5Q Interview @VinyasaArts Yoga Studio – Andy & Tamara Totman
1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?
Andy and Tamara Totman have been teaching yoga in North County San Diego, CA. for over 17 years. It’s our love of this kind and compassionate practice that gives us our desire to spread yoga to as many people as we can. It fills our hearts to see people as they become healthier, stronger, more open and calmer.
Our long lasting friendship turned into love. We married in Aug. 2013, opened Vinyasa Arts Yoga Studio in Cardiff by the Sea, Encinitas, Ca. in 2014.
Our style of yoga is challenging yet always light hearted. We believe yoga is to challenge the mind through the body, creating both strength and calmness in the body and mind.
2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?
Andy Totman, co-creator and owner of Vinyasa Arts with his wife Tamara Lafferty-Totman, first fell in love with yoga in 2005. Since then he has combined his personal yoga practice with his commitment to the Martial Arts. He has been practicing Wushu (KungFu), TiChi and Chi Gong since 2007. With his commitment to excellence, high standards, belief in his students, and great sense of humor, Andy guides his students in a challenging, yet accessible, Vinyasa flow. His classes maximizes every minute building the strength needed to reach your goals. He actively works the room providing adjustments, ensuring safety, and proper alignment. His Vinyasa flow includes fun transitions, arm balances, handstands, flexibility, and mindful meditation. Andy’s teaching makes the seemingly “impossible” possible as you’ll leave his classes with a strong body and a clear mind.
Tamara Lafferty-Totman, (ERYT 500), Co-creator and owner of Vinyasa Arts with her husband Andy Totman, has taught yoga in San Diego County for nearly 16 years. Her style of teaching is lighthearted, versatile and creative. Her background is in Ashtanga Yoga and the style she teaches now is Vinyasa Flow yoga level 2/3 and 3/4 (a vinyasa flow that includes arm balances and handstands). Tamara’s classes are a great fusion of powerful Vinyasa Flow with an entrancing mix of contemporary music. Her classes are physically challenging; however, proper alignment, modifications and plenty of hands-on adjustments are essential in her classes. The focal point is exclusively on alignment, movement with breath, core, strength and balance…. and of course a sense of humor!
3. What makes your classes unique?
Finding creativity, uniqueness is all about our style! We Believe yoga is an art form and should be expressed uniquely! individually and with compassion and passion!
4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?
Conducting classes with live music is by far the best! Plus an added benefit is when you can do it outside in the beautiful San Diego weather! But either way, music has played an extremely vital role in all of our classes. We will spend hours upon hours creating the perfect playlist for each class based on what is the mood/vibe/intent that we want to create for a specific class.
5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.
Celebrating our grand opening three years ago! We also have our 300 hour yoga teacher training beginning in August! However, one of the biggest hurdles we’ve ever had to accomplish is getting through Andy being diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time in the last three years. We really believe that the love of the yoga community in San Diego, our passion for yoga, and a yoga lifestyle is the reason why Andy still here on this planet! We will continue to teach, run the studio and spread the love of yoga while fighting cancer! We strongly believe that yoga AND community is a Healer of Mind Body and Soul.
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