I have been a yoga student off and on for over 5 years now, and when I look back to where I was…read morethen, and where I am now, yoga has definitely changed my mind, body, and soul, and with all my heart, I believe Eastwind Yoga has had a huge impact on helping me discover this within myself through many valuable lessons, in which I believe radiate within the walls, minds, and hearts of its ever changing teachers, teachers in training, students, and community by fulfilling their commitment to their self. It has been such a beautiful transition to witness the unfolding of Eastwind, and without the light, love, and inspiration, they have shared, I can truly say, I wouldn't be the person I am now-at the most peace, contentment, and invigorated as I am today.
I'd like to believe my "yoga" journey actually began when I took my first class at Eastwind about three years ago, when I received an initial poke of awareness, self-respect, and love by taking my first class with Scott. For those that know Scott (I believe the owner, thankfully loyally committed) is one of the hardest instructors at Eastwind (mind and body). In my first class, I remember I was doing a standing hand to big toe pose, which you're standing leg holds your support, while your opposite leg is drawn out towards the front of the room, horizontally in conjunction to the ground beneath you. Well, first few classes, especially in hot yoga, a lot of things tend to always come up in you mind. Well, I slipped letting go of my toe in this pose, and with frustration, I softly let out a F@#$! Thankfully within perfect timing, Scott came from behind me gently saying, "I can think of a better four letter word you can use than that one..." He pauses, walks around me even more quietly saying, "...love..." I must say, I resisted at first, thinking whom does he think he is telling me what to do? Wow, this is what I needed to hear and feel -- love and accountability. I have never been to a yoga studio that displays such humble appreciation, respect,
L-O-V-E, accountability, and support. This was just the beginning of admiration I can now say, I have so much for all teachers, teachers-in training, students, and East wind I now carry; when I say Eastwind, I am referring to is magic that lies within these walls that radiate from the time I walk in-to the moment I leave; it truly has carried me through out my day, on and off my mat.
There such a presence, I can feel when I reach out to a body of community like Eastwind that is ever so intentional for ALL of their students. There is such a sense of strong sense of community and deep connection. Eastwind portrays this through integrity that is uniquely and genuinely different than any other studio in the U.S. I have been too. I personally have taken a teacher training course, and as I knew before I was going a little against my own values of signing up with a corporation to do my teacher training, I felt it was very right at the time, and it was, so it allowed me to put the wall down of stereotypes, and opened new door for me to learn, grow, and experience; however, visiting many other yoga studios, and taking a teacher training elsewhere, I still came back to Eastwind because they hold much more attainable values than I have ever experienced. For instance, when I went through my teacher training, I had a brand new teacher that has never taught a teacher training class before, and at the time I was lied to that I was signing up with a different teacher. During these classes and visiting other classes, I realized they weren't being intentional, honest, or safe. As we never went through many important key techniques for support of our mind and bodies in healthy habits: wrists, back, proper alignment, anatomy, and breath work. In doing so, I really set new bad habits and injured myself, spending a lot of time off and money to recover from that may have been prevented if taught properly. However, I don't want to focus much on the negative of this experience because there were some positive, but rather to point out the integrity Eastwind holds, and how much potential as a yogi you can have by the genuine honor of values that's emboded within each teacher uniquely, they share true physical, mental, and spiritual support with an extra nudge to remind us. I have realized with Eastwind in difference to other studios, it's not about "the money" here that show, it's not about "the teachers" that show, but rather it's about what the studio, and its teachers that are trying to show you authentically, real, and gutted, what YOGA is REALLY about, especially after noticing westernized-style yoga, which is so prevalent in the US and other western countries, Eastwind goes against it by getting closer to the roots of yoga and your soul.