Teacher Spotlight - Catie
1. How did you come to practice yoga?
I took my first yoga class at One Tree Yoga in 2009 after completing a full, 26.2 mile marathon. A group of friends and I decided to try a Hot Yoga class together and after that I was hooked! It was gentle enough to help me heal and recover from the toll running had taken on my body, but it was athletic enough to keep me motivated and challenged.
2. When did you decide that you wanted to be a teacher? How long have you been teaching?
After several years of practice, I was confident that yoga would be a lifelong practice and I was ready to know more and dive deeper. Yoga is much more than just the physical practice that had initially hooked me in. It had such profound health benefits and it impacted my mental and spiritual well being. One of the current teachers suggested Teacher Training and I was eager to jump in. I have been teaching since I graduated the One Tree Teacher Training program in 2012.
3. What style(s) of yoga do you teach? What do you like about it/them?
I currently teach Hot Yoga and Wall Ropes, but also enjoy the chance to touch other styles of yoga like Hatha, Yin, etc. when subbing. Hot Yoga is so great because by repeating the same 26 postures every class, students can really tune into how their postures progress and how their body changes class to class. Wall Ropes has been such a fun class for me to teach. Poses that seemed inaccessible or nearly impossible are actually much more obtainable with the help of the ropes and sling. Your body can be supported in ways that help you find space, length, balance and poses you didn't know you could otherwise do.
4. What is your favorite pose? Why?
Dandayamana janushirasana or standing forehead to knee is my favorite pose. Even though it may appear externally that the pose is not a pose I "struggle" with, that couldn't be further from the truth. It is such a mental challenge for me because I tend to hyperextend my standing leg and draw unnecessary tension into my face and jaw, so my time in the pose is spent ironing out the small, subtle but very important details of the posture.
5. What do you like to do when you’re not at yoga?
I can never get enough family time! I have a 3 year old daughter and a 9 month old son and my husband and I try to soak up all the time we can with them going on walks, heading to the park, or playing at home. I also really enjoy cooking and my daughter has recently become quite the sous chef, never missing an opportunity to use all of the measuring cups (and lick every spoon). I love heading to the Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings, head to the cycling studio or grab a cup of coffee any time of the day.
6. Where can we find you on the One Tree Yoga schedule?
You can find me on Tuesday evenings from 6-7 pm at the West studio teaching Hot Yoga, and then the following day for Wall Ropes. Wednesday, 9:15 - 10:30 am West.