Heather Sieve

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I began my yoga practice in as a means to rehabilitate a severely broken knee Like so many other people I was quickly inspired to continue attending group asana classes In the fall of I decided to pursue the teacher training program on my college campus After completing the four-month training program I began leading mind/body classes several times per week for the next three years When I moved to New York in I started doing pranayama on my lunch breaks in order to cope with the newfound stress of city-living Gradually I noticed myself becoming a little more patient and a little less judgmental I grew to love my body for what it does rather than how it looks Soon I incorporated meditation into my daily yoga practice often taking a group asana class and then meditating for - minutes afterward During this past summer I began studying Hinduism and yogic philosophy in my free time&#;pouring over Patanjali&#;s Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita My newly deepened interest was further encouraged by the -hour certification program at Yoga Vida through which I learned more about proper alignment anatomy the subtle body safe adjustments and asana sequencing My teaching style focuses on intelligent ashtanga vinyasa sequencing and thorough incorporation of pranayama I practice yoga for a very simple reason: Nothing compares to how I feel after an asana class or meditation at home My mind is calm and clear; I become aware of how my body ebbs and flows; I feel challenged yet accomplished at the same time As an instructor I seek to incite &#;THAT&#; feeling in my students&#;encouraging them to connect with themselves and others on a deeper level whether through a physical mental or spiritual practice   YS abhyasa vairagyabhyam tan nirodhah [the vritti states of mind] are stilled by practice and dispassion.