Teacher Feature: Lauren

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Brooklyn, NY but was raised in The Hudson Valley.

What is your favorite posture?

Right now my favorite posture is Ardha Chandrasana. I really love the openness and vulnerability of the pose. It's very freeing, but also challenging. You need to be solid and soft; rooted, but also floating.

What brought you to yoga?

I took my first yoga class when I was in college to fulfill a Physical Education credit. But after that class, I continued to pursue asana and other yoga practice to help me deal with all that was going on inside my young adult head. It quickly became the anchor that I needed to find stillness in my mind and in my life.

What has yoga taught you this year?

This year, yoga has taught me that everything is an opportunity to practice. Every scenario, interaction, etc. is a chance to pause, reconnect, and choose to be my most authentic self. It's also taught how to be more compassionate when I (or others) don't always get it right. 

What is your intention behind your personal practice?

The intention behind my practice is to strip away all of that outside nose and distraction. It allows me to look at what truly is; it brings me back to the present and reality. My personal practice allows me to move through feelings, stagnant energy, and allows me to come back to my capital S Self (almost) any time, any where.

What do you seek to share/portray through your teaching?

I hope my students see that yoga is for everyone. You don't have to look a certain way or move a certain way to be a "dedicated yogi." I don't think I realized that for a long time. I hope to show that anyone can create their own environment that is safe to explore and deepen a practice, whatever that looks like for them.

You can practice with Lauren Sundays at 10am & Mondays at 6:30pm. She also leads out Beginners Course!