Bali is three sticks of incense: Faith. Ritual. Service.
Menu
We’ve all heard of love at first sight, but what about love at first pose? Hardly hashtag worthy, but that’s how it happened for Dana. She was hooked after her first experience, one unearthed from the dusty pages of the local summer parks and rec catalog in 2000. Because of that fateful discovery, Dana’s world shifted from the constant state of goal oriented doing, to a more appreciative state of presence in action. That class was over 20 years ago, and yoga still informs every aspect of her life.
Bali is three sticks of incense: Faith. Ritual. Service.
What sort of teacher would I be if I didn’t share some of my “less than” moments, some of my epic fails?
I’ll give you a hint: they’re not the three you’re thinking of.
Ritual adds keystone consistency to life.
The measurable “immeasurables” are subtle takeaways, gifts discovered with each noticed breath and with each thoughtful pause before speaking or acting, on and off the mat. To lay the framework to receive these gifts, Dana incorporates breath work with her extensive knowledge of alignment based Iyengar yoga. In her classes, well-paced, thoughtful movement is yoked to the breath to build familiarity between movement and present moment awareness, something that can be practiced daily.
Yoga isn’t something “out there,” nor is yoga something left between the layers of a tightly rolled mat; yoga is the cultivation of harmony between body and mind, and that awareness is the gift that keeps on giving.
Dana’s classes are influenced by her joie de vivre, her love of dance, and her background as a student of Iyengar yoga. She teaches vinyasa, yin, and restorative yoga, as well as Iyengar-inspired classes, incorporating her years of study to create a safe environment for any practitioner to cultivate their own lifelong practice. Her compassion, grace, and humor lead students through the challenges of each class. It’s her hope that every class affords students a chance to dive deeper into themselves, and feel greater fluidity within their body that will lead them to their own sense of greater equanimity. Dana has been practicing for over 20 years, teaching for over 15 years, and is a certified 500hr hatha yoga teacher currently getting her 100hr meditation certification through Breathe Together Yoga.
How did you find your practice?
I found my practice out of absolute selfishness and curiosity – there was nothing altruistic about it. I had just had my last child and was on the cusp of my 40th birthday when I realized I was missing something. And that something was me. Somehow, as I built a life for and around my family, bit by bit it chipped me away until I couldn’t even recognize the me that waited in the after-school pickup line. Yoga spoke to me, at first like a drill sergeant through asana, then it got quieter as I learned how to listen. My practice has been revelatory, enabling me to give more and more deeply with grace, compassion, and humility.
3-5 words to describe your teaching style.
Soulful. Joyous. Honest. Lively. Respectful.
How did you fall in love with your practice?
Yoga affords me the opportunity to explore my human condition – that’s love. My love affair with yoga is unwavering; it is part of me. Every aspect of my person is intimately connected to my practice. My practice informs me on a daily basis; like oil for the Tin Man, yoga keeps me juicy, it keeps me current, it keeps me alive and curious and ready to move or to sit, to add to the silence or to surrender to it with peace, gratitude, and grace.
