My shoulder injury had been percolating for months, maybe years—but it was easier to ignore the warning signs and continue with my yoga practice. Until the dreaded moment of truth arrived: Shoulders Weekend. “Your best teachers” sounds friendly, inviting even. But I have a few other words to describe dealing with an injury: humbling, agonizing—and more for my child-size ego than for my shoulder itself. And sure enough, the breaking point came to teach me.

After every possible angle of working on shoulders in training, we came to practice my favorite arm balance: Eka Pada Koundinyasana. It’s one of the few arm balances I finally conquered—and frankly just a cool pose. As I approached the pose, I could hear the child in me screaming: “I can do it!!! I can!!!” But instead I collapsed onto my chest, deciding not to listen to the screaming voice (which I imagined as a thumbnail size version of myself throwing a temper tantrum at the edge of my collar bone.)

The tears rolled down my face, more from the emotional defeat than from the physical pain. So I have a new found empathy for shoulder injuries and their limitations—actually I have sympathy for any injury that limits you physically. Because most of us want to practice. As a kid, I wanted to be a superhero who could do it all, it’s hard to admit that I can’t.

Maybe my body is falling apart. Or maybe, if I am patient and humble enough with my body (and my child-size ego), I may just learn how to put myself back together. And this in the end may make me a better student, and eventually a teacher with something to teach. Maybe I’ll learn to be my own best teacher.

Cassandra Joy is a proud member of Om Factory School of Yoga’s 2013 200-hour Vinyasa Teacher Training program, has been a member of Om Factory since 2007 and is currently a manager at OF Union Square. Outside of the studio, Cassandra is a playwright, dancer and actor and her particular joy is writing comedies about dark subjects.

The post Reflections from Teachers-in-Training (OFSY): The Humbling Lesson of Injuries by Cassandra Joy Hume appeared first on OM Factory.

Co-Authored by Constanza + Arthur Roldan

Traditionally, yoga is defined in Sanskrit as Citta Vritta Nrodha. A standard English translation of this is “a quieting (stilling) of the fluctuations (or turnings) of the mind”. The method by which we achieve this state of yoga, or quieting of the fluctuations of the mind, is through our yoga practice.

In the hatha yoga tradition, of which the Mysore Ashtanga practice is a small part, we use our bodies as the vehicle for learning how to quiet the fluctuations of our mind. Simply put, a hatha yoga practice teaches us how to pay attention; first to our bodies, then to our mind, and finally to our relationship with the world around us.

Mysore Ashtanga Demystified

As teachers, we have heard that some people are intimidated by the Ashtanga yoga practice. There is a common misconception that you have to be strong and flexible prior to initiating an Ashtanga practice. For some students with an existing Ashtanga yoga practice, there is a misconception that the series in which one practices indicates the students’ level of practice.

Ashtanga yoga has little to do with one’s strength or flexibility. While increased strength and flexibility are natural by-products of a regular practice, the profound lesson that the Mysore practice teaches is simply how to pay attention. Put another way, Ashtanga yoga is a mindfulness practice that uses strength and flexibility exercises as a way to understand ourselves and our relationship to the world around us.

We practice the same sequence of postures every day. Some days we feel incredibly strong and flexible. Other days, we feel tired and weak and stiff… as if we can’t do even the most basic posture that seemed easy yesterday. We find out quickly that is the nature of the practice because that is the nature of being embodied.

The one thing we do not do in Ashtanga is skip postures because they are uncomfortable for us on a particular day or because we don’t like them. We use the discomfort of particular postures as a method of awakening, a way of paying attention to our bodies and our attitudes toward certain positions. We try hard not to beat ourselves up for being limited in our ability to attain certain postures. We pay attention to the feelings that arise out of each posture we create. And we learn to accept our limits. We do not force postures. This is a way in which we can practice compassion toward ourselves as well as others.

We are both artists. Constanza, a painter. Arthur, a musician. We both have dedicated our lives to appreciating the creative process. From one perspective, Ashtanga yoga appears to stifle creativity. After all, we practice the same sequence of postures day after day after day. From our perspective, the Mysore practice touches the very source of our inspiration and becomes a very playful path of discovery. It offers a method of learning to see things as they are rather than how we wish things were. And once this path is established, our inspiration and creativity can be channeled into any artistic discipline.

