ME: When did you first discover yoga?
SHANNAN: In
2001 at a gym. I can honestly say that after the first five minutes I
was hooked. It felt like I had finally found my thing. I looked at the
other yogis in the room and thought, "These are my people."
ME: At what point did you realize it was not just about the asana but a lifestyle?
SHANNAN: People
enter the realm of yoga through different points. For me I did come
into yoga through the asanas and it took me few years to understand and
incorporate the other aspects of a yogic lifestyle. I read a lot in Yoga
Journal, went to yoga conferences, watched yoga documentaries, and
finally read Light on Yoga (BKS Iyengar) and the Yoga Sutras
(Patanjali). These things have propelled me on the yoga path but I
still feel I have a lot of discovery ahead and that is exciting.
ME: What does the yogi(a) lifestyle look like for you? How do you incorporate personally as a lifestyle?
SHANNAN: To
me this is a mindset more than anything else. The way I see the world
and other beings on the planet and the compassion I offer to myself and
to others are examples of that. Choices that reflect the 8 limbs of
Ashtanga yoga. It took some time but I eventually stopped eating meat
and dairy and began eating healthier food. I try to consume less, make
more sustainable choices, and am more aware of my impact on the planet.
I also take all this with a huge dose of reality because there are many
moments of hypocrisy where I don't say the right thing, can't control
my feelings, or buy something unnecessary. Maybe that's called being
human. So I am still on the path to living a full yogic lifestyle.
ME: Which styles of yoga have worked best for you? Which do you enjoy practicing the most?
SHANNAN:That
has changed over the years but I have always gravitated toward Vinyasa
flow classes and that's what I teach most of. The last few years I have
also grown to appreciate restorative yoga and Hatha yoga. My go to
yoga class for getting grounded and centered as a yogi, is Ashtanga. It
feels the least modern and is always a great challenging.
ME: What struggles have you experienced (and overcome) in your own personal practice?
SHANNAN: Injuries
have set me back several times. Each time I try to be patient and let
my body heal. When it's time to re-approach my practice I do so
realizing things are different and i don't ever force myself to do
anything other that what I can in that moment. I overcame belief that I
couldn't do certain poses. I am still working on handstand...:)
ME: When and how did you decide you wanted to become a yoga teacher?
SHANNAN: After taking yoga for a while at the gym, the teacher there said to me that I should look into becoming certified. I don't remember why she said it or what she may have seen in me, but it planted a seed. A few months later I was driving to Las Vegas for my first teacher training and started teaching in 2002.
ME: Tell me about your teaching style: instruction, prepping, planning.
SHANNAN: I practice yoga in my home everyday. I believe that a strong personal practice is the best tool to being a good teacher. When I am preparing for a class I think about the students. My personal teaching philosophy is that yoga is an individual experience. The way our bodies move through the poses and the way we feel in each pose is unique and often unexplainable. So I never want to force my students into a shape or make them think they have to copy me. I want them to learn to listen to the story of their own bodies. I often think of a sequence or general theme for the day, but when I arrive, I assess who is on the mat, their skill level, their energy, etc. I teach to them and try not to worry about my own agenda. This came with time, however. I wasn't always able to improvise so easily. Years of teaching and years of my own practice have given me that ability.
ME: What advice do you wish someone gave you when you first became a teacher?
SHANNAN: Power
yoga doesn't mean you have to kill your students. I'm not sure why,
but when I first started teaching, I really wanted my classes to be
hard. I wanted to work the students and make them sweat. I planned
complicated sequences with little to no resting and pushed the students
to go deeper. A friend and fellow yoga teacher actually pointed out to
me (luckily early on in my career) that the students were working so
hard to survive the sequence, they weren't using proper form. I also
started recognizing that the when students are so focused on pounding
through hard poses, they lose the chance to relax and heal. I started
backing off and creating more balanced classes and soon learned how to
appreciate the subtle nuances of yoga. Yoga can be challenging without
it being dangerous. In fact, sometimes the smallest adjustments, the
simplest movements connected with breath can be very intense. I'm
grateful for the things I've learned a long the way and I am think I am
still evolving and learning every time I step on the mat.
ME: Any last words of wisdom...
SHANNAN: Listen
to your students more than you talk. Don't take it personally if they
can't or don't want to do the sequence you're presenting. Allow them to
come and enjoy the class getting what they need, not what you want them
to receive. Do yoga often. Enjoy.
***
You can learn more about Shannan Hansen, her practice, and the classes she offers (including online courses!) at www.mindandbodyyogatherapy.com.
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