Michele Nettesheim

Path – I took some yoga classes here and there in my early twenties when I was looking for new ways to tone my biceps, but it wasn’t until I reached my 30s that I began to appreciate the philosophical aspects of yoga. I signed up for a teacher certification course without any idea that I’d actually wind up teaching one day -- I just thought it would be a good place to learn more about the history and the branches of yoga and of course the whole meditation thing (I can tend to be fairly high-strung and you yoga people just looked so serene!). The experience was amazing. A couple of months after completing the course, a teaching opportunity was placed in my path (funny how those things happen) and what a blessing that has been. They say you have to “give it away to keep it” and I’ve found that teaching has helped so much in keeping my own practice on track and growing. Inspiration – I feel inspired when I can pass on to students in class the principles that have been so important for me – non-violence is a big one (including non-judgment, focus on proper alignment, and letting go of the desire to go further in a pose than the body is ready to go). Favorites for Grounding – BREATHING. Long stretch-y poses. Smiling. Being grateful. Favorites for Kicking It – Laughing. Broadening my horizons. Doing stuff I didn’t think I could do. Pursuing that “growing edge” in all areas of my life. Practice – It resonated with me when I first heard that the asanas were developed as a means of opening up and strengthening the body so it could withstand longer periods of meditation (to my surprise, Sri Krishnamacharya did not seem at ALL concerned with toning his biceps). Practicing gentle yoga helps me to focus more on goals like turning inward and nurturing feelings of connectedness, love and compassion, and to focus less on toning my biceps (though it’s still a nice side effect. . .) Intention – Creating a safe atmosphere where students can open up their bodies, minds and hearts through focusing inward (as opposed to comparing “my pose” to “your pose”) and pursuing their own “growing edge” moment by moment and pose by pose. My Classes at CYCo    Gentle Yoga Sundays 10:30 am