Benefits of Dedicated Practice

There are myriad benefits from a dedicated Mysore Ashtanga yoga practice. The path leading one to a Mysore practice are similarly infinite. Some people come to Ashtanga yoga in order to help them with back pain or as a method for managing and reducing stress. Others may see it as a method of getting fit. There are no wrong reasons for seeking out the practice of Ashtanga yoga. If one practices with dedication, enthusiasm and an open mind, not only will our initial interest in the practice be fulfilled but many unexpected benefits result as well.

As teachers, we have both been deeply inspired by the growth and change that we have seen in our students. We are incredibly grateful to play even a small role in this transformation. As students develop in the practice, we simply teach them the next posture in the series and support them each day until they are ready to move on. That’s really our primary job as teachers. Students who dedicate themselves to the practice of simply paying attention invariably experience tremendous personal transformation.

We have students who have started their Mysore practice essentially having ignored their physical bodies for as long as they can recall. They began their practice overweight, stiff and in pain. Gradually, through daily practice, they began to notice how their lives off the mat affect their lives on the mat. They notice the impact of their diet on how they feel on the mat, and so they begin to improve their diet. These students notice how eating healthier for themselves is also eating healthier for the planet. Because many of these students have ignored their physical bodies for so long, they also have learned to ignore their appearance and have lost confidence in themselves. We have witnessed countless times how a student’s confidence has been restored by the practice of simply paying attention. They care about how they present themselves with their newly discovered confidence and dignity.

Many students have cultivated unhealthy relationships with their families, spouses, friends or co-workers. As students begin to gain confidence and cultivate a greater understanding of their relationship with themselves, they apply this understanding to build healthier relationships with the world around them. While we have seen that this is not always painless, it is always worth the effort.

Some students come to the yoga practice personally jaded. As a result of daily practice, and often to their own surprise, they find themselves becoming friendlier and softer. Others who have spent their lifetime trying not to be noticed discover that they do, in fact, belong to a community and recognize that they are valued members.

It is truly awesome to have such a diverse group of yoga practitioners in one room who range in age (18 to 65+), income level, professional / personal lives and motivation for practicing in the first place. Irrespective of the length of time any of us have practiced yoga, we all bring an energy into the room that offers support for everybody else.

We hope that you will give the Mysore practice an opportunity to open your life to the possibility of transformation. Every moment of every day is an opportunity to pay attention to what you are doing. And by learning to simply pay attention, you open yourself to the possibility of great personal transformation.

Even if you decide that the Mysore practice is not the right practice for you in the end, we know that by giving it a try, you will be glad that you did. And we are sure that if you keep looking, you will find the practice that is right for you!

Arthur + Constanza teach Mysore Ashtanga at Om Factory six days a week. New students are always welcome!

Click here for Arthur + Constanza’s Weekly Class Schedule

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Written by Joe Kolbow

Don’t get me wrong, I love theory. As a cerebral person who came to yoga as a way to get out of my head, I’m relishing the opportunity to avoid the hard work of asana and immerse myself in readings and discussion.

Sure there is practice. We come together for group asana every Friday night and each of the 16 of us in the class have our own personal yoga practice outside of the training. However, half of our time has been spent going beyond the postures into yogic philosophy.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, one of the central yogic texts lays out the 8 limbs of yoga starting with some “do’s and don’ts” for a yogic lifestyle and culminating with Samadhi or enlightenment. “Asana” or the physical practice with postures, is only one of those limbs, and it’s the third one on the list.

Contemplating this philosophy is forcing the class to turn the mirror on ourselves. A basic theme is the true nature of the self. Yoga says our most authentic self realizes its innate “one-ness” with everything. Our regular self, the one we run around in all day, doesn’t realize this, or maybe only gets a glimpse of this occasionally. Unfortunately, there are layers of “maya” or illusion between this small “self” and our greater “Self”. Through a yogic lifestyle we peel back those layers.

Removing those layers can be a little messy. I get the sense that all of us in the class are feeling messy in our own way. It can be overwhelming to process so many profound ideas in a 3 month intensive. However, in the grand scheme of a lifetime of practice, both on the yoga mat and off, 11 weekends of theory really isn’t that much time — maybe only 1%.

