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YO G A H A S C O M E a l ong w ay, baby. J ust a generat i on ago, devoted yog i s had to trave l to I nd i a or he l p organ i z e the occas i ona l v i s i t o f the i r m aster te acher. Thanks to the i r ded i cat i on , m any o f the m beca m e m aster te achers the mse l ves. Maty Ezraty and Chuck M ill er, Patr i c i a Wa l den , J ohn Fr i end , R od Stryker, and Sh i va R e a , to na m e j ust a f e w, have taken the anc i ent pract i ces and m ade the m re l evant f or the next generat i on o f A m er i can yog i s. No w that next generat i on i s start i ng to m ake i ts m ark . Here , w eve gathered 21 g i f ted , w e llstud i ed te achers under the age o f 40 w ho to gether represent the i ncred i b l y d i verse and yet de ep l y connected character o f yoga i n A m er i ca . I ts not an exhaust i ve li st but a sa mp li ng o f te achers w ho are shap i ng yogas f uture . We li m i ted our se l ect i on to te achers w ho are based i n the States (w h i ch m akes i t e as i er f or you to study w i th the m) and w ho are i n the trenches every day, e i ther d i rect i ng the i r o w n yoga stud i os or te ach i ng around the country. Som e are i nnovators or yog i c mutts, i f you w ill w ho have stud i ed m any trad i t i ons and are cra f t i ng the i r o w n un i que i nterpretat i on o f yoga . Others are m et i cu l ous l y preserv i ng a tre asured sty l e i n i ts pr i st i ne f orm . They m ay appe ar to have li tt l e i n com mon , but they a ll share an i nner ca lli ng to pass do w n a syste m w hose goa l i s to encourage compass i on and contentedness, e ase su ff er i ng , and a w aken us to our i nterconnectedness. Were grate f u l to these te achers and to a ll o f the te achers and students out there w ho are ded i cated to exp l or i ng a ll that yoga has to o ff er and to shar i ng the i r d i scover i es a l ong the w ay.
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Si mon Park re m e mbers ho w, as a sm a ll ch il d i n rura l Kore a , he had an i m age o f be i ng a pr i m a l w arr i or. But a ll that changed w hen he w as ve and h i s f a m il y moved to Ph il ade l ph i a . Eager to be an a ll-A m er i can k i d , Park p l ayed baseba ll , f ootba ll , and basketba ll . I t took ye ars f or h i m to reconnect w i th the pr i m a l part o f h i mse l f. He f ound i t w hen , as an undergraduate at UC L A , he stumb l ed upon Sh i va R e as yoga c l ass i n the Wor l d Arts and Cu l tures departm ent . I t took Park som e t i m e to w arm up to the pract i ce , but once he d i d , he f ound i t he a l i ng f or h i s body and h i s m i nd . Yoga a ll o w ed m e to open to peop l e a l ot more , he says. Sh i va he l ped m e nd the br i dge

bet w e en the se e m i ng d i chotomy o f be i ng a erce , pr i m a l w arr i or and a so f t , open-he arted yog i . Park cons i ders h i mse l f an energy-centered pract i t i oner and f ocuses on he l p i ng students nd the o w o f energy i n the i r bod i es through move m ent and se l f-observat i on . A li gnm ent i s i mportant , and the bre ath i s i mportant , but Im try i ng to te ach students to understand energy i n order to he a l the i r o w n bod i es and nd f re edom . Yoga i s a m ethod to f re e yourse l f i n the w or l d to be happ i er and more genu i ne and more connected to peop l e . I try to g i ve that sp i r i t i n the c l assroom .

These days Park , w ho has be en i n uenced by m any te achers, i nc l ud i ng Maty Ezraty, Dharm a M i ttra , J oan Wh i te , and Duncan Wong , te aches w orkshops and retre ats around the w or l d , spre ad i ng h i s o w n sty l e o f yoga that b l ends trad i t i ona l hatha pract i ce w i th Tha i Yoga Massage . These c l asses, w h i ch Park has deve l oped over the ye ars through h i s o w n exper i m entat i on and study o f m art i a l arts, i ncre ase body a w areness, encourage se l fevo l ut i on , and j ust f e e l good . W H E R E TO F I N D H I M I N 2 0 0 8 Te ach i ng at the Kr i pa l u C enter f or Yoga & He a l th and the Te ll ur i de Yoga Fest i va l , and i n Kore a , J a pan , and Ch i na . L e arn more at wheres i mon . com .

Si mon Park
Home Base New York C i ty & P h il ade l ph i a Age 36 St y l e F l ow Yoga

Si anna Sherm an
Home Base Berke l ey, Ca li forn i a Age 39 St y l e Anusara Yoga
Si anna Sherm an i s a capt i vat i ng storyte ll er, w hose i nsp i r i ng and he art f e l t te ach i ngs have garnered a f a i th f u l aud i ence . W i th a sooth i ng vo i ce , she w e aves together Anusara Yogas Un i versa l Pr i nc i p l es o f A li gnm ent , persona l anecdotes, H i ndu mytho l ogy, and Tantr i c ph il osophy, occas i ona ll y m i xed w i th a f e w li nes f rom c l ass i c ch il drens li terature . Stor i es open up our ab ili ty to absorb yog i c te ach i ngs by g i vi ng us a l ens through w h i ch to v i e w ourse l ves, she says. They a l so i nsp i re cre at i v i ty and j oy. One o f my f avor i tes i s Mary Popp i ns. She he l ps peop l e un l e ash the i r i m ag i nat i ons and soar to ne w he i ghts. Thats w hat I w ant my students he arts to exper i ence . Sherm an , w hose te achers have i nc l uded Ri chard Fre e m an , K . Pattabh i J o i s, Sa ll y Ke mpton , and Dougl as Brooks, apprent i ced w i th J ohn Fr i end and w as one o f the rst to be cert i ed to te ach Anusara Yoga . Today she trave l s the w or l d , o f ten w i th Fr i end , l e adi ng te acher tra i n i ngs and w orkshops. At the he art o f Sherm ans m essage i s the i mportance o f connect i ng w i th others: I hope peop l e nd the courage to li ve f rom the he art w i th compass i on and l ove . You can step i nto th i s pract i ce i n a w ay that opens you up to the peop l e around you . You dont have to be uent i n your asana pract i ce , but you do have to g i ve i t everyth i ng youve got . W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Te ach i ng at Yoga Journa l s Co l orado con f erence; g i v i ng te acher tra i ni ngs i n Berke l ey, Ca li f orn i a; and l e ad i ng retre ats and w orkshops around the w orl d . V is i t opentograce . com .
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Mon i que Schubert

