Creating Local Yoga Connections
Meet Teachers and Sample Studios During National Yoga Month
by Linda Sechrist Kiersten Mooney assisting student A
uthor and poet James Russell Lowe believed that creativity was not the finding of a thing, but rather the making of something out of it after it was found.
A 2008 Yoga in America study conducted by the Harris Interactive Service Bureau indicated that 15.8 million people ages 18 to 55 have found their way to a yoga teacher and are practicing one or more styles of this ancient art. Chances are that these yogis and yoginis are not only creating healthier lifestyles as they practice, but are also experiencing a more integrated state of body, mind and emotions. Since the 1960s, when B.K.S. Iyengar first introduced his style of yoga to the West, the discipline has grown in popularity and diversity. Throughout September, Southwest Floridians are encouraged to sample a variety of styles with local teachers that support National Yoga Month, which has enjoyed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ stamp of approval since 2009.
Yoga’s Multiple Choices According to Kandy Love, owner of Health & Harmony, in Fort Myers, the reason for today’s variety of hatha yoga
Alan Lowenschuss assisting student
styles—anusara, ashtanga, Bikram, Forrest, integral, jivamuk- ti, kundalini, moksha, restorative, Sivananda, viniyoga and vinyasa—is the genius of American creativity. Love believes that the nature of entrepreneurial Westerners, who look for ways to make things their own, is responsible for newly branded twists on 5,000-year-old techniques. “While brand- ing can dilute the spiritual nature of yoga, as well as the depth of the teaching, the flipside is that new styles appeal to many people who otherwise might not benefit from yoga,” she explains.
Bonnie Yonker, founder of The Yoga Sanctuary, in Punta Gorda, advises that hatha refers only to the physical aspects of yoga. “Hatha yoga classes include asanas (postures), pranayama (breathing practices), relaxation and meditation,” says Yonker. “All other physical styles of yoga fall under the hatha umbrella. The postures and the breath work are the same. How the material is presented is what changes.”
Choosing Styles and Studios Alan Lowenschuss, creator of SunShine State Yoga Acade- my of Naples and Allow-ah Yoga, suggests trying different studios, teachers and styles before deciding on one. “Deter- mine who and what you most resonate with, and be cau- tious about teachers that put down other styles in order to promote their own,” recommends Lowenschuss, who says he learned something from all the yoga styles he tried. Kiersten Mooney, owner of Bala Vin- yasa Yoga Studio, in Naples, agrees, and encourages individuals to research what benefits different styles offer, prior to choosing.
Susanna Tocco, owner of Anahata Holistic Heal- ing & Spiritual Cen- ter, in Naples, first
Bonnie Yonker
28 Collier/Lee Counties
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