Joe Kollbow is part of Om Factory School of Yoga’s 2013 200-hour Vinyasa Teacher Training program and a dedicated Mysore Ashtanga yogi. Outside of the yoga studio, Joe is an actor and comedian and co-artistic director of The Donovan Ensemble.

The post Yoga Practice, Theory & Philosophy appeared first on OM Factory.

Eric Elven

Curious about yoga but reluctant to get on the mat? Join Eric Elven for a 6-week series that’ll have you Utkatasananing before you can say Namaste. In Introduction to Yoga, you’ll teach your body the fundamentals it needs to sustain a fully-aligned, breath-centered yoga practice.

Here, Eric answers some FAQs about beginning yoga and the 6-week series.

OF: Why should students enroll in this series?

“I think I’d like to try yoga but I don’t know where to begin.” These were my thoughts some 10 years ago when I wanted to try yoga. I was overwhelmed.  There were a lot of studios and styles to choose from. I read a survey-ish article in The Seattle Times. It helped simplify the yoga world for me a little bit, but it still wasn’t enough to get me to darken the door of a studio. Finally I just went with a friend who said something like, “Come with me to this class. I think you’ll like it.” I did. So, look no further.  Begin your yoga practice here.  And bring a friend.

OF: What can students expect out of class?

Everything!  Nothing!  Basically, we will focus on physical body awareness – mechanics of movement, posture alignment and breathing techniques.  Upon completion of the series, students will have a solid foundation on which he/she can build a lifelong yoga practice in the studio and out.

OF: Should students sign up for a single class or the whole series?

Well, I think it was Jesus that said something like, “Build your house upon a strong foundation — bedrock as opposed to sand.”

Of course he was speaking metaphorically but, you know, I think Jesus was a yogi at heart. And, if you ask anyone that’s built a house, they’ll tell you the foundation is the most important and time-consuming part of the process.

Intro to Yoga starts January 7th! Reserve your spot and get your Om on every Monday from Jan 7th – Feb 11th, 2013 from 7 – 8:15pm!

Have more questions? Send them to staff@omfactorynyc.com!

Eric Elven received his certification from 8 Limbs Yoga Centers in Seattle. He completed Level I and II trainings with Baron Baptiste and studied extensively with master Baptiste instructor Lisa Black. He currently teaches at Om Factory and other yoga centers around the city.

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Amanda Wentworth

Face it — we yogis can be masochists.

How often is the reference image of a yogi one who’s twisted, bound and contorted with a pleasant look of ease on his face? It is this sense of ease in relation to pain I’d like to further explore.

What is Pain?

The word itself comes from the Latin “poena,” meaning a fine, a penalty. Webster’s defines pain as localized physical suffering associated with bodily disorder (such as a disease or injury). The International Association for the Study of Pain defines it as “an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.” [1]

The Pain Scale

Each person has varied levels and thresholds for tolerating pain, which is commonly measured on a scale of 1 -10.  But when communicating with students in class, I’ll present a scale I find more accessible:

From low to high:

• sensation
• slight discomfort
• discomfort
• pain
• intense pain
• immeasurable pain

Pain is changeable and moveable — sometimes it’s contained in a specific, localized area of the body; sometimes it spreads or moves; and other times it can be more dispersed, as with Fibromyalgia.

Then, of course, is the other variable: the length of time pain is felt. There is initial/acute pain and there is chronic/consistent pain.

The measurement of pain duration is subjective. One popular definition simply describes chronic pain as “pain that extends beyond the expected period of healing.” [2] But pain duration is more typically determined with arbitrary figures from the onset of the injury or pain. Some theorize that acute pain turns chronic at three or six month markers, while others say pain isn’t chronic until it’s persisted for a twelve-month period.  Still others use a sub-acute category to refer to pain that lasts between one to six months.

My Pain Story 

With this background information, I’d like to discuss a specific chronic pain that has changed and moved through my body for the last third of my lifetime. This ever-present pain has taught me vast amounts of understanding and acceptance.

From what I recall, it was an acute injury that initially caused discomfort, between 10-12 years ago. At the time, I was dancing professionally, and while warming up for a performance, something suddenly went weird and wrong in my lower back. I was young and highly active and this acute injury/pain dissolved fairly quickly and almost went away.