Home Base New York C i ty Age 36 St y l e Kri pa l u Yoga
I w ant yoga to be he a li ng [f or others], because i t w as f or m e , says Mon i que Schubert , a Kr i pa l u-cert i ed i nstructor w ho took up yoga i n co ll ege but f ound her m entor w hen she began tak i ng c l asses at the hom e o f Kr i pa l u Yoga te acher Maya Breuer. Schubert started w i th Breuer w hen she w as 24 , and a f ter a li f et i m e o f bad posture , yoga na ll y he l ped her to stand up stra i ght . I t a l so he l ped her reso l ve gr i e f and depress i on , i nsp i r i ng her to he l p others, start i ng w i th ch il dren . The not i on o f te ach i ng k i ds ca m e to her i n a ash dur i ng her tra i n i ng. I sa w myse l f te ach i ng young peop l e , she says. I cant counse l the m , but I can o ff er som eth i ng to a ll ev i ate the sadness. Schubert no w te aches students a ll over N e w York C i ty, through schoo l s and spec i a l progra ms. For thre e ye ars she taught i ncarcerated te ens. They i nsp i red m e to pract i ce harder, because they w ou l d ask these quest i ons and you kne w [ that ] i f you w ere f ak i ng i t , you w ere go i ng to get exposed , she says. Her c l asses f ocus on trad i t i ona l poses such as Tre e , Cobra , Warr i or, and Sun Sa l utat i ons asanas that beg i nners can do w e ll and then gro w w i th . I te ach the bas i cs because I w ant everyone to have the re a l too l s they ne ed to he l p the mse l ves, she says. Li ke a ll the yog i c scr i ptures say, the externa l te acher a w akens the i nner te acher. W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Te ach i ng at Bronx Com mun i ty Co ll ege , at a f re e sum m er ser i es i n Socrates Scu l pture Park , and at Sha mbha l a Yoga & Dance C enter i n Brook l yn .

Darren R hodes
Home Base Tu cson , Ari zona Age 36
PHOTOS F R O M L E FT: GU ILL E R M O HU NG; M IL O

St y l e Anusara Yoga
Darren R hodes i s qu i te li tera ll y the poster boy f or Anusara Yoga . You can nd h i m on the Anusara sy ll abus poster, de f t l y de monstrat i ng more than 345 a w e-i nsp i r i ng poses. H i s mot i vat i on f or ach i ev i ng such a f e at w asnt ego dr i ven; i t ca m e f rom h i s be li e f that asanas cre ate more than j ust phys i ca l change . When I com e

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across a posture I re a ll y w ant to do, I ask myse l f, Ho w do I have to sh i f t phys i ca ll y, m enta ll y, and i n my he art to be ab l e to do that? He adds, I w ant to be ab l e to do a posture because I kno w i t w ill requ i re transf orm at i on on a ll l eve l s. R hodes gre w up i n a f a m il y o f yog i s. H i s mother took up the pract i ce w hen he w as i n utero, and h i s f ather i s an av i d m ed i tator. He re m e mbers enterta i n i ng h i s parents f r i ends by do i ng poses i n the li v i ng room . I n h i gh schoo l he began pract i c i ng i n e arnest , us i ng a Ri chard Fre e m an v i deo and go i ng to l oca l stud i o c l asses. But i t w asnt unt il h i s e ar l y 20s that he m et Anusara Yoga f ounder, J ohn Fr i end , and had one o f the most shakt i- ll ed exper i ences o f h i s li f e . J ohn turned my yoga pract i ce i nto a rad i ca l , rock i n li f e ce l ebrat i on , he says, w h i ch i s w hat I str i ve to share i n my c l asses. As a resu l t o f h i s o w n re and pass i on f or the phys i ca l , R hodess c l asses at both o f h i s Yoga Oas i s stud i os i n Tucson , Ar i zona , are p l ay f u l yet i ntense . I ask students to be w i th the asana as a mode o f trans f orm at i on . The most be aut i f u l th i ng about yoga i s that i t a ll o ws anyone and everyone no m atter w hat the i r l eve l to nd the i r b li ss.
PHOTO: DAVE KA M M

