yoga teachers review
ok, i'll start with last night's class and work back.
the teacher, anne-marie was very pleasant. i really like her. not in a personal friend sort of way, but in a good kind teacher sort of way. i think she has a good grasp of yogic philosophies and i like her teaching style. she talks a lot, but only about the yoga. and she shows and does most of the moves with you, but also takes the time to walk around and check how you are doing. she always keeps it light, reminds you to breathe often, reminds you to smile from time to time, and also stresses the importance of comfort. she offers easy modification of the positions FIRST and then offers a few other more difficult options. she is encouraging, offers positive affirmations, and encourages you to be relaxed even if you loose your balance or can't get completely into the position. what did she say?, hmmm.... "take it as far as you can while keeping your back flat...that is the position which is right for you". yah, i REALLY like her style. the "hot 26" class was a set of 26 asanas which were each repeated twice. i like the idea of a set list of positions....but i personally didn't like the overabundance of balancing and back bends. probably because i suck at them. so, i guess that means it is a class i should go to more often. (i'll try) i know this, but am not happy about it. good thing i like the teacher so much.lol. it was supposed to be a hot yoga but the room wasn't very hot. i don't know what temp it's supposed to be, but i thought hot yoga was hotter than that. i haven't got a frame of reference because i've never done hot yoga before so it might be a good starter temp for me.
last week's class was with karen. did not like her very much. again, not in a personal sort of way...really, nothing personal. but i found her teaching style to be abrupt and choppy. she asked how many people were new to yoga and to hot but then i didn't notice her responding to that information. -almost the whole class were new to yoga and a couple new to hot. she had us doing many moves that were, from my experience quite advanced and did not offer modifications AT ALL even when i asked. "just for fun" she would say. "just for fun" is ok with me, as is trying new, difficult positions. but i thought there were too many of those. and there was, in my opinion an unusually long time spent on each difficult position and this was almost offensive to me as it was apparent that everyone could not even come close to achieving some of them. she did not physically show us all of the moves and even excused herself from that verbally in a joking way, suggesting that if she was doing the yoga she could not be teaching it. this class was more of a workout than anne-marie's but in my world, yoga is a gentle practice. even vigorous yoga can be gentle, in my opinion. again, the "hot" room i found to be not so hot. i won't be back to this class, or recommend it to others.
last year, i went to a thursday evening class with jen stackhouse. only once...but that was only because of my own scheduling constraints. i loved the class. it was a lot like the style and strength of yoga that i am used to and comfortable with. it wasn't a "flow" class as such but it did flow well and challenged me but didn't kick my butt. allowing me to relax. wish i could remember better, as she deserves a detailed glowing review. i'll have to go again and come back to edit this.lol.
on saturday mornings i like to make it to the 9am kundalini class with robert. he is such a goofy fellow. he knows his stuff and his class is an enlightening experience. i don't mean in a great guru wisdom sort of way, i mean simply that it lightens your spirit. there is an excellent ratio of passive to engaged positions and always one or two core strength exercises that are quite challenging. there is a lot of streaming bits and pieces of wisdom or suggestions of positive ways to look at life, and jokes. sometimes, especially in a difficult holding position or core strength exercise i just wish he would shut up lol(he goes on and on)....and sometimes whatever he has said just tickles my funny bone so much that i have to laugh out loud and loose my focus. so what? laughing is a really really good thing. last saturday i went home and could barely walk for a couple of days my leg muscles were so sore. and i got an idea about an exercise i'd like to try...thinking it would be good for me but is beyond my capabilities presently. overall, a very good class with a perfect balance of everything you could want in a yoga class....actually last week for the first time was too much singing i would have to say, i didn't like the tune/melody so that i found it hard to chant/sing it. though the words were good, and familiar that might have been easier stronger and more meditative with a more simple tune. i loved the gong at the end too. his class is not always the same so this review is about his teaching style overall plus the last week's class which probably won't be exactly the same next time. so for all my complaints, it is a fun class and i'll continue to go when i can.... i just really like to laugh.
laughter yoga with sophie terrasse. what an INGENIOUS PRACTICE!!!! i did a workshop with sophie through the child care providers resource network. so i can do laughter yoga with my kids. basically it is a silly series of exercises designed to bust you up into hilarious laughter punctuated by clapping chanting and deep breathing. my kids love it and it raises your energy in a crazy way. unbelievable. i use what i learned all the time with the kids and often desperately wish i could share it with seriously stressed hard working adults i know.