Soon afterwards I seriously took up my Iyengar yoga practice, which seemed to bring back this injury and expose that I was still injured. But in what way and how, I was not sure. I found some relief in yoga postures, specifically a deep forward fold version of Baddha Konasana where I would side bend, walking my torso to the right and left over my legs. I found specific relief when I was folded to the left, as this pain, though moveable, tended to stay on the right side. I would occasionally breathe deeply while in this pose, encouraging my body to relax (though my mind would still wander.)  It was a highly physical exploration of this pain.  It was what was accessible to me at the time.  I understood the bodily experience well and looked to it for answers and a cure.

Then I moved to New York City and taught a lot of yoga all the time.  And I walked everywhere and rode trains and buses. And this pain began to creep down the back of my right leg. Again, my yoga practice kept resurfacing this pain… sometimes sensation/discomfort was experienced, other days the pain was absent, and occasionally the pain was so intense that I could not imagine demonstrating postures in the five classes I had to teach that day.

But I did as NYC beckons one to do — I kept going, ignoring the pain when it arose so I could push through the day. Fortunately, my personal practice was still strong, now guided by the Katonah yoga tradition, which merges the precise alignment of Iyengar yoga with the spatial awareness and pranic flow of Vinyasa yoga.

Again, I found relief in a specific pose, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana. I supported the bridge position with high blocks, truly breathing and connecting to the flow of life.  Often, as I had done in my previous years of practice, I winced through the pain of practicing the pose. But this time as I breathed, I breathed well, and the pain would subside. I used my breath to connect into my body and connect my body to all other life and space surrounding me.

Things improved during my practice, though occasional pain still got in the way of daily living. I was making huge strides in my personal and professional life, pushing forward as I sought some form of transformation.

Today my pain is still present, but it has changed dramatically. There are no longer good days and bad days. The pain has plateaued at a slight discomfort level, which makes everyday life a continuous process of conscious awareness and acceptance — rather than a roller coaster of intense pain and disregard.

I credit this breakthrough to the teachings I have recently received through the Krishnamacharya Healing and Yoga Foundation. For this first time in over a decade, my yoga practice has truly taught me how to fully link body, breath, and mind together both on and off my mat.  No matter how much I thought I had achieved this in years prior, I now have physical proof that my yoga is actually working: my pain is finally unraveling and dissipating for real. And as TKV Desikachar once stated, I know my yoga is working because my “relationships [are] getting better.” Specifically, my relationship to pain.

 My practice is much simpler and more difficult than ever now. I do not look to my body to cure itself through a posture or breath alone, though I still have a specifically helpful pose in Jathara Parvrtti. But now my attention during asana is unwavering. My manner is steady and easy, and my mind utmost present.

In this state I truly, wholeheartedly accept the moment, and it is through acceptance that I allow my pain to be revealed, released and toally dissolved. This true, full acceptance prevents me from ignoring the pain and pushing it aside. Is this pain physical? Yes. Is this pain emotional?  Yes. But rather than giving it extreme scrutiny in short bouts of time, I give it space and presence. I fully accept it as is, no matter where I might be, always. It is this space, presence, and acceptance that finally created change and relieved my pain both physically and emotionally.

I am not suggesting that my path is the definitive way, or that I have all the right answers. Each person’s experience of life, change and pain is unique. Therefore I suggest that only you can heal yourself fully, and your path, by definition, must be unique. One key point to remember is that change is imperative to transformation.

As Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Here we are obviously looking at change as a response in the positive. We humans notoriously don’t like change and often take the path of least resistance when faced with it. This can lead to distraction and confusion. As Patanjali notes in the third Pada of his Yoga Sutras, it is highly likely that the practice will create change that can distract from the liberation one truly seeks.

Also I am not suggesting that you should go out and attract pain masochistically to better understand it, nor should you force through pain which is something that should be seriously looked at in one’s personal practice (Is the look of ease on your face in the asana real or forced?). Rather a full embodied acceptance of what is with open, steady awareness and non-assuming ease will naturally create the change needed, and the outline of yoga philosophy is the most apt guide I have found to change for the better (however information and interpretations might need to
 hange and switching paths and traditions could be beneficial at times).

