flowing cycle of beginning and ending, exploring and discovering. It’s taught me to embrace both the celebratory days of my accomplishments when I’m at the top of the mountain, and the messy, character building days when I want to throw in the towel. But most importantly, it has helped me to embrace the space and time between the peaks and valleys. Since most of life is spent in the space between the big moments, yoga has taught me to enjoy the present and whatever is happening in the moment. No matter what, I do my practice.
2.) When did you first begin teaching yoga?
I taught my first yoga class in 1992, when my teacher left for India. He asked me to teach his students while he was away, insisting I was prepared because I had already been teaching fitness classes, and had been practicing directly under him for several years. This was before the era of teacher training programs, when you apprenticed under a teacher until they felt you had the right disposition, spiritual roots, and understanding of the physical body to keep students safe. A decade later I was presenting at a Yoga Conference, and the VP of teacher training from Yogaworks, one of the most renowned yoga teacher training organizations was in my workshop. She asked me if I would be a teacher trainer for them, as well as contribute to their manual. Prior to this, I taught very intuitively, so joining these trainings added more structure to my teaching. A few years later, I was asked to help create the curriculum for the first college accredited, Yoga Alliance approved 200 and 500-hour Yoga Teacher Training for Miracosta College. I currently teach two advanced courses in the 500-hour training.
What made you transition into a leadership position?
Since childhood I have always wanted to be a teacher and coach. While on a swimming scholarship at Colorado State University, I had a coach that encouraged me to major in Exercise Physiology because of my passion for movement. In my twenties, renowned author and speaker, Tony Robbins introduced me to my husband, and we spent years expanding our consciousness in neuro-linguistic programming. Having spent these formative years immersed in the field of personal development, I learned a variety of techniques and tools for accessing and sustaining mental, emotional and physical well-being. Because I had so many extraordinary mentors, teachers and coaches throughout my life that have helped me become who I am today, I feel a responsibility to give myself to others- whether it is mentoring new teachers, helping my students grow and expand to new levels or to contribute to the many causes I am passionate about.
3.) What makes your classes unique?
My classes are a unique blend of the deep spiritual teachings of Yoga and the practical daily life elements that make it accessible. I shape my classes to inspire beginners and experienced students alike, wherever they are on their yoga journey. Many students come to their mats with more than physical resistance, some have mental, emotional or spiritual resistance. I address the whole person with a holistic practice. I help my students move beyond boundaries and reach new levels in their practice in a system that is both safe and compassionate.
4.) How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?
For me, the use of music in my classes helps to provide a rhythm, flow and message that enhances both focus and breath in movement. I hand pick songs that raise your vibration, take you deeper into a moving meditation, and leave you feeling great at the end of your practice.
5.) Tell me about your next event and your involvement with City of Hope.
The work COH does is groundbreaking. I have been a presenter for Yoga for Hope every year since the inaugural event because I believe in the philosophy that there is no profit in curing the body, if you destroy the spirit in the process. On October 22, 2016 I will host my next event called A Day of Namasté, which also benefits Yoga For Hope. I designed this one-day seasonal retreat to help guests create rituals that will guarantee their success in mastering the big 3 – How you eat, how you move and how you think. We provide a dynamic day of yoga, meditation, cleansing, and community building which supports the vitality, longevity and creativity of our guests all year round. To learn more visit http:// www.yoganamastacy.com/a-day-of-namaste.html
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIGakOvg2mA/?taken-by=yoganamastacy
Where we can follow you online?
https://www.facebook.com/StacyMcCarthyYogaNamastacy
https://www.instagram.com/yoganamastacy/
https://www.youtube.com/user/yoganamastacy
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