April 2013Teacher Feature - Jacqueline Bell

From PCBYC..... I heard about Jacqueline Bell long before I had the privilege of meeting her.  Coming out of my teacher training, I was looking for a place to start….although the Visual Arts center was a long way from where I live, I heard they were going to start offering yoga.  Upon inquiry, I found that there was one other instructor they were waiting on – but she was in India getting her training!  Turned out it was Jackie!!  Fast forward a few months and I hear that we have a newly-certified 500 RYT instructor coming to our gym (what a coup)!  My first thought….here is someone we can really LEARN from!  Voila - again, it was Jackie...and I wasn’t wrong….she is lovely, an amazing teacher but more than that, an energetic go-getter who takes yoga to new heights!  If you don’t already know her, you should….Meet Jacqueline Bell!

PCBYC:  Jackie, tell us a little about your “yoga history”….how did you get started, and what drew you to yoga?

I have been teaching yoga close to 5 years now and have completed three teacher trainings through Frog Lotus Yoga International.   I attained a 500hr advanced yoga teacher certification studying in the rainforest – Calhuita, Costa Rica, the jungle- Sayulita, Mexico, and Kerala, India, overlooking the Arabian Sea. I am continuously studying J I offer my students new techniques and information, while staying in-tune with the original practices and principles of Yoga.

I have been at peace at the dance studio(s) for as long as I can remember. At 22  I was taking a modern dance class when my teacher Hope’ Harris told me the studio (at that time) needed a third teacher for the younger classes. I had 7 classes that year and LOVED my immersion into teaching! The next year Hope’ and I danced and taught at a different venue where a yoga class was offered at the studio and I fell in love. Slowing down, breathing deeply and consciously, combined with moving in new ways was so blissful. I needed more knowledge of this beautiful practice and to travel deeper within myself. Infinitely I wanted to share with others.  The first yoga class I took I was 18. On that day I had no idea that some day I would be here holding space for others. Enjoying my profession as greatly as I do has been an incredible gift!

PCBYC:  So, once you became a serious yoga student, how long before you decided to pursue yoga instruction as a path?  How did you choose your YTT training – what was the criteria?

I  went online and searched many different schools. I found many different styles, studios/places and teachers. I was drawn to Frog Lotus Yoga. Vidya  Jacqueline Heisel and Jennifer Yarro.  My three trainings were with FLY and I would go back to them in a heartbeat. They taught me care and understanding,  safety and ethics,  but most of all True love and light.

PCBYC:   You teach just about everywhere….how do you go about putting that schedule together?

Our Teacher Training gave us insight into the business of yoga.  I am a social person and I love the different aspects of teaching different groups and types of students.  It is fun!  Through all of this, I have gained a permanent following.   I am now hoping to channel my energy into a few select spaces that allow me to focus & reflect.

PCBYC:  Do you have a favorite pose?  Why?

All yoga poses are my favorites, but I especially love Dancer…but,  actually if I chose a true favorite it would be Crane/Crow because it is very empowering for me.  I have a long torso and long arms….this made it difficult for me to find my Crane, so having mastered it gives me a sense of joy.

PCBYC:  What about yoga makes you laugh?

I smile to myself when I’m practicing and I become clear and the inner voice says “Everything’s Perfect.” But my favorite is most likely when that voice says “it’s not that serious” whatever or however serious “it” had seemed.

Smiling and laughing is very healthy , and especially with yoga!   “a happy mind is medicine”-Unknown

PCBYC:  Do you feel there is a difference between studio yoga and classes conducted in other venues?

Hard question J Yes and no.  The vibe at an “all yoga all the time” studio to me is a little extra electric. If the space to practice is welcoming, the atmosphere seems to have a whimsical secret waiting to be heard by those who’ve come to listen J

PCBYC:  What do you learn from your students?

Everything!  The teachings of Yoga work on a grand level by being able to, see, hear, feel and know the light and loving intentions shared with others. I am so lucky to learn every single day from one or maybe more enlightening students. The students also learn from each other. I believe the yoga community is very giving in this way!

PCBYC:  How have you remained a student yourself?

Yoga is a lifelong