November Teacher of the Month: Brenna Cramer

Brenna Cramer

What brought you to yoga?
I found yoga during my freshman year at UW-Madison. I was feeling extremely overwhelmed and struggling to manage this large life transition and my new environment. I discovered yoga as a way to calm my mind, connect with my breathing, and feel strong and stable in my body.

What is your approach to teaching?
My approach is rooted in kindness. I aim to be kind and caring towards every student I meet, and cultivate kindness towards ourselves. I spent many years being unkind to myself both physically and mentally, and never giving myself time to rest. I think we can all afford to be a bit kinder to others, and ourselves, and yoga can be a gateway towards this. I strive to be a friendly, trustworthy, reliable face and presence for my yoga students.

Why did you choose to teach at 5KY?
I discovered 5KY and immediately observed the emphasis on approachability and an open-minded attitude about yoga. 5KY aims to help individuals manage stress in life with greater ease and success. That is just what I hope to do in my teachings. We cannot live a life completely devoid of stress, that is simply not a realistic goal. BUT, we can practice strategies for meeting this stress head on, and managing our physical responses to stressful times and triggers. 5KY is a safe, supportive, loving space where people of all physical and mental abilities can build their yoga practice and develop skills for overall stress management.

What makes your soul sing?
One of the main things that makes my soul sing is connection to other people. I enjoy meeting new people through yoga and in other aspects of life. I actually would consider myself more of an introvert. I am not always the loudest or most outgoing person in a room. However, meeting new people and maintaining connections with longtime dear friends truly warms my heart and is part of what life is all about. I also enjoy connecting other people together. When I see friends and family members interacting for the first time, sharing a meal together, finding common ground, it brings me back to why we are all here on this planet - to live our lives in loving kindness and spread joy to others wherever we go.

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You can find Brenna at 5KY teaching Intermediate Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 AM.

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