naturalneighbor
Guiding Every Body to Health and Happiness
The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment, But not seeking, not expecting, Is present and can welcome all things. ~Lao Tzu
S
tress and stiffness brought Anthony Crutcher to yoga. Health and happiness inspired him to stay in the practice.
A major reorga- nization at Crutcher’s place of employ- ment had shifted him into a position of more responsibility and more stress. “I exercised regularly and found my body growing stronger, but also tighter and stiffer,” he says. “That combination is what compelled me to seek relief.”
In 1995 he found
his relief in yoga, im- mersing himself in the study and practice and quickly experiencing its many benefits. “My life improved im- mensely: physically, mentally and spiritu- ally,” he says. “And as I grew, I was motivated to share that experi-
“My teaching style is very simple, very basic and also very subtle. I am a guide; the asana and the practice are the teachers.”
ence with others, so I began teaching in 2000.”
Crutcher has been teaching and
sharing his knowledge of yoga for 13 years now. “I still find it deeply reward- ing to nurture insight in my students and to receive inspiration from them, as well,” he says.
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Continuing to deepen his study Chattanooga
and practice, he completed his 200-hour teacher certification at the Prajna Teacher Training Program in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2011. That same year, he became involved in the management of ClearSpring Yoga with Sue Reynolds (who co-founded the studio in 1999) and Stephanie Rider. He became co-owner with Rider when Reynolds retired in March 2013. Crutcher
says his goal at Cle- arSpring is to make the benefits and joys of yoga accessible to anyone who wants the experience. “I know,
from my own experi- ence and that of my students, that the practice of yoga is an individual journey in
which one never knows what will be discovered,” he says. “I enjoy serv- ing as a guide, taking students on an inward journey of self-discovery, giving them space and time to discover and experience their own individual beauty, strength, balance, peace and accep- tance. My teaching style is very simple, very basic and also very subtle. I am a
TNNaturalAwakenings.com
guide; the asana and the practice are the teachers.” Crutcher says he strives to provide his students with the tools of awareness and direction in an entertaining but challenging way. “I encourage them not to dwell on outcomes, but to embrace whatever they discover, on and off the mat,” he says. “The practice of yoga is always a journey, not a destination.” His approach reflects the principle
ClearSpring Yoga has always embraced: that yoga can be practiced by anyone. “As we say at ClearSpring Yoga, we welcome every body. From its found- ing, our studio has been and continues to be, in the words of TVK Desikachar, ‘a spring from which flows vidya, clear understanding.’ It’s a haven of peace and quiet, where people can come to practice yoga, meditate and regener- ate.”
ClearSpring Yoga now offers a new Restorative Yoga class with Candria Eddinger from 4:30 to 5:45 p.m. on Sundays and will soon launch a “New to the Mat” series for beginners. CSY is located at 105 N. Market St., Chat- tanooga. For class schedules or more information, visit
ClearSpringYoga.com or contact the studio at 423-266-3539. See ad, page 12.
Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got. ~Art Buchwald
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