Kar i na Ayn M i rsky

Home Base Ka l amazoo, M ic h igan Age 32 St y l e Para Yoga
Connect i ng to a 5 , 000ye ar-o l d trad i t i on o f sa i nts and sages l ends a un i que qua li ty to m ed i tat i on pract i ce . Ive had mo m ents o f f e e li ng as i f Im i n the presence o f those w ho have done these techn i ques over centur i es, says Kar i na Ayn M i rsky, w ho i n 2002 w as i n i t i ated by R od Stryker i nto the Tantr i c trad i t i on o f Sw a m i R a m a o f the H i m a l ayas, kno w n as Sr i V i dya . Th i s f e e li ng o f unse en support carr i ed her through a d i agnos i s o f l ymphat i c cancer at age 27 , and she cred i ts her surv i va l to that support . I f e l t gu i ded and

he l d by the grace o f my trad i t i on , i ts te achers, and i ts anc i ents, she says. Her persona l pract i ce i n f orms her te ach i ng , but shes ada m ant that w hats r i ght f or one person m i ght not be r i ght f or another. My approach to te ach i ng i s ho li st i c and i nd i v i dua li z ed . I t dra ws f rom my exper i ence as a w om an; m assage therap i st; cancer surv i vor; and student o f psycho l ogy, yoga , Tantra , and Ayurveda . I study the nature o f m i nds and bod i es as they uctuate w i th the t i m e o f day, se ason , phases o f li f e , says M i rsky, w ho i s current l y pursu i ng a m asters degre e i n EastWest psycho l ogy. C l asses at her stud i o, ca ll ed Sangha Yoga , start w i th a d i scuss i on o f everybodys ne eds that day phys i ca l or psycho l og i ca lf o ll o w ed by a br i e f m ed i tat i on or

pranaya m a . They then cont i nue w i th chant i ng be f ore the asana pract i ce . A yoga pract i t i oner f or ne ar l y a decade , M i rsky has stud i ed extens i ve l y w i th Para Yoga f ounder, R od Stryker, and Pand i t R a j m an i T i guna i t , the he ad o f the H i m a l ayan I nst i tute . She has spent the past thre e ye ars deve l op i ng yoga progra ms f or peop l e w i th a var i ety o f a il m ents, i nc l ud i ng obes i ty and e at i ng d i sorders. What I hope to i mpart to my students i s the va l ue o f serv i ce to others. W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 G i v i ng te acher tra i n i ngs at her M i ch i gan stud i o and te ach i ng w orkshops i n N e w York , C i nc i nnat i , and Ch i cago. V i s i t sanghayoga . com .

W H E R E TO F I N D H I M I N 2 0 0 8 L e ad i ng w orkshops i n L ou i sv ill e , Kentucky; Northa mpton , Massachusetts; and Ashev ill e , North Caro li na . L e arn more at yogaoas i s . com .

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K i no MacGregor
Home Base M i am i, F l ori da Age 30 St y l e Ashtanga Yoga
K i no MacGregor had be en pract i c i ng Ashtanga Yoga f or l ess than a ye ar w hen her guru ca m e to her i n a dre a m: K . Pattabh i J o i s saved her f rom a rag i ngm ad L ord Sh i va and put her on a boat to Mysore , I nd i a . I w as th i s A m er i can g i r l w i th very li tt l e kno w l edge o f Eastern i conography, and sudden l y there I w as i n the H i ndu vers i on o f L ord o f the Ri ngs . W i th i n t w o w e eks, MacGregor had a p l ane t i cket to I nd i a . W i th i n seconds o f m e et i ng J o i s, she kne w he w ou l d i n uence her li f e . Be f ore my ana l yt ica l m i nd cou l d th i nk , I kne l t do w n and touched h i s f e et . From that mom ent on , I cons i dered h i m my te acher, she says. Ten ye ars l ater, MacGregor i s the co f ounder (w i th her anc , T i m Fe l dm ann) o f M i a m i Li f e C enter, w h i ch o ff ers yoga and nutr i t i on c l asses as w e ll as w orkshops on sp i r i tua li ty, bodyw ork , and li f e coach i ng. A PhD cand i date i n ho li st i c he a l th , MacGregor be li eves that yoga i s a cata l yst f or huge li f e changes and that students ne ed com mun i ty and support . M i a m i Li f e C enter se eks to prov i de sp i r i tua l gu i dance f or those w ho w i sh to i ntegrate l essons o f h i gher consc i ousness i nto the i r da il y li ves.

There are group Ashtanga Yoga c l asses at the C enter, but MacGregors true devot i on li es i n ke ep i ng the trad i t i ona l , se l f-paced Mysore sty l e a li ve . Gu i ded c l asses can be cha ll eng i ng and f rustrat i ng f or peop l e , she says. But Mysore g i ves you as much t i m e and space to do as m any mod i cat i ons and take as much t i m e as you ne ed . Wherever her students are on the i r path , MacGregor se eks to support the m w i th openness and e mpathy. My presence as a te acher i s to ho l d a space o f poss i b ili ty f or my students, respect the trad i t i on and li ne age that I te ach , and o ff er a be acon o f sp i r i tua l li ght f or those w ho w i sh to l ook de ep w i th i n the mse l ves. W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 G i v i ng o n e-w e e k i n t e ns i ves at the M i a m i Li f e C enter and i n Co penhage n , De n m ark , and t e ach i ng w orkshops i n Wash i ngton , DC; P i ttsburgh; and Europ e . V i s i t m i am ili f ecenter. com and ashtanga-a w areness . com .

J ason Crande ll
Home Base San Fran cisc o Age 33 St y l e A lignment Based Vi nyasa

J ason Crande ll cares about the p l ace m ent o f your co ll arbones, th i ghbones, and arches o f your f e et , but not f or a esthet i c re asons. Im a techn i que-or i ented te acher but not f or techn i ques sake , he says. The deta il i s there to he l p f ocus the m i nd , go i ns i de , and have a r i ch , ca l m i ng exper i ence . I t w as that ca l m i ng e ff ect that kept Crande ll go i ng dur i ng h i s e ar l y days o f yoga pract i ce . As a f orm er i ce-hockey p l ayer and skateboarder, he had an ath l etes t i ght body and a compet i t i ve dr i ve . Both qua li t i es m ade yoga d i f cu l t . The poses never ca m e e asy to m e , and I exper i enced a l ot o f d i scom f ort f or a l ong t i m e , he says. But a f terw ard I a l w ays f e l t c l e ar, grounded , and content .
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A l anna Ka i va l ya
Home Base New York C i ty Age 27 St y l e Ji vamukt i Yoga

