In 2006 I attended my first yoga asana* class unbeknownst that a deep love for the practice was being ignited. For over the next nine years and under the guidance of local instructor, Maria LaPorte, that love would only grow stronger as I would take the lessons of patience, discipline, self acceptance, and humor I learned on the mat – off the mat. It was through these lessons learned that I saw not only the healing and therapeutic abilities yoga has to offer but also the playfulness and strength it could grow.
In hopes to share the practice with others I decided to take my love for the practice to the next level and attain my 200 Hour Teaching Certification under the guidance of Lynne Begier, Ryan Cunningham, and Renee LeBlanc at Back Bay Yoga in Boston (currently YogaWorks) in 2015.
Since attaining my teaching certification I continue to be inspired by the diversity in styles and eager to expand my knowledge of the practice. The importance of integrating alignment, anatomy, physiology, and movement linked with the breath are key elements to all of my classes. I have learned in my own practice, how with the correct alignment in a pose you can start to delve deeper into your practice and build even greater strength. It should come to no surprise I have learned to use the Vinyasa practice to interweave strength building, challenging, and playful postures into a continous flow but never lose sight in the need to find balance so that the body can restore and heal, and of course the need to smile and have fun.
Teaching asana has been very rewarding. Being able to watch students grow in their practice and discover strengths they did not know they had has been humbling to say the least. While in training I wrote that my aims is to open students to see that all they could ever ask for already exists inside them – it just takes a little persistence, discipline, and laughter to undo the lock.
Outside of teaching, I still hold a full time job at a local insurance company, enjoy spending time with my family and friends, the beach, and when I can squeeze it in I do enjoy running. I also continue to be a student of the practice, as much as I love teaching, I will always be a student first. Being able to make time for my personal practice is very important as it keeps me grounded, able to bring more content to my classes, and driven to learn more. I am excited to share this practice with you and hope that you find what you seek out of this practice.
*Asana is the physical practice of Yoga. The yoga I have studied consist of Eight Limbs or Pedals: Yama (external restraints), Niyama (internal observances), Asana (physical postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (bliss). It is important to note that I teach Asana while and interweave what I am learning about the other limbs into my teaching.
Caleigh Ferguson Yoga 