wendy is my beloved kundalini teacher. she is AWESOME. i started going to her classes when i was pregnant with my second and then did several more sessions with her during the time of mothering and becoming pregnant again and mothering. this was a gentle nurturing practice with extremely powerful healing for me. just what i needed at the time. her classes were early in the morning on sundays. perfect time for me. she had a small comfortable space, like a livingroom sort of, and kept her classes small 6-8 people approximately. i like that. the breath of fire and other breathing exercises were intense and a big part of the practice. the chants were printed each time in large font on a piece of paper and explained in english. i liked that. it allowed me to chant even if i couldn't remember the words. and there were no complicated melody structures or challenging octave issues.lol. that was powerfull for me. we did some vigorous exercises but only a small portion of the class was that, they never were a strain on a person's back...as i think she personally had lower back issues and many of the students were older -or prenatal like me. and what i REALLY liked was how she would have us rest and breathe in between moves. she would say softly and slowly in her breathy voice "AND LET.... THE ENERGY....CIRCULATE" i still hear her voice when in other yoga classes during the moments of rest. and i KNOW she was sending reiki around. i had a profound healing experience during my first session with her and for one class i cried the whole time.
there were a few classes i attended in windsor that were flow, i don't remember the teachers but i know i like flow. haven't found a flow class in ottawa yet. it takes me a while because it's so hard for me to get out. i really wish there were more 6am-7am classes. even 7:30 is ending too late for me.
there was a class at windhorse i went to, and the teacher was not great either. seemed like a gym teacher or fitness trainer or something. i didn't like it at all. oh, that reminds me...i was going to a class with marc, downtown a couple years ago....same thing. it was like strength training or a yogic fitness contest. (which i lost lol) nah. i noticed though that shortly afterwards, he started teaching a yin yoga class so i would guess that he was working that out.lol.
i went to a few classes with martha at core-elation. i don't remember details because it was last year, before they moved but i really enjoyed them and intended to continue but never got out there. and the owner of core-elation....sylvie, is it? i did a couple classes with her too. they were good, i think, but something about her makes me a little uncomfortable. i don't know what it is. although i respect her and found her to be a good teacher. i especially liked and greatly respect the valuable idea of private yoga instruction which she offers. as far as i know she is the only one who does! never have i found that before and would like to take her up on it, actually. to create a program for myself that i could do every day at home. i have created my own program -when i was pregnant, and also recently, but i'm not a teacher and i'm sure i could benefit greatly from some personalized input. i think more yoga teachers, if well qualified, should offer this. everyone has a different goal, and unique body types and level of capabilities. so like a health care and nutrition regime, a yoga practice would be optimal if personalized and practiced daily. -geez, i really must do that instead of just thinking about it.
i'm sure that i have missed some. i rarely commit to one yoga teacher, like playing the field. lol. but my daily practice is the most important commitment that must be honoured.
i love yoga....have used it for relaxation fitness and in my depression tool-kit for almost 30 years. one day, i will be a yoga teacher, and i will take my favorite aspects from all the wonderful teachers i've had and build them into one class.
the teacher, anne-marie was very pleasant. i really like her. not in a personal friend sort of way, but in a good kind teacher sort of way. i think she has a good grasp of yogic philosophies and i like her teaching style. she talks a lot, but only about the yoga. and she shows and does most of the moves with you, but also takes the time to walk around and check how you are doing. she always keeps it light, reminds you to breathe often, reminds you to smile from time to time, and also stresses the importance of comfort. she offers easy modification of the positions FIRST and then offers a few other more difficult options. she is encouraging, offers positive affirmations, and encourages you to be relaxed even if you loose your balance or can't get completely into the position. what did she say?, hmmm.... "take it as far as you can while keeping your back flat...that is the position which is right for you". yah, i REALLY like her style. the "hot 26" class was a set of 26 asanas which were each repeated twice. i like the idea of a set list of positions....but i personally didn't like the overabundance of balancing and back bends. probably because i suck at them. so, i guess that means it is a class i should go to more often. (i'll try) i know this, but am not happy about it. good thing i like the teacher so much.lol. it was supposed to be a hot yoga but the room wasn't very hot. i don't know what temp it's supposed to be, but i thought hot yoga was hotter than that. i haven't got a frame of reference because i've never done hot yoga before so it might be a good starter temp for me.
last week's class was with karen. did not like her very much. again, not in a personal sort of way...really, nothing personal. but i found her teaching style to be abrupt and choppy. she asked how many people were new to yoga and to hot but then i didn't notice her responding to that information. -almost the whole class were new to yoga and a couple new to hot. she had us doing many moves that were, from my experience quite advanced and did not offer modifications AT ALL even when i asked. "just for fun" she would say. "just for fun" is ok with me, as is trying new, difficult positions. but i thought there were too many of those. and there was, in my opinion an unusually long time spent on each difficult position and this was almost offensive to me as it was apparent that everyone could not even come close to achieving some of them. she did not physically show us all of the moves and even excused herself from that verbally in a joking way, suggesting that if she was doing the yoga she could not be teaching it. this class was more of a workout than anne-marie's but in my world, yoga is a gentle practice. even vigorous yoga can be gentle, in my opinion. again, the "hot" room i found to be not so hot. i won't be back to this class, or recommend it to others.
last year, i went to a thursday evening class with jen stackhouse. only once...but that was only because of my own scheduling constraints. i loved the class. it was a lot like the style and strength of yoga that i am used to and comfortable with. it wasn't a "flow" class as such but it did flow well and challenged me but didn't kick my butt. allowing me to relax. wish i could remember better, as she deserves a detailed glowing review. i'll have to go again and come back to edit this.lol.
