Behind the Brat…

I tried yoga on a whim one day, at the gym with my mom. A former dancer, the poses and sequencing reminded me of choreography. It felt like home. I had (well, have) severe scoliosis, and a major surgery left me feeling like a stranger in my own body. Yoga was my rehab. Negotiating my back and flexibility, I sometimes (often) hurt myself in the process. I was constantly trying to get into the deepest twists and folds that I could, refusing to modify or use props. I wanted to do yoga “right,” I wanted to “be the best,” whatever that meant.

Then I started attending classes at YogaWorks, and met many wonderful teachers. One of these wonderful teachers eventually become my mentor Lainie Devina. Through Lainie, and others, my practice was taken back to square one. The YogaWorks methodology is from the ground up, literally. Teachers didn’t just demo poses, but instructed students starting with the foundation, the feet (or you know, the reverse if we were upside down), and then worked their way up the body to the knees, hips, shoulders, and neck. I remember Laine in particular forcing me to use props, and backing me out of all my twists and bends.

I hated it.

At first.

In 2 years, my practice changed completely. I had learned to modify yoga to suit my body and it’s needs from day to day, I made my practice my own.

In February 2018, I completed my 500hr Teacher Training. I consider myself an alignment and technique based teacher.  Yoga is not a one-size fits all practice. I want to help you figure out what your own practice is. It’s important to not just move from one pose to the next, but to take your time, and really work each pose from the ground up. This method ensures that not only to make sure the body is in the “correct” shape, but that each student is in a version of the pose that works best for them.

S T A F F

Corinne Porter, Founder/Instructor