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Last night I reflected on how excellent my Yoga Teachers are and how my teachers influenced my yoga practice and my teaching style.  I realized that it would not be until the next morning during practice that I could really begin to appreciate the full extent of their influence.

I’ve been practicing yoga since 1981 in one form or another and in 1991 I took up formal training with teachers.

I practice traditional ashtanga vinyasa yoga as taught by Patabhi Jois of Mysore, India. I thank him for introducing this practice that is so healing, energizing and nurturing.

I also practice vinyasa flow style yoga holding postures for longer than traditional ashtanga vinyasa yoga. I structure the sequences in specific ways to open, strengthen and stretch the hips, back, arms, legs and front of body. I also practice this style to create meditative space. Inspiration to create came from David McAmmond and Val Petrich of Calgary, Canada, who gave me the freedom to express my individuality in yoga.

As I began to warm up the next morning by doing sun salutations I decided that it was David Williams of Maui, Hawaii who influenced me the most in creating a nice flowing rhythm while engaging my moola bandha. It was Larry Schultz of San Francisco that influenced my use of deep and detailed breathing. And it was Nancy Gilgoff, also of Maui, who taught me to create a deeper stretch within any given posture.

There are 72 to 74 postures in ashtanga yoga’s first series practice. Depending, of course, on who you talk to. I knew by going through each one of them in my mornings practice that it was Norman Allen, of the Big Island of Hawaii, who greatly influenced the shape of each posture.  He taught me the basic modifications for each posture. I was dealing with a stiff body for a long time and Norman took me to my edge and helped me to realize I could deepen my experience of practice by first modifying a pose and then gradually deepening it over time.

As my practice continued towards the closing sequence of restorative postures, like shoulderstand and headstand, I wanted to thank Beryl Bender Birch of New York who has influenced my enthusiasm for practicing each morning. Beryl has tremendous energy and her enthusiasm is contagious. I still look forward each and every morning to my practice because of Beryl.

David Swenson of Texas has influenced me to keep my yoga practice simple.

I can’t thank my Yoga Teachers enough, now that I am writing this after practice. I can now sit and feel immersed in this energy I feel and completely receive the healing I have given myself.

We want to thank Rockne again for being our guest blogger.  Please visit his blog by clicking here

If you would like to join us a guest blogger please e-mail us at info@justmymat.com 

Filed under: We are Yoga on December 20th, 2007