Nirodhaḥ Yoga Blog
What brought you to yoga? I studied theater in college and initially had a hard time getting out of my head while on stage. A professor suggested modern dance, which was a wonderful experience and taught me to be more present in my body. When I was much younger, I’d suffered an unresolved fracture on my toe, which had kept getting worse and worse, leading to a lot of imbalance in my body. Finally, my podiatrist told me I’d need to get surgery on my foot and take a break from dancing. Separately, I’d been curious about yoga for a while. It seemed like a great way to get in touch with your body, while also developing control over your movements, which is very important for a performer. So in my final quarter, a friend recommended I try out the yoga class the dance department ran. I joined and loved how I felt afterward - especially mentally and emotionally. What is your approach to teaching? I feel strongly that yoga is both a science and an art. There are many ways to bake a cake - some of them work and some of them don’t. So I want my students to know that the way I'm guiding class is only one way to explore things. In yoga, there's an approach for anyone. I also think that yoga is a powerful and holistic system. That's why over 300 million people dedicate time to these practices that are now thousands of years old - it works! Sometimes we are a little naive about how potent specific practices are and without the proper foundation, can expose ourselves to more harm than good. It is important to learn from teachers who understand why and how to teach what they are intending. Yoga has been transmitted over many generations from the source, through the teacher and to the student. As teachers, we should always be students of wisdom. We should understand the traditions of yoga, which stretch back centuries, so as not to disconnect this gift from its roots. Why did you choose to teach at 5KY? When I met my guru, Sonia, I was actually very skeptical about the spiritual aspects of yoga, especially chanting mantras. My head and my heart were in two completely different places! On the very last day of my first program with her (after only six days), I started crying during my morning yoga class and couldn’t stop. The floodgates opened in front of everyone during what I felt should have been a relaxing and enjoyable time. Ashamed, I skipped breakfast and took a nap, hiding from the rest of the ashram. After I woke, I felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted from me. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, I know it’s because the kind of classes Sonia teaches go much further than just dissolving physical tension. They dissolve spiritual tension as well. I knew that if Sonia could help me transform that much in six days, I could go very far studying with her for six years. I had never experienced a class like hers before. And that was the kind of class I wanted to lead. I immersed myself completely in her method, Yoga for All Abilities. For several years it was just me, working one-to-one with my kids and young adults. Although teaching the YAA method is to this day the best part of my job, it can be lonely as a solitary teacher. For five years, I worked solo and dreamed of helping to rejuvenate the YAA community here so I would have a thriving community to practice within. When I met Rita, my yoga sister, I finally felt the pieces of the puzzle come together. I absolutely cherish our wonderful sangha, built around the beloved soul who sparked YAA, Roberta Sumar (Sonia’s younger daughter). What makes your soul sing? My beautiful, hilarious, curious son My adoring and adorable husband Any time spent in nature You can find Erin at 5KY teaching Advanced Yoga on Saturdays at 9:30 AM. Erin also hosts free silent meditation on Saturdays after her yoga class.
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