Though no matter the yogic path or tradition taken, the tools for transformation are there. While some may resonate with you more than others at times, the trick is to be open to change and accept the present without assumption. Then, if one can fully adhere to the philosophy of yoga for understanding of entire being, the relationship to pain changes to ease, and transformation will come more simply in the form of honest acceptance. Then the liberation one seeks is truly within reach.

Notes

[1]  International Association for the Study of Pain.  “ISAP Taxonomy.”  http://www.isap-pain.org  (2012)

[2]  John D. Loeser, Steven H. Butler, C. Richard Chapman, and Dennis C. Turk. Bonica’s Management of Pain.  Hagerstwon, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001.

Amanda directs and co-teaches the interdisciplinary 200 hour Hatha Vinyasa teacher training at Om Factory Yoga Center in New York City.  She also trains, teaches, and researches at the Integrative Health Center of Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, TN.  An avid learner and seeker of truth, Amanda has just started to write her experiences on the yogic path.  Read more at amandasana.com.

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Amanda Wentworth

Thinking about becoming a yoga teacher, or just want to deepen your relationship to your practice? Om Factory School of Yoga’s Lead Instructors Holly Coles and Amanda Wentworth talk OFSY 2013: who should enroll, what sets our program apart, and why you’ll never be the same again.

1) What makes Om Factory teacher training different from all the other teacher trainings out there?

 Amanda & Holly: Om Factory School of Yoga is our brainchild.  It comes directly from our personal experience of practicing and teaching in the field. Its approach is interdisciplinary through years of exploring innovative methods of understanding, but solid foundations of classical yoga traditions, Ashtanga (Holly) and Iyengar (Amanda), are ever-present. We as lead instructors are present teaching for over 75% of the in-class hours. It has now become rare in 200-hour trainings to have lead instructors as a constant source and mentor throughout the program. On top of this, our exceptional Om Factory guest faculty facilitates a dynamic mentorship program that has students teaching on the studio schedule even before graduation.

2) What makes a good yoga teacher?

Amanda: Practice, practice, practice. And being open to learning in all ways.

Holly Coles

Holly: The same things that make a teacher great irrespective of what it is they teach – presence, attentiveness, empathy, clarity and flexibility of approach – the comprehension of how to teach for the students’ sake instead of for your glory as a teacher. A true desire to share rather than an agenda to be heard is what separates yoga ‘teachers’ from yoga ‘instructors’. Having said that we are amidst an increasingly sophisticated industry where a love of yoga, an ability to throw down a few poses and the desire to teach isn’t quite enough…. a comprehensive approach with a respect for the full spectrum of yoga is the foundation from which good teaching develops.

3) Who should apply for yoga teacher training? Why?

 Amanda & Holly: Om Factory School of Yoga is designed for students who have been steadily practicing for at least one year and have awakened an inner source of wonderment to the deeper layers of yoga. It is a transformational process, so students should be open to self-discovery and changing perspectives. One need not aspire to actually becoming a yoga teacher to equally benefit from the teacher training. But as I (Amanda) always quote the Yogi Tea bag adage, “To learn, read. To know, write. To master, teach.”

4) What’s your favorite yoga pose to teach? What alignment cue did you learn over the course of teaching that changed the way you approach that pose?

Holly: It would have to be handstand… really I love doing and teaching anything that involves getting upside down. What cue changed the way I approach the pose? Breathing – a thank you to Edward Clark for teaching me how to harness the breath to get upside down and stay there…. after which standing on my hands became truly effortless!

Amanda: Pincha Mayurasana, forearm stand. I find it to be the safest inversion out there, which gets even beginner students out of their minds and feet over head. Using the opposing spirals of the arms solidify the base of this inversion so that balancing upside down comes with ease. Check out my Playing your Opposites workshop in September to experience this alignment cue in action.

 5) How has teaching yoga affected you both personally and professionally?

 Holly: Personally – people think I am joking but when I am asked where I do yoga, I say “in my head”. I think they are expecting me to name a studio or outline a home practice, but in reality it shifted from 90mins a day, to an attempt on a minute by minute basis! I was drawn in for the fun of bending but I really do it as a tool for personality modification. It has been a monumental shapeshifter for me personally, which is not to say I don’t have a long way to go, but I shudder to think the person I would be without the past 15 years of yoga keeping me closer to the straight and narrow. Professionally – well I get to do what I love. I get one of those careers where it really doesn’t feel like work. I quite happily work 7 days a week because it really isn’t a job.

