Welcome ;)
I’m Vanessa - a yoga teacher offering semi-private group classes and private lessons in Kirkland.
Expect personalized instruction, healthful alignment, and to feel more open and alive after each yoga session!
Are you looking to incorporate yoga into your day-to-day life? Whether you’re a new or experienced student, I can help you on your yoga journey.
Tell me your goals, about your personal fitness history and needs, and I will lead you through personalized yoga sessions to build your practice. I encourage my students to practice on their own, and provide take home resources so you can bring your yoga practice with you wherever you are! No studio required.
Send me a note with your yoga needs, and I will get back to you shortly.
What is yoga, anyway?
Yoga is a practice we can use in our daily lives to develop ourselves physically and mentally. Physically, we focus on balancing our body - stiffer bodies attain flexibility and mobility, while flexible bodies attain strength and stability. No matter the state of the body, we learn to balance ourselves. Not just by balancing on 1 leg, on our head, on our forearms or hands, but also with our mental state. We develop sensitivity and awareness of the body, and learn to release unhelpful postural habits. We learn to be comfortable in a quiet room, and stay present with our own thoughts and feelings.
The more you practice yoga, the more your toolkit grows. You will learn poses and sequences that are helpful for your various needs (energizing practices, restoring practices, strengthening practices, relief from low back pain practices, etc).
Much like we have a practice to take care of our hair, our teeth, our clothes… we can also have a yoga practice that helps take care of our body, our mind, and inner “spirit”. This integration is one of the main differences of yoga versus other fitness programs.
I already have 100 things to do. Why should I take the time to practice yoga?
It’s true that modern life provides us access to limitless opportunities - we can take classes in any skill, watch movies or tv shows about any topic, read any book or newspaper - yet we can get pulled into this endless to do list and feeling of not being or doing enough. We can spread ourselves thin by trying to do everything. Then we rush from this to that, checking off as many boxes as we can.
Remember this:
The time we invest in yoga practice is time we invest in ourselves. In our long-term health and well-being - so this body can support us through old age with a strong and flexible spine, limbs, fingers and toes, and a sharp mind.
Each moment spent practicing will become a part of you and stay with you forever.
Have you seen friends or coworkers burn out? Our physical form and mental state can only go so long before demanding care from us, and it does that through sickness and discomfort. So give it a little daily attention with yoga ;) Develop your physical form, relax your mental state, and enjoy some time away from your phone and screens.
My Teaching Style & Values:
1. Alignment - Proper alignment enables us to get the effect of a pose, while keeping our joints and ligaments safe. Each pose is carefully instructed and refined, creating a free flowing energy in the body and mind.
2. Balance - Our practice should bring us into greater balance both mentally and physically. A feeling of wholeness, symmetry, and rejuvenation is ideal - finding the middle way between over-exerting and lethargy.
3. Care - Treating ourselves and each other with care is essential. This means being respectful to the physical body and the mind - using each limb… finger… and toe with mindful awareness, choosing our words conscientiously.
Recommended items for yoga asana practice:
A mat and a place to put it
(hardwood floor if you can - it is more stable than carpet)A yoga strap
(or pant belt, tie, scarf, etc.)Two yoga blocks
(or a hardcover book like a cookbook can do the job)An open mind and willingness to try new things
Can I help you start a yoga practice?
Refine the one you already have?
Check out my private lesson options, or send me a note with your yoga request.
Email Sign-up
Want to know when and where I’m teaching group classes locally? Or about new online yoga programs?
I email about once a month. Add your name to my list here.