A l anna Ka i va l ya usua ll y beg i ns c l ass w i th a gu i tar i n hand or s i tt i ng i n f ront o f a harmon i um . She o ff ers a Sanskr i t chant re l ated to a spec i c the m e or perhaps turns her students on to a cre at i ve r i ff such as Bu ff a l o Spr i ng e l ds For What I ts Worth , trans f orm i ng i t i nto a l e ad-i n f or a m antra li ke Om namah sh i vaya . The mus i c and chant i ng capt i vated her w hen she took her rst Ji vamukt i Yoga c l ass s i x ye ars ago. Ka i va l ya has a l w ays be li eved that mus i c has gre at po w er to i n uence pos i t i ve change i n peop l e . Born w i th a he ar i ng i mped i m ent , she says mus i c has g i ven her a prof ound veh i c l e f or se l f-express i on . The 27-ye ar-o l d se e ms both exuberant and w i se . She says she be li eves that w i th i n e ach student li es a vast w e ll spr i ng o f l ove and potent i a l and i ts her j ob as a te acher to dra w that out . Her c l asses b l end r i gorous poses and sooth i ng ad j ustm ents

w i th bursts o f yoga ph il osophy. And the e ff ect i s a conte mporary understand i ng o f anc i ent kno w ledge that can i nsp i re even the most stressed-out type A N e w Yorker. Her o f t-repe ated adv i ce to a ll i s, Dont m i ss the v i brat i ons! I n 2007 Ji va mukt i co f ounders Sharon Gannon and Dav i d Li f e asked Ka i va l ya to move f rom her hom eto w n o f Denver to N e w York C i ty. They f e l t that her be i ng c l oser to the m and the i r centers w as the next step i n her evo l ut i on as a te acher. She happ il y ob li ged . I do w hat I l ove , and I do i t w i th gre at l ove . Any t i m e you act i n accordance w i th that pr i nc i p l e , good th i ngs w ill com e . W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 G i v i ng c l asses i n Manhattan and at Yoga Journa l s Co l orado Conf erence , and s i ng i ng on her ne w a l bum , S h i ne . V i s i t ji vad i va . com .

Crande ll s i n uences have i nc l uded Iyengar Yoga te achers Ri chard R osen and R a m anand Pate l . He apprent i ced w i th R odney Ye e be f ore tak i ng on the ro l e o f yoga d i rector at the San Franc i sco Bay C l ub (an ath l et i c c l ub w i th a popu l ar M i nd & Body C enter). He l e ads h i s o w n w orkshops and retre ats and i s a contr i buti ng ed i tor f or Yoga Journa l . Crande ll s w e ll-cra f ted sequences comb i ne the prec i s i on o f Iyengar Yoga w i th the ste ady rhythm o f v i nyasa o w. Bene ath the asana , h i s m essage to students i s cons i stent: Focus on the process o f se l f-d i scovery rather than the goa l o f per f ect i ng poses. I w ant my students to be re a ll y cur i ous about w ho they are and to be accept i ng o f w hoever that m ay
MARCH 2008

be on a part i cu l ar day. I w ant the m to se e that everyth i ng i ns i de and outs i de i s i ncred ib l y myster i ous. I w ant the m to use the pract i ce to j ust check i n , se e w hats un f o l d i ng , and l e arn to de a l w i th i t sk ill f u ll y. W H E R E TO F I N D H I M I N 2 0 0 8 Te ach i ng at h i s annua l retre at at Fe athered P i pe R anch , at Yoga Journa l s Co l orado Con f erence , and at the As i a Yoga Con f erence . V i s i t j asonyoga . com .

PHOTOS (F R O M TOP): J OHN C A R TY; KEN P R OBST

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Mar l a Apt
Home Base Los Ange l es Age 37 St y l e Iyengar Yoga
Mar l a Apts c l asses at the Iyengar Yoga I nst i tute o f L os Ange l es are packed . But she doesnt l et the popu l ar i ty go to her he ad she stays f ocused on transm i tt i ng the trad i t i on that she ho l ds so de ar. Asana and pranaya m a are understood i n Iyengar Yoga as a m e ans to pract i ce the yamas and n i yamas , ga i n e mot i ona l stab ili ty, connect w i th your subt l e anatomy, and ste ady the m i nd , she says. I hope to convey th i s to the best o f my ab ili ty to students. Her mother took her to an Iyengar c l ass i n L os Ange l es 17 ye ars ago, and Apt w as i m m ed i ate l y hooked . I t w as the rst yoga c l ass w here I sa w the techn i que w as ab l e to e mbody the ph il osophy. I had the sense that the te achers re a ll y kne w a l ot . A f ter comp l et i ng her te acher tra i n i ng i n 1995 , Apt he aded to I nd i a to spend a ye ar tak i ng c l asses w i th B. K .S. Iyengar. Eventua ll y, she began ass i st i ng c l asses taught by Iyengar, h i s daughter, Ge eta , and h i s son , Prashant . She returns regu l ar l y w i th her husband and f e ll o w te acher, Pau l Caban i s, to study w i th the Iyengar f a m il y. Apt has he l d m any l e adersh i p ro l es w i th i n the Iyengar organ i zat i on: She served as pres i dent o f the Iyengar Yoga Assoc i at i on o f Southern Ca li f orn i a (IYASC) f or f our ye ars, and she w as pres i dent o f the nat i ona l assoc i at i on f or t w o ye ars. She has a l so w orked as an organ i z er o f the Iyengar Yoga Nat i ona l Convent i on . R ecent l y, she has pu ll ed back f rom her pub li c ro l es