on saturday mornings i like to make it to the 9am kundalini class with robert. he is such a goofy fellow. he knows his stuff and his class is an enlightening experience. i don't mean in a great guru wisdom sort of way, i mean simply that it lightens your spirit. there is an excellent ratio of passive to engaged positions and always one or two core strength exercises that are quite challenging. there is a lot of streaming bits and pieces of wisdom or suggestions of positive ways to look at life, and jokes. sometimes, especially in a difficult holding position or core strength exercise i just wish he would shut up lol(he goes on and on)....and sometimes whatever he has said just tickles my funny bone so much that i have to laugh out loud and loose my focus. so what? laughing is a really really good thing. last saturday i went home and could barely walk for a couple of days my leg muscles were so sore. and i got an idea about an exercise i'd like to try...thinking it would be good for me but is beyond my capabilities presently. overall, a very good class with a perfect balance of everything you could want in a yoga class....actually last week for the first time was too much singing i would have to say, i didn't like the tune/melody so that i found it hard to chant/sing it. though the words were good, and familiar that might have been easier stronger and more meditative with a more simple tune. i loved the gong at the end too. his class is not always the same so this review is about his teaching style overall plus the last week's class which probably won't be exactly the same next time. so for all my complaints, it is a fun class and i'll continue to go when i can.... i just really like to laugh.
laughter yoga with sophie terrasse. what an INGENIOUS PRACTICE!!!! i did a workshop with sophie through the child care providers resource network. so i can do laughter yoga with my kids. basically it is a silly series of exercises designed to bust you up into hilarious laughter punctuated by clapping chanting and deep breathing. my kids love it and it raises your energy in a crazy way. unbelievable. i use what i learned all the time with the kids and often desperately wish i could share it with seriously stressed hard working adults i know.
wendy is my beloved kundalini teacher. she is AWESOME. i started going to her classes when i was pregnant with my second and then did several more sessions with her during the time of mothering and becoming pregnant again and mothering. this was a gentle nurturing practice with extremely powerful healing for me. just what i needed at the time. her classes were early in the morning on sundays. perfect time for me. she had a small comfortable space, like a livingroom sort of, and kept her classes small 6-8 people approximately. i like that. the breath of fire and other breathing exercises were intense and a big part of the practice. the chants were printed each time in large font on a piece of paper and explained in english. i liked that. it allowed me to chant even if i couldn't remember the words. and there were no complicated melody structures or challenging octave issues.lol. that was powerfull for me. we did some vigorous exercises but only a small portion of the class was that, they never were a strain on a person's back...as i think she personally had lower back issues and many of the students were older -or prenatal like me. and what i REALLY liked was how she would have us rest and breathe in between moves. she would say softly and slowly in her breathy voice "AND LET.... THE ENERGY....CIRCULATE" i still hear her voice when in other yoga classes during the moments of rest. and i KNOW she was sending reiki around. i had a profound healing experience during my first session with her and for one class i cried the whole time.
there were a few classes i attended in windsor that were flow, i don't remember the teachers but i know i like flow. haven't found a flow class in ottawa yet. it takes me a while because it's so hard for me to get out. i really wish there were more 6am-7am classes. even 7:30 is ending too late for me.
there was a class at windhorse i went to, and the teacher was not great either. seemed like a gym teacher or fitness trainer or something. i didn't like it at all. oh, that reminds me...i was going to a class with marc, downtown a couple years ago....same thing. it was like strength training or a yogic fitness contest. (which i lost lol) nah. i noticed though that shortly afterwards, he started teaching a yin yoga class so i would guess that he was working that out.lol.
i went to a few classes with martha at core-elation. i don't remember details because it was last year, before they moved but i really enjoyed them and intended to continue but never got out there. and the owner of core-elation....sylvie, is it? i did a couple classes with her too. they were good, i think, but something about her makes me a little uncomfortable. i don't know what it is. although i respect her and found her to be a good teacher. i especially liked and greatly respect the valuable idea of private yoga instruction which she offers. as far as i know she is the only one who does! never have i found that before and would like to take her up on it, actually. to create a program for myself that i could do every day at home. i have created my own program -when i was pregnant, and also recently, but i'm not a teacher and i'm sure i could benefit greatly from some personalized input. i think more yoga teachers, if well qualified, should offer this. everyone has a different goal, and unique body types and level of capabilities. so like a health care and nutrition regime, a yoga practice would be optimal if personalized and practiced daily. -geez, i really must do that instead of just thinking about it.
i'm sure that i have missed some. i rarely commit to one yoga teacher, like playing the field. lol. but my daily practice is the most important commitment that must be honoured.
i love yoga....have used it for relaxation fitness and in my depression tool-kit for almost 30 years. one day, i will be a yoga teacher, and i will take my favorite aspects from all the wonderful teachers i've had and build them into one class.