My first ever yoga class, with a former-NHL player on Commercial Drive in Vancouver, was the first time I experienced honest-to-goodness quiet. Having grown up with labels like hyper-active and attention-deficit following me around, a little quiet went a long way.
Canadians have a reputation for being able to laugh at themselves and I like to think I carry this quality into my teaching. I believe both as a yoga teacher and as a yoga student, we have to be able to laugh at ourselves. My style of teaching is dynamic and spirited and I love when students ask questions. Having studied Ashtanga, Sivananda, Embodied Flow, Iyengar, AcroYoga, Anusara, Vinyasa Flow and even a little Bikram, I pull in elements from a broad spectrum of styles to guide students to a better awareness of themselves, their capabilities and the power and wonder of their breath.
I have a get-up-and-go approach to life that serves me well – it has taken me to the top of Mt Fuji, through two Wellington half-marathons, to the depths of the Red Sea and on a bicycle ride from London to Paris. But it’s my daily yoga practice that helps keep me grounded and balanced as it continues to deliver that little hit of quiet.
When not teaching or practising yoga, I can be found spending quality time with my beloved bicycle, tasting and studying wine (www.winefulness.nz) or just enjoying a tasty bit of chocolate. I am super grateful for the warm and welcoming nature of the Wellington yoga community and am honoured to be a part of it.
Elissa takes our Monday evening 5:45pm Mixed Level class and be sure to catch one of her ever popular ‘Yoga by the Glass’ biannual workshops at Urban Yoga.