Chandra Easton
Home Base Berke l ey, Ca li forn i a Age 35 St y l e Yi n Yoga , Vi nyasa Yoga
I n the Buddh i st trad i t i on w e pract i ce f or the bene t o f others, Chandra Easton says. Yes, I can be happy and better myse l f on th i s path , but I can a l so be o f serv i ce . Serv i ce i s one o f the the m es that shapes Eastons w ork as a yoga and m ed i tat i on te acher. A l though her mother began pract i ci ng T i betan Buddh i sm w hen Easton w as ve , i t w asnt unt il her 20s w hen a he a l th scare put her i n a ta il sp i n that she began to take her sp i r i tua l pract i ce more ser i ous l y. Fortunate l y, she f ound so l ace i n the te ach i ngs o f a v i s i t i ng T i betan l a m a , w h i ch eventua ll y l ed her to spend a ye ar study i ng i n Dhara msa l a , I nd i a . She then enro ll ed at the Un i vers i ty o f Ca li f orn i a , Santa Barbara , study i ng comparat i ve re lig i on and w ork i ng under Buddh i st scho l ar B. A l an Wa ll ace . I n 2001 , a f ter her daughter Tara w as born , Easton began her te acher tra i n i ng w i th Sarah Po w ers and f e ll i n l ove w i th Y i n Yoga . No w her ph il osophy i s com i ng to li f e w i th the severa l pro j ects she has i n the w orks. Together w i th Po w ers and yoga te acher J an i ce Gates, she co f ounded M etta J ourneys, w h i ch o ff ers tr i ps that comb i ne yoga and m ed i tat i on w i th a ph il anthrop i c component . Th i s ye ar they w ill take students to R w anda to ra i se f unds and a w areness f or the organ i zat i on Wom en f or Wom en I nternat i ona l , w h i ch nanc i a ll y and e mot i ona ll y supports w om en w ho are surv i vors o f w ar. On the tr i ps, students w ill have a chance to i nteract w i th the w om en there as w e ll as to do yoga . Future j ourneys i nc l ude a return to R w anda i n 2009 , and tr i ps to I nd i a and Bosn i a . Easton i s a l so te a m i ng up w i th her husband , Scott B l ossom , and a group o f experts i n the Tantr i c trad i t i on to te ach Sa m avesha Yoga , an approach that b l ends asana w i th ph il osophy, m antra , pranaya m a , and m ed i tat i on . W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Teach i ng i n the San Franc isco Bay Area , at the Esa l en Inst i tute , and at the Te ll uri de Yoga Fest i va l .

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to f ocus more de ep l y on her pract i ce and to beg i n te ach i ng around the Un i ted States and i nternat i ona ll y. I be li eve that yoga i s f or a ll peop l e , so Im constant l y try i ng to expand my e l d o f pract i ce , kno w l edge , and exper i ence to be ab l e to he l p as w i de a range o f students w i th as w i de a range o f i ssues as poss i b l e . W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Te ach i ng w orkshops i n L os Ange l es, J apan , and Istanbu l . V i s i t yoganga . com .

Scot t Bl ossom
Home Base Berke l ey, Ca li forn i a Age 38

peop l e are go i ng to f a ll i n l ove w i th m ed i tat i ng and w ill then do i t by cho i ce . A typ i ca l c l ass w i th Scott B l ossom i nc l udes m antra , ph il osophy, asana , and pranaya m a . I f e e l li ke yoga i s a r i tua l one w here you br i ng a ll the e l em ents i nto i t , a k i nd o f a l che m ica l m i x , he says. H i s asana te ach i ng i s based on Shado w Yoga , a sty l e deve l oped by Hungar i an yoga te acher Natanaga Zhander (a . k . a . Shandor R e m ete), w h i ch b l ends the Ayurved i c pr i nc i p l es o f energy o w w i th Tantra i n the hopes o f l e ad i ng to e ff ort l ess and spontaneous m ed i tat i on . I w ant to g i ve peop l e the asana they kno w and l ove , but I a l so w ant to nudge the m to w ard m ed i tat i on . My v i s i on i s that
MARCH 2008

St y l e Vi nyasa Yoga
Tantr i c ph il osopher Chr i stopher Tompk i ns; and Sanskr i t scho l ar Chr i stopher Wa ll ace) has deve l oped a Tantr i c yoga i m m ers i on progra m ca ll ed Sa m avesha that i s be i ng taught i n the San Franc i sco Bay Are a . B l ossom i s a co f ounder o f He a li ng Opportun i t i es, I nc ., a Santa Barbara , Ca li f orn i a , nonpro t that o ff ers yoga , m assage , acupuncture , and stress m anage m ent to peop l e w ho have li f e-thre aten i ng ill nesses and to those w ho prov i de care f or the m . Peop l e are l ook i ng at the b i gger p i cture , at ho w the yoga com mun i ty can he l p the l arger com mun i ty through seva [se l ess serv i ce ], he says.

PHOTOS (F R O M TOP): PAU L C A B A N IS; M A R T I N SC O N DUTO

B l ossom began h i s l ove a ff a i r w i th m ed i tat i on 16 ye ars ago. A f ter a s il ent m ed i tat i on retre at i n Tha il and w i th h i s t w i n brother, M i cha e l , B l ossom returned w i th a ne w perspect i ve . When I got back I cou l dnt take the phys i ca l pract i ce as ser i ous l y, he says. For m e , i t beca m e a veh i c l e to m ed i tat i on . A f ter ye ars o f study w i th Ayurved i c scho l ar R obert Svoboda and yoga te achers Zhander and Er i ch Sch i ff m ann , B l ossom (and h i s w i f e , Chandra Easton;

Do w n the li ne I se e peop l e re a ll y de n i ng yoga as serv i ce . W H E R E TO F I N D H I M I N 2 0 0 8 At Kr i pa l u C enter f or Yoga & He a l th , Fe athered P i pe R anch , and O j a i Yoga Cr i b. L e arn more at shunyatayoga . com .

