THE UNBEARABLE JOY OF TEACHING YOGA
Being a teacher is the center around which my days orbit.  I meditate for myself, and I also meditate so I can be more creative and present with my students.  I keep my body healthy for myself, and also so I can be a strong and flexible vessel for holding the yoga room.  I do my own asana practice for myself, and also so that I am continually exploring the human body, its capacities, its quirks, its wise limits, and where it might move like it never has before.

There is nothing more dear than the efforts of a novice yoga student, who, with all their heart and attention, is attempting to take their body to unknown territories of experience.  It's the body innocence of new
Beauty
students that moves me so much, and that they show up to something they aren't quite sure about, and come willing to make their most open-minded effort.

And the ongoing students, whose bodies are gracefully balanced between stability and fluidity, continually take my breath away with the intelligence of their body language, with how they learn the basic shapes of yoga and then are highly attuned to new movement investigations. 

SYA Teacher's Meeting
As yoga teachers, we have the profound privilege of being witnesses and mid-wives to some of the most honest and healing moments in the lives of our students.  They show up--that alone can be the journey of a hero,
especially in the city.  They put their bodies in our care.  WOW!  I'll say that again--they put their bodies in our care. Bodies hold memory, yearning, history, injury, possibility, hope, fear...so much.  For a period of time, students allow the words we speak, the movements we guide, and the vibe we create to resonate in their minds, hearts and bodies.  They let us into the deepest parts of themselves.  That is BIG!, and as a yoga teacher, I want to live my life in a way that respects that responsibility.

What you might not know about your yoga teacher is that she sometimes become teary eyed, sometimes her heart feels as though it will burst out of her chest, because of YOU, you remarkable souls who, perhaps unwittingly, continually re-create the sacred space of intentional movement, week after week.  

So much gratitude for every student who ever comes through the door of a yoga studio, because you allow us, as your teachers, to fulfill a part of our life's purpose.

Hands together, deep bow,
Denise Benitez

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NEW PAYMENT OPTION!

$125 Monthly Unlimited Auto-Renew Includes 
2 Guest Passes for Friends, 5% off all Workshops at SYA.

Cancel anytime.
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SPECIAL EVENTS

 

 

Fri & Sat, July 24 and 25

 


 

While it has been traditional to emphasize alignment and action in yoga poses, our common alignment cues often don't reflect anatomical reality. This workshop will develop clear instruction that is in keeping with sound anatomy and physiological principles as well as following sutra guidelines of creating steadiness and comfort in yoga poses. Learn how to articulate with precision and accuracy. We will dissect yoga poses to understand why commonly used cues can actually cause more harm than good.
For teachers and everyone welcome!

 
 

w/Claudette Evans
 Weds, July 15 - 7:30 to 8:30 pm

The Dark of the Moon has an inward feel, a void or empty quality, and can teach us how to be comfortable with the dark and with uncertainty. Darkness is the moment before birth, a pause and an exhale. The new moon is traditionally the preferred or "ripe" time to plant seeds in the ground or seeds of love, creativity, or friendship. It is considered beneficial to devote time to chanting and meditation on this day. Each month, we'll rest in the quiet energy of the new moon, and the power of a different chant, followed by a short meditation.
 

w/Laura Prudhomme & Erin Beattie
Sat, July 18; 7:00 to 9:00 pm


Experience time without the hurried push of a widely accepted social paradigm that faster is better. Slow and Low is a restorative yoga class infused with the art of healing touch. This practice is designed to help us remember what it feels like to do less and receive more. Slowing down and opening up plays a vital role in the rejuvenation of our systems, the clarity of our experiences, and our overall health. Slide into a more restful mode of being with Laura's calming sequence of movements and Beattie's gentle hands on support. 
with Amy Reed
Fri, July 31 - 8:00 to 9:30 pm


In the Tantric tradition, the full moon is personified as feminine and bestows nectar. It is a time when moon gazing or moon honoring can bring forth powerful stillness and healing. We'll follow the cycle of the full moon, practicing a well-rounded mandala of yogic arts to both release accumulated tensions and energetic congestion from the past month and create a more clarified inner space for the month to come. 

a Four Week Series with Rebecca Denk
Tues & Thurs, Aug 4 to 27; 6:30 am


As summer winds down and days begin to shorten, we are invited to re-balance and refocus our energies for autumn's return to school, work and routine.   We need to root deep into the darkness to access our creativity and stability, then we can expand into the light and share our discoveries. Our asana practice will focus on a variety of balancing poses, culminating in variations of handstand over eight classes.  We will use the walls, props and partners to grow more confident and comfortable rooting into the earth with hands & feet, and lifting skyward.  The series is open to all levels of ability - the only requirement is a willingness to try.  

Weds, Aug 5 - 7:15 to 9:15 pm



Over the past eight years as an asana teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner, Matthew has heard hundreds of stories of classroom or self-practice injury. This research digs beneath the statistics of yoga injuries to examine the stories we tell ourselves about our bodies, about perfection, inadequacy and freedom. We all know that repetitive strain or too much flexibility creates the conditions for injury. But what we haven't brought to light yet are the consequences of the narratives we tell ourselves-how they set us up for physical trouble in practice and how they influence the way we go through life. This research will help you pay attention to the strange unconscious intentions that get all mixed up in a life-long practice, so you can clear out unhelpful motivations and follow through on what's truly good for you. 
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The yoga room is a device free space!

No pre-registration required for

Love, From Your Teachers at Seattle Yoga Arts
Denise, Rainey, Meg, Bianca, Jaime, Laura, Beattie, Amy, Claudette, Beth, Rebecca, Dean



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