Stacey Cutbush

PATH: I was hooked on dancing by the time I could tie my shoes. Some 17 years, I wholly immersed myself in dancing, ultimately training twenty hours a week. I affectionately remember one of my early dance teachers saying, “dancing is movement…movement is breathing…a person is actually dancing every minute of their life.” And that resonated with me; it made sense in my bones. So—conscious movement and breath have always been a lifeline for me, ultimately enabling a seamless transition to yoga in 1996. Since then, I have become an ashtanga devotee, drawn both to the physical intensity and invigorating attention to the breath. Throughout this rich, life-long experience with movement, I have gleaned an intimate knowledge about and awareness and appreciation of the body. Teaching yoga has become a natural extension of this; it is part of my journey: to teach what I know. INSPIRATION: “Follow your bliss.” FAVORITES FOR GROUNDING: Purposefully communing with the earth—sitting…walking…gardening…swimming in the ocean. Ceremony. Being with my teachers. Practicing gratitude. FAVORITES FOR KICKING IT: Dancing. Music. Family. Geographic dislocation and exploration (i.e. traveling!). Surrounding myself with healing, loving, and witty people. Laughter—lots of it! PRACTICE: Ashtanga, and vinyasa generally, is my medicine, though all yoga serves me beautifully and differently depending on the life moment at hand. For me, vinyasa-based yoga is a moving meditation—a purposeful breathing exercise—paradoxically stimulating the body and quieting the mind. Yoga creates space to listen to Self; it connects me to a well-spring of Energy that yields abundant joy, vitality and lightness of heart. Life feels sweet with yoga. INTENTION: My intention—both on and off my yoga mat—is healing for myself, for all people, and for the planet. In yoga, this looks like practicing deep respect and non-judgment toward ourselves and each other; always doing our best, knowing full well that “our best” shifts during different life moments; taking care of our bodies through safe yet dynamic exploration of our possibilities and limitations; and certainly, having fun! MY CLASSES @ CYCO: Yoga Flow: Wednesdays 12-1pm Back to Home Page. Back to Bio Page Back to Schedule Page.