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Char l es Matk i n
Home Base Garrison , New York Age 36 St y l e Hatha Yoga
Yoga i s a f a m il y a ff a i r f or Char l es Matk i n , w ho w as born i n Canada and ra i sed i n a transcendenta l m ed i tat i on com mun i ty i n I o w a , w here even Grandpa d i d Do w nw ard-Fac i ng Dog. But as a te enager Matk i n rebe ll ed aga i nst h i s sp i r i tua l roots, re f us i ng to m ed i tate and eventua ll y mov i ng to Manhattan , w here he w orked thre e j obs, took pre m ed c l asses, and dabb l ed i n act i ng the per i od he no w l ov i ng l y re f ers to as h i s j erk ye ars. Eventua ll y Matk i n returned to the m at and stud i ed m any sty l es o f yoga , try i ng to bu il d h i s o w n context . No dogm a i s ho w Matk i n sums up h i s current approach to te ach i ng. I try to te ach a range o f pr i nc i p l es rather than ru l es, he says. From the m any d i sc ip li nes he has stud i ed Fe l denkra i s to Iyengar Yoga to Ji va mukt i , and more he no w f e e l s equ i pped to use w hatever m ethod or too l he be li eves w ill best re ach h i s students and he l p the m on the i r path . He ke eps c l asses p l ay f u l by i n j ect i ng qu i rky observat i ons and j okes. Theres humor i n my c l asses so peop l e can l augh at the mse l ves, he says. I ts supposed to be en li ghtenm ent , not enhe avy-m ent . Today he and h i s w i f e , Li sa BennettMatk i n , o w n Matk i n Yoga i n Garr i son , N e w York , w here they conduct te acher tra i n i ngs and w orkshops. Theyve a l so cre ated a te acher tra i n i ng progra m i n therapeut i c yoga and a v i deo ser i es ca ll ed Hea li ng Yoga a resu l t o f the i r i nterest i n i ntegrat i ve m ed i c i ne . Th i s ye ar they p l an to l aunch a ne w stud i o i n Manhattan . I f e e l that the te acher i s i ns i de o f e ach o f us; i t i s so e asy f or peop l e to l ook outs i de f or an answ er, Matk i n says. Cha ll enge yourse l f to l ook i ns i de . W H E R E TO F I N D H I M I N 2 0 0 8 Te ach i ng at Matk i n Yoga Stud i o and the O m ega I nst i tute . V i s i t matk i nyoga . com .

Kat e Ho l comb e
Home Base San Fran cisc o Age 37 St y l e Yoga i n the trad i t i on of T. Krishnama c harya
Study asana w i th Kate Ho l combe and you ll get p l enty o f persona l attent i on , as she m a i n l y te aches one-on-one . She w as ste eped i n th i s approach w h il e study i ng w i th T. K . V. Des i kachar, w ho f ond l y ca ll s Ho l combe h i s A m er i can daughter. Were tra i ned i n th i s li ne age to se e the w ho l e person , she says. We v i e w the hum an as a w ho l e syste m w i th d i ff erent d i m ens i ons the body, bre ath , m i nd , persona li ty, and e mot i ons. I try to prov i de support i n w hatever w ay i s go i ng to w ork best f or the i nd i v i dua l . Tw o events conv i nced Ho l combe to ded i cate her li f e to yoga . The rst w as a bad b i ke acc i dent dur i ng a se m ester abroad i n I nd i a . Her yoga te acher at the t i m e , Mary L ou i se Ske l ton , took her, broken r i bs and a ll , to Des i kachar, w ho gave Ho l combe a po w er f u ll y he a li ng yoga pract i ce . A coup l e o f ye ars l ater, Ske l ton , d i agnosed w i th bre ast cancer, w as dy i ng w i th c l ar i ty and grace: I t w as very c l e ar to m e that th i s w as f rom study i ng w i th Kr i shna m acharya f or 35 ye ars, Ho l combe says. No w, a f ter s i x nonconsecut i ve ye ars o f study i n I nd i a , Ho l combe has a thr i v i ng pract i ce o f pr i vate c li ents and sm a ll groups. Her burgeon i ng nonpro t , the He a li ng Yoga Foundat i on , w orks w i th hom e l ess w om en , peop l e w i th H IV/A IDS and cancer, and other groups; nat i ona l te acher tra i n i ngs are i n the w orks. Her Yoga Sutra c l asses, taught i n sm a ll groups w i th a f ocus on chant i ng the Sanskr i t verses w i th proper pronunc i at i on , are anyth i ng but esoter i c . Shes kno w n f or us i ng persona l exper i ence both as a yoga te acher and as a busy mom to reve a l the m e an i ng o f the sutras. Ho l combe says shes grate f u l that her yog i c li ne age i s de ep l y sp i r i tua l as w e ll as pract i ca l . My te acher ca ll s h i mse l f the postm aster that he j ust de li vers, she says. And I re a ll y f e e l that w ay, too. W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Te ach i ng i n San Franc i sco and Se att l e , and tra i n i ng te achers i n N e w York C i ty and e l se w here . L e arn more at hea li ngyoga . org .

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For m ore h o t t e a c h e rs und er 40, turn to page 130.