 Amanda: Wow, how to even answer that question… Yoga is my everything. When I can share even a moment of the peace and contentment the practice has given me, I know I am making a difference in this world.

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On this illusive path called life, what is our relationship to who we are within versus the roles and identities we have taken on?

The road has been bumpy. The path unclear. How simple it would be to have a road map – a firm destination with designated stops in between. Each stop drawing me closer to the end of the journey, culminating in complete bliss, Nirvana, Samadhi. The journey of life – if only it were so simple. And yet, what happens if I arrive? What happens when I reach my illusive goal – you know, the one that I will be forever happy and content with once I reach it?

Even though I know true joy does not come from achieving or acquiring, why am I often affixing myself to attainments? I attach myself to relationships, success, knowledge, power, beauty, and grand ideas of how I think things “should” or “could” be. Instead of living in the present moment in gratitude and joy, I am often trying to propel myself forward toward some end goal.

Attachment: the physical connection by which one thing is attached to another. <ex. the attachment of a muscle to a bone>. Even though we are not physically attached to achievement or attainment, it often can feel like we are. We attach to our careers, partners, friends, diet, and even our yoga practice.

We define ourselves by titles: wife, brother, artist, lawyer, vegetarian, etc. And somewhere along the way, we become so attached to these ideas of who we are on the outside, that they become joined to our psyche just as one part of our body connects to another! Ironically, or not, the idea of non-attachment is a cornerstone of yogic philosophy.

It is found within the context of Santosha, which is a principle found within the 2nd limb of Patanjali’s 8-limb yogic path. Non-attachment does not discount success, relationships, and other external parts of life, however this principle asks that we do not attach to specific outcomes.

So I can be a friend, wife, and artist while taking pleasure in these roles, but non-attachment asks that I don’t define myself as any of these things indefinitely – because on life’s path, external shifts occur and life keeps moving around us. The one constant is who we are within; who we are without the labels, definitions, and attachments. Our feelings change, our environments shift, people in our life come and go, our yoga practice changes. One day we are working on the perfect handstand, and the next day we are trying to be more patient in our relationships.

Ultimately, we all take a different route on the path of life – and it winds, slows, spins, and even flips. I believe we are all courageous to wake up each and every day facing new challenges, with the confidence to keep going on an unknown path. It’s my personal hope that every once in a while we all stop to smell the roses on this ever-illusive path!

Amanda Winkler

The post The Illusive Path by Amanda Winkler appeared first on OM Factory.

 Om Factory is chock full of incredible instructors. Each month, the Om Factory blog will highlight one. This August, Amanda Winkler shares her yoga story.

How did this path unfold for you? Why Yoga?

A friend brought me to Yoga. As a designer and creative spirit, I’ve always felt connected to different modes of creative expression. Over the next few years, as my yoga practice developed and grew, I became increasingly discontent with my corporate fashion career. My day-to-day environment wasn’t in alignment with my core beliefs, so I enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training and left my job half way through. I trusted the path to unfold, and it did! As I continue to teach, my excitement for it increases, knowing I am on a lifelong path that serves me and those around me.

What and who inspires you as human, woman, teacher and practitioner?

Connection, interaction, and love inspire me. As teachers, I believe it is our responsibility to create an environment where community and peace thrive. Life is so competitive, and the yoga practice can be brought into those murky waters if we’re not careful. I am inspired by yoga and those who are creating joy and connection. Also nature, the quiet moments walking through a forest amongst flora and fauna, or swirling my hands and feet through sand on the beach.

Who is Amanda in one phrase?

Creative dreamer & lover of all things beautiful and vibrant.

What do you love about yourself? How I create connection. I am naturally a very empathetic person, and this quality really helps me relate and understand others, thus building friendships with ease. I simply see beauty.

If you were to be an activist and stand up for a cause, what would it be?
I would love to empower young women to be confident and strong – to think for themselves, and face challenges with unwavering confidence.

What about teaching at Om Factory keeps you coming back?
I love Om Factory’s community of teachers and students. I love that we teachers are encouraged to be creative with the practice and share an expression of ourselves with our students. I believe the students respond strongly to this self-expression, and the individuality of each teacher creates variety for the students.

What is a quote you live by and why? “Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.” Hardy D. Jacks

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