explored yoga by accompanying a friend to a class. “It made me feel less anxious,” says Tocco, who discovered that no two instructors teach the same style identically. Confirm- ing Tocco’s observation, Lowenschuss adds that if a begin- ner doesn’t care for a particular style, it might be due to the teacher’s approach. “Unless there is an immediate aversion to a style, try a different teacher of the same style before moving on,” he suggests.


When researching studios, Yonker proposes sharing your expectations with an instructor. “If an instructor knows what you expect from a yoga practice—more flexibility, bet- ter muscle tone, body/mind union—as well as what injuries or limitations you have, they can guide you to a class that best serves your needs,” says Yonker, who clarifies with two examples. An athletic student seeking a strengthening prac- tice may be interested in ashtanga yoga, while a precision- oriented student may prefer Iyengar’s alignment approach.


Connecting with Teachers Carla Olla, owner of the Love Yoga Center, in Naples, is grateful that she took time to sample yoga’s many flavors before extensively studying with instructors Sharon Gannon and David Life, the founders of jivamukti yoga. “They deeply influenced me and encouraged me to find my potential and highest self, which is what a yoga teacher is supposed to do,” she advises.


Finding the right teacher and style of yoga requires self- reflection and introspection, which is why Olla proposes that during and after class, students reflect upon questions such as: did I feel welcome; did I enjoy the class; did I feel skillfully guided; and how did I feel after the class? “I looked hard at my teachers and pondered if I wanted to be more like them physi- cally, intellectually or spiritually,” advises Olla, who chose teachers whose qualities she wanted to emulate. “Qualities like joy, courage and kindness are important to me, and if a teacher walked into a class in a bad mood, was mean to a student or was ego-driven, I didn’t go back,” she says. Individuals happy with one style of yoga may never feel the need to branch out. Others enjoy shopping around, because one teacher might offer the alignment training a student wants, while another provides a profound medita- tive experience. Because alignment instruction is just one part of an asana practice, students seeking more should find a teacher that offers the missing component. “Car shopping best describes my approach to searching for a yoga teacher,” says Mooney “I kept test-driving until I found Baron Baptiste, who met my expectations and needs,” she explains. Love’s last style stop was Iyengar. Previously perplexed about how to make yoga’s abstract and ethereal spiritual dimension more concrete for her students, Love found that Iyengar’s method provided an orderly structure of postures, followed by breath work, relaxation and meditation, that molded and prepared the physical vessel for mind and spirit.


The Importance of a Personal Practice Yoga is a way of life, not limited to a mat. More than just postures and breath work practiced in a studio several times a week, it extends to self-examination and contemplation


about how yogic principles can be applied in every ac- tion throughout the day. This is why, no matter the yoga style, a personal practice, continued education and living in the spirit of yoga are important keys to good yoga teachers.


“In our 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program, we spend the first day setting up a home practice, because we feel very strongly that personal practice is both fulfilling on an individual level and an invalu-


Francesca Simonelli


able tool for enhancing an instructor’s skills as a teacher,” says Yonker. A teacher without a deep understanding of self is limited in what he or she is able to impart to students. The founder of Divine Freedom Yoga, Francesca Sim- onelli, says her practice off the mat permeates everything she does, from how she speaks to others to cooking meals for her family with love and presence. “I approach and accomplish all my daily chores and tasks with compassion and pa- tience,” she advises. Although Simonelli sometimes lacks the opportunity to practice asanas for an hour, she consistently integrates breath work, meditation or chanting into her day. September is the ideal month to sample yoga styles and teachers, and experience the sense of community that develops around a studio. While students generally attend classes to be instructed, guided and challenged, they also build friendships and connect with other people. “The word yoga, which trans- lates as union, is about connection, or union with the self, and when we are connected to our true self, we connect to others in a more profound and meaningful way,” says Mooney.


To learn more about yoga styles and where to find a yoga teach- er and special workshops and classes, see the Natural Awaken- ings calendar and visit YogaMonth.org.


Health & Harmony Center, 15951 McGregor Blvd., Fort My- ers 33908. 239-433-5995. HealthandHarmonyOnline.com.


The Yoga Sanctuary, 112 Sullivan St., Punta Gorda 33950. 941-505-9642. TheYogaSanctuary.biz.


SunShine State Yoga Academy of Naples and Allow-ah Yoga. 239-592-0898. Allow-ah.com.


Bala Vinyasa Yoga Studio, 6200 Trail Blvd. N., Naples 34108. 239-598-1938. BVYoga.com.


Anahata Holistic Healing & Spiritual Center, 945 Central Ave., Naples 34102. 239-262-0811. AnahataNaples.com.


Love Yoga Center, 4949 Tamiami Trail N., Ste. 204, Naples 34103. 239-692-9747. LoveYogaCenter.com.


Divine Freedom Yoga; 917-687-1420. Email DivineFreedom Yoga@gmail.com.


natural awakenings September 2011 29


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