I n the Mysore room o f YogaWorks i n Santa Mon i ca , Si m i Cruz moves f rom student to student , o ff er i ng the m gu i dance as they s il ent l y move through the se l f-paced Ashtanga Yoga pract i ce . As she scans the room f or m i sa li gnm ents and energet i c b l ockages, Cruz , w ho has graced the cover and pages o f th i s m agaz i ne m any t i m es w i th her stunn i ng poses, w ill re ach f or a b l ock or a strap to mod i f y a pose i f a student ne eds i t . Props w ork w e ll f or peop l e w ho have i n j ur i es, and theyre good f or prevent i ng i n j ur i es, she says. If you se e som eone push i ng too hard or mov i ng too f ast , you have to pu ll the m back som et i m es. Cruz stud i ed Ashtanga Yoga i n I nd i a w i th K . Pattabh i J o i s but l e arned to mod i f y poses f rom her pr i m ary te achers, Chuck M ill er and Maty Ezraty.
PHOTOS (F R O M TOP): M ATTHEW WAKEM; DAV I D M A R T I NEZ

m e ant to be taught . And she hopes to g i ve her students the too l s to pract i ce i n a w ay thats sa f e and he a li ng f or the m . Thats my j ob as a te acher to nurture students unt il they can go out and y on the i r o w n . W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 At YogaWorks l ocat i ons i n Ca li f orn i a and N e w York . V i s i t s i m i cruz . com and yoga works . com .

Si m i Cruz
Home Base Los Ange l es Age 33 St y l e Ashtanga Yoga

As a sm a ll g i r l , Cruz l e arned Sun Sa l utat i ons f rom her mom , and she began tak i ng yoga c l asses at 18 . When she f ound M ill er and Ezraty i n her e ar l y 20s, she spent the next 10 ye ars at YogaWorks i n Ezratys c l ass s i x days per w e ek . To th i s day she ca ll s Ezraty her second mom . Cruz cher i shes the i nd i v i dua l attent i on shes ab l e to o ff er i n her Mysore room . I do som eth i ng d i ff erent w i th every student , she says. I get one-on-one t i m e w i th a ll o f the m , and I get to des i gn a pract i ce thats good f or the m i nd i v i dua ll y, w h i ch i s ho w yoga w as
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continued from page 99

L I S A B L AC K AVO L I O

Home Base S eatt l e Age 38 St y l e Bapt iste Power Vi nyasa Yoga

CHAND R A O M

Home Base Ra l e igh , North Caro li na Age 37 St y l e C l assic a l Yoga i n the S ty l e of Dharma M i ttra

J A R V I S CH E N

Home Base Boston Age 35 St y l e Iyengar Yoga

Certied Iyengar Yoga teacher Jar vis Chen challenges his students to look beyond the superficial workings of the mind and into the intelligence of the body. When I started yoga I was a very rational, scientic-minded person, says the Harvard scientist and yoga teacher. But yoga helped me discover my bhakti quali130 YOGAJOURNAL.COM

Chandra Oms purpose as a teacher is crystal clear: to carry on traditional yoga through the method of Dharma Mittra, a yoga master in New York, whose teachings are infused with reverence for chanting, meditation, the guru, and the belief that asana is performed as an offering to God. Today Om, who has studied with the Brazilian-born Dharma Mittra for 14 years, holds the high honor of being the only person to whom he has given permission to teach his advanced practices. This teacher-of-teachers runs the thriving North Carolina School of Yoga and travels to New York once a month to study with her guru. At the core of her

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PHOTOS (C L O CKW ISE F R O M TOP): B A R B I E HU LL PHOTOG R APHY; R OBYN L O O N A N G I BSO N; AUD R EY SHE L DO N; T R AV IS L . KE LL EY

When Lisa Black Avolio teaches asana, she hopes to convey more than just the physical shapes of the poses. I focus on empowering students to be the best they can be and to step up to the edge of transformation, she says. Black, one of a handful of teachers with the title of Senior Master Baptiste Power VinyasaYoga teacher, practices what she preaches. In addition to teaching yoga in the style of Baron Baptiste, Black has created her own owing style called Shakti, which combines principles shes learned from Baptiste, Shiva Rea, and Ana Forrest with her own philosophy and life experience. As a teacher, its important to be authentic and not to try and be anyone else or teach like anyone else, she says. Black travels to assist Baptiste at workshops and teacher trainings, teaches her own retreats, and runs two bustling Seattle-area studios: Shakti East and Shakti West. I enjoy the directing and managing, but teaching is the thing that I really love and am passionate about. WHE R E TO F I N D HE R I N 2008 Teaching at both Shakti studios; at her annual retreat in Maya Tulum, Mexico; and around the country at Baptiste yoga trainings. Learn more at shaktivinyasa.com.

tiescompassion, love, and a connectedness to something bigger. Chen is a social epidemiologist who conducts research at Harvard School of Public Health and brings his yoga to work every day. I study health disparities in poor and disadvantaged communities, and my yoga helps me approach the subject with compassion. Even if you havent lived in poverty, you can understand the want and fear that comes with deprivation because, as the Yoga Sutra teaches, fear is universal. In the yoga room, Chen, whose primary teacher is Patricia Walden, loves working with beginners. He specically enjoys the process of showing students how going from gross alignment instructions to subtle instructions brings greater fullness to the breath and focuses the mind. The transformation from disintegration to integration happens over time, but even beginners can get a taste of it. W H E R E TO F I N D H I M I N 2 0 0 8 Teaching at B.K.S. Iyengar Yogamala in Boston and at workshops in Middletown, Connecticut, and Charlottesville, Virginia. Learn more at jarvischen.com.

teaching are yogas ethical guidelines: Without yama and niyama , there is no yoga, she says. I myself love the postures and a strong asana practice. But holding both legs behind your head and standing on one nger inverted doesnt make you a nice person. W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Teaching at her school in North Carolina. Check out her recently published book, Dharma Mittra: A Friend to All , a biographical account of the life of her teacher. Learn more at ncschoolofyoga.com.
K I R A RYD E R

Home Base O j a i, Ca li forn i a Age 34 St y l e Vi nyasa F l ow (Form l ess)

