Lauri Stern

I came to my first yoga class in 2001 upon the suggestion of a fellow aerobics instructor who’d started teaching yoga. As a certified yoga instructor and personal trainer for years, I’d believed exercise was about training the body alone, and was dubious yoga had a place in my exercise regime. However, I kept coming back because yoga spoke to the long-ignored dancer within me and I enjoyed moving my body in a way I hadn’t in a very long time. For a while, I struggled with quieting my mind, but came to appreciate the magic of yoga: linking breath with movement not only transforms the body, but the mind and spirit. Through yoga, I have become more accepting of myself for sure, and others. Yoga makes me sweat, but has helped me clear away the urge to sweat the small stuff.

Iyengar states, “Yoga is like music. They rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” I believe each of us has a unique symphony that is expressed when we come to our mats. When the mind, body and soul are aligned, we find connectedness to ourselves and to others that transcends the corners of the mat or the walls of a studio like ripples on the water.

I gravitate toward teaching a vinyasa flow that incorporates power, grace, humor and strength. Keeping an eye on alignment and awareness of how our bodies move in space, I seek to help others discover their flow of prana and lines of energy that exists within us all. I aspire to create a space that encourages freedom of mind, body and soul. A place where the mat becomes a safe haven. Where judgment is uninvited to the party and playfulness is encouraged; acceptance the goal.

Under the nurturing direction of Lourdes Paredes and Pam Udell, I have completed my 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification and gratefully acknowledge the study of yoga is a continuous journey. Each of us is our own teacher, but I am blessed to have four wonderful children, a husband, friends, fellow yogis, my dog and life as my fellow teachers along with me!