1.) Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?
Michael (my husband / Yoga One Co-Founder) and I both worked in the music industry in Los Angeles prior to discovering yoga. Seeking a lifestyle change, we left the country to enjoy time backpacking abroad. Our travels took us to Australia where we picked apples to earn money, and first began our practice of yoga from the book “Fit for Life.” Over the next three and a half years, we visited 14 more countries, ultimately arriving in India where we completely immersed ourselves into the philosophy and practice of yoga while studying with some of the top yoga masters.
I practice almost every day, in classes at Yoga One or home alone. My home practice is a source of wisdom for my personal growth and understanding from which my teaching also grows. I also take a class once a week with a senior teacher Jo Zukovich as my schedule allows. Throughout my many years of practice, the style and frequency has varied greatly. But I always come back to my mat as a place where I can take care of myself in a deep and nourishing way. I also love learning from Diana Beardsley a Los Angeles-based Anusara inspired instructor. We are so honored to have her co-leading our annual Yoga One Teacher Training courses.
For me, the practice has become less about physical accomplishments and more about learning how to live in the world with present moment awareness and an open heart and mind. Having said that, yoga has provided amazing strength and deep breathing for giving birth naturally twice. And it continues to serve me, be
ing a mother.
2.) When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position to open YOGA one?
While overseas, we knew we wanted to share the joys and benefits of yoga with others. When we returned to the States, I continued my studies here in San Diego and began offering classes by donation in Balboa Park, Downtown, etc. As attendance grew, things organically evolved into what turned into the Yoga One studio located on 7th avenue, Downtown. We are honored to have enhanced the well-being of San Diego residents and visitors since 2002.
3.) What makes your classes unique to your community?
We are located at 1150 7th Avenue, between B & C Streets, near the business district at the base of Cortez Hill, across the street from the Symphony and around the corner from the House of Blues. We offer classes at the studio, but also at many businesses around San Diego. So in a very real sense, Yoga One instructors often go to the students. But, students also come from all over the city, and the world in fact. We’ve had great people come from as far as Japan, Ireland, and Spain to attend our 200 Hour Yoga One Teacher Training Course, which we have been offering since 2006. We get students from the East Coast attending the training as well.
Yoga, as we offer it at Yoga One, is non-competitive. One of the beautiful things about yoga practiced in this way is that it always meets you where you are and supports you at your level. Although in our modern Western culture yoga has become so much about appearances, the depth of the practice lies within. In the Yoga Sutras, Kriya yoga breaks down into three key elements: Tapas (to heat, burning enthusiasm or conscious effort), Svadyaya (self-study or reflection) and Ishvara Pranidhana (allowing or letting go, connecting to the Big energy within and around us). If we remove the elements of self-reflection and letting go, in my opinion, it really isn’t yoga. Yoga is not only what we do, but how we do it.
4.) How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?
Michael and both share a great love of music. In fact, we meet at CD release party for the Jazz musician and film composer Stanley Clarke. I was working for Budd Carr a music supervisor who does all of the music for Oliver Stone. I helped on Twister, Natural Born Killers, Heat, Nixon, etc. Michael was working for BMI which is a performance rights society. We both got to experience first-hand how integral music is to film. A soundtrack really adds emotion and energy. Try watching some of your favorite movies without the sound sometimes. While yoga is fantastic without music, adding music certainly can help set the mood, the pacing and an overall vibe. Music often adds to any activity and yoga is no exception. We enjoy music with our yoga so much we created the Yoga One CD which was released by Quango Music Group. Here is a link
5.) Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.
I’ll be leading the Yoga One Teacher Training Summer Intensive this August. And we are happy to announce that we are now offering a Yoga One Teacher Training course at San Diego State University (SDSU) through their Aztec Recreation Center (ARC),this fall, September 9- December 9th. We are accepting applications for all of our trappings. We are also offering our Winter 2017 Yoga One Teacher Training in January. All three courses are 200 hours and registered with Yoga Alliance. Here is a link to our trainings:
And last but not least, we will be leading a retreat with Kairos Fitness in Costa Rica in February 2017. Here is a link for the retreat
Yogis can also email the studio: info@yogaonesandiego.com, or call 619-544-0587.
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