Julie has been practicing yoga since Breathe Together Yoga opened in 2011. Initially, she thought that yoga would provide a “good stretch” to complement her marathon training and relieve some of the resulting muscle tightness. She soon discovered that yoga offered much more than just a stretch. It also provided her with a way to manage the stress and emotional trauma of being a newly-widowed single mom. At first, Julie explored the many yoga styles including Power, Tapas, Yin, Vinyasa, and Yoga Basics. Then, she took her first Ashtanga Yoga class. From that point forward, she knew that the Ashtanga Yoga Method was the practice for her. It was only natural for Julie to become one of the lead Mysore teachers and share her enthusiasm towards the Ashtanga Yoga Method.
Julie began her yoga teacher training in 2012 with a trip to India for a 100-hour collaborative training between BTY’s JOY of Yoga Teacher Training program and Yogalife International. In the following year, she completed an additional 200 hours of training (JOY of Yoga, Dynamics and Therapeutics) and immediately enrolled in the 500-Hour JOY of Yoga Teacher Training program. Since 2012, Julie has had a dedicated Ashtanga Yoga Mysore practice. Practicing with the BTY Mysore community, Julie is a student first and foremost. Her six-day per week practice informs and inspires her teaching. In addition to yoga, Julie also enjoys spending time with her sons, running, strength training, obstacle course racing (OCR), hiking/backpacking, and simply being outdoors.
Who has influenced your teaching?
My practice has been greatly influenced by a number of Ashtanga Yoga teachers who I have been blessed to practice with. Among these teachers are Mojdeh Zahiraleslamzadeh, Tim Miller (Timji), David Swenson, Jen René, David Garrigues, Erika Abrahamian, Leigha Nicole, Jennifer Prugh, and Sharath Jois. This list is not all-inclusive. There are many other teachers whom I have studied with. Each of them has helped to inform both my practice and, ultimately, the way I teach.
Which Yama or Niyama are you currently working on?
I am on the mat doing the same sequence of poses nearly every day of the week for upwards of seven years. Each day, the practice unfolds a little differently, yet, I am never bored because the practice is like a mirror revealing my place in life; the emotions, pains, and struggles. To the observer, the practice is just the āsana, or shapes we make with our bodies. To me, however, the practice is one of reflection and self-study (svādhyāya, the fourth niyama). Keep a journal, and you will see what I mean.
How have you set up your practice space?
Once I dedicated myself to the Ashtanga Yoga Method, I found that I needed to have a home practice space. At the time, I was widowed and raising my sons on my own. I couldn’t always get to the studio to practice with my teacher but was committed to the six-day per week practice. On some days, I would start my practice at home, then continue in the Mysore room after dropping my youngest at school. The room that I practiced in all those years ago is still my primary home practice space to this day. However, when it became clear that we would be practicing at home for an extended period of time, I moved the desk out of the space so that there was a clear distinction between practice and my work.
The room has prayer flags, statues of Hanuman (my favorite deity), and sweet little lights that add just enough light to practice with in the wee hours of the morning. I have a small little closet/cubby-hole that holds my props (blocks, foam pads, rug, sandbag, infinity strap, etc).
Seventh Series: Since my new puppy wakes up at the time when the Mysore Zoom is scheduled, I now practice on a huge mat with dog toys and a rather active dog at my feet. My puppy adds another element to the practice.