If years ago you had suggested to Kira Ryder that she would someday be leading a magical little yoga community in a wild Western town, she wouldnt have bought it. Growing up on the East Coast in a driven, ambitious culture, Ryder was hardwired to believe that numbing your feelings was superior to facing them. If anyone had told me that yoga was spiritual, I never would have signed up. After 12 years of yoga practice Ryder is the director of Lulu Bandhas, a thriving yoga studio in Ojai, California, and her core value is compassion. With classes ranging from Strong Vinyasa to Sweet Vinyasa and Yoga Siesta to Yoga for Stiff White Guys, Ryders mission is to give people the skills to create a yoga practice that meets them where they are. Ryder, who names renowned yoga teacher Erich Schiffmann as her main asana inuence, encourages students to feel their way into poses, inviting a sense of formlessness within the forms. The hope is that there will be a sense of self-assurance that they know whats best, she says. The house rule is Youre in your body, not me. After six years Lulus has a devoted community of locals, and a national community is building as well. Last October more than 250 yogis from around the country flocked to Ryders fifth annual yoga conference, the Ojai Yoga Crib.

Throughout the year she communicates over the Web with a blog on Channel Yoga and by posting videoshighlights of her classes as well as workshops led by other teacherson LuluVu. I love community when it allows people to discover themselves. Thats the most important thing. W H E R E TO F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Teaching at Lulu Bandhas, at her annual Ojai Yoga Crib, and on her blogs and videos. Learn more at lulubandhas.com.
E M I LY L A R G E

Home Base West Pa l m Bea c h , F l ori da , and At l anta , Georgi a Age 36 St y l e Vi n i yoga

As a physical therapist, Emily Large helped people find ease in their bodies, but it wasnt until she discovered Viniyoga that she found her lifes true passionblending physical and spiritual healing. Yoga has a profound

influence on my body and empowered me to heal myself, she says. I wanted to share that with other people. Thanks to her extensive background in anatomy, physiology, and rehabilitation, Large knows the nuts and bolts of how injuries happen and how to heal from them. That foundation gives me the confidence to guide students through a yoga practice while keeping them safe. Large has completed the four-year, 1,000-hour yoga therapy program of the American Viniyoga Institute and is now a certied yoga therapist. Her classes cater to students with specific health issues, such as low-back pain, chronic headaches, and neck and shoulder tension. Her teaching style reflects the mantra of her primary teachers, Gary Kraftsow and Mirka Scalco Kraftsow: If you can breathe, you can do yoga. Large also introduces church groups to yoga. A devout Christian, she has credibility among people who may be skeptical of yogas spiritual implications, a skepticism she admits she once shared. I was ner-

vous Id have to give up things in my diet or adopt different spiritual beliefs, but I found out that yoga isnt about dogma its about nourishing the individual. W H E R E T O F I N D H E R I N 2 0 0 8 Teaching yoga at her surf retreat in Costa Rica. Learn more at livinglargetherapy.com.
HEI D I SO R M A Z

Home Base New Haven , Conne c t ic ut Age 39 St y l e Forrest Yoga

Heidi Sormaz knows about body issues. Growing up as a ballerina, she battled eating disorders. She also knows the harm resulting from pushing to overachieve. While working on her PhD in psychology at Yale University, she realized that her body was in pain. She practiced Iyengar and then Ashtanga Yoga to get in shape, but she pushed too hard and found herself with more injuries. During a teacher training

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program with master teacher Ana Forrest a light bulb went on. I asked myself, Why am I working so hard? In order to achieve somethingwhether it was yoga teacher training or my PhDI was willing to push myself too hard. I was willing to stay in a pose that wasnt comfortable. After Sormaz had this intellectual realization, she began cultivating the same wisdom in her body and bringing it to her studio, Fresh Yoga, which she opened in 2002. Her mission: Yoga should always be healing for the mind and body. Sormaz recognizes the value of different paths and offers a variety of styles at her studio, but she wants all her teachers to impart the importance of breathing and feeling. Her own classes focus on providing an experience that is physically, mentally, and emotionally transformative. For example, if shes teaching someone with scoliosis, the main focus may be to lessen the curve in the spine. But if shes working with a student whos overweight, she tries to help them reframe their negative thought patterns. Its less about the body and

more about the thoughts, she says. Our thoughts are our biggest barrier. And we are all dealing with our healing. WHE R E TO F I N D HE R I N 2008 Teaching at Fresh Yoga. Learn more at freshyoga.com.
B R I AN L I E M

Home Base New York C i ty Age 39 St y l e Om Yoga

During class youll find Brian Liem tel ling stories and engaging with his students. A sense of humor and openness lies at the foundation of his philosophy. Im not afraid of being the class clown, says Liem, director of programming at Om Y oga. Rather than lecturing directly from texts, I try to pass on the teachings in an accessible way. Twenty years ago, Liem faced a bundle of challenges all at once. Those tragedies helped him realize that hed better make the most of his precious time on earth. He

PHOTO: J A N N A C OKE R

decided to become a yoga teacher. Today, Liem sees himself as a link in the great yogic chain. Hes been taught by Cyndi Lee, founder of Om Yoga; Judith Hanson Lasater, teacher of Iyengar Yoga; and Eric Spiegel of the Shambhala tradition of Buddhism. Liem draws from them all to teach sweet asana classes with an overlay of Buddhist meditation practices. Liem sees yoga as a great community builder. He represented Om Yoga in 2004 at the Gay Spirit Culture Projects conference. I find through yoga practice theres a language that can transcend differenceswithout denying the di versity of any individualand initiate a dialogue, he says. W H E R E TO F I N D H I M I N 2 0 0 8 Instructing at Om Yogas 2008 teacher training program in Manhattan and leading a weeklong retreat in Morgans Rock, Nicaragua. Learn more at omyoga.com. I
By Diane Anderson, Samantha Dunn, Andrea Ferretti, Catherine Guthrie, Nora Isaacs, Lauren Ladoceour, V alerie Reiss, and Kelle Walsh.

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