Northwest Yoga Conference Interview with Liz Doyle!

I was recently interviewed by Melissa from Northwest Yoga Conference (February 18-19, 2012) where I'll be presenting Saturday February 18th, 9-11AM on Hidden Meanings in Yoga Asana (half practice/half lecture and discussion)- sign up for my workshop or the whole weekend HERE!

Read on...

Ever wanted to know a little more about your yoga teacher? Here is your chance! We asked teachers at the conference to share what inspires their teaching and practice and let us know about their yoga favorites. They also share what they are looking forward to most at the Northwest Yoga Conference. Enjoy!

Meet Liz Doyle, a prominent yogi in the northwest, who will be teaching yoga practitioners about the “Hidden Meanings in Yoga Asana”. You can find Liz Doyle teaching yoga classes and workshops on both sides of Lake Washington and at retreats, teacher trainings and festivals throughout the United States and internationally. In addition to teaching adults, Liz also offers yoga classes for children. Learn more and sign up for Liz’s email newsletter at: LizDoyleYoga.com

Inspiration:

What was your first yoga experience?

My first yoga experience was when I was a sophomore in college. I raided my parents’ library before I left for school that year, and one of the books I took was Richard Hittleman’s Yoga: 28 Day Exercise Plan. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s a great little book and a well-rounded sequence. I followed the plan religiously, and I loved it. For some reason, I didn’t keep it up, and did not practice again until I was 30, when I began a regular practice with an Iyengar teacher in San Francisco. The rest, as they say, is history.

What does yoga mean to you?

Yoga is a science for Self and/or God-realization. It’s a well-charted path for uncovering the Self, and becoming better versions of ourselves, and along the way developing an understanding that the Kingdom of God is within us.

Why did you decide to become a yoga teacher?

My original intention was to sign up for yoga school to develop my own practice. Simultaneously, I was really struggling with my job and my boss, and things were not working out. I was out of town for a weekend, doing a lot of soul searching and praying for guidance as to what the heck I was supposed to be doing with my life. I remember sitting by a river, quite emotional about my situation, literally begging for a sign as to what I should do—and lo and behold—nothing happened. Such a disappointment, but it was time to head to the local yoga class, so I got up and went. At some point during class, I handed the student next to me a block. After class, totally out of the blue, the teacher came up to me and said, “You should be a yoga teacher.” I figured signs don’t come any clearer than that, so I quit my job, went to yoga school and started an organizing business to support myself until I could teach.

What do you hope students learn from attending your yoga classes?

What I hope my students learn is that they are far more than they think they are, and the beauty of who and what they are has nothing to do with the physical practice. I know that sounds funny coming from someone who’s known for an intensely fun and challenging class—I just hope that an unusual experience in the physical practice helps them come away with a feeling of wonder and curiosity about the world around them and within them. I wrote a mission statement that encapsulates what I’m trying to create for my students, so I’ll include that here:

"It is my fundamental belief that yoga is a transformational process for the development and reorganization of one’s consciousness. With that said, it is my heart’s intention to utilize yoga to create the appropriate energetic space, and provide techniques and tools to enable the true yoga practitioner to operate from their authentic Being."

Which teachers have influenced your yoga practice and teaching?

Kathleen Hunt: Kathleen is an amazing soul, and an incredible teacher. She is a master at holding energetic space, conveying the teachings during an asana class and sequencing to a peak pose. You can check out her studio at: Samadhi-yoga.com

Edward Clark: Edward applies an uncommon level of intellectual rigor to the practice. He has designed a practice and cultivated an ujjayi method that is well-grounded in yoga philosophy, and emphasizes Grace and Beauty in asana to cultivate eka grata (single-pointedness) to connect to the One. Read an interview with Edward at: http://sattvayogaonline.com/one-enchanted-morning-the-return-of-tripsichore-to-seattle/

Andrey Lappa: Andrey is another intellectual yogi who has developed a system, a precise methodology for a complete and whole experience in the practice. It’s a rather complex system for kundalini awakening and stimulating one’s consciousness for the purpose of Enlightenment. Read more about it at: universal-yoga.com

Katerina Wen: Katerina introduced me to Edward and Andrey and in my opinion, is the perfect blend of the two. I had a magical time the two years I spent at her studio before it closed, and I cannot thank her enough.

About the Conference:

Share with us some of the highlights of the workshop you are presenting at the Northwest Yoga Conference.

The workshop I’m leading at the NW Yoga Conference is one of my favorites. As practitioners, we spend so much time contorting our bodies into shapes and hurling ourselves through space- but where do these poses come from and what do they mean? I believe that the names of the poses give us hints and clues about the lessons contained in the poses and how to unlock them. It’s these names, stories and symbols that we’ll be exploring for the purpose of adding meaning and richness to the lessons of the practice.

What are you looking forward to the most at the Northwest Yoga Conference?

I’m really excited about connecting with the yoga community on a larger scale. It’s always a good feeling to be among fellow practitioners who care enough about the practice to hang out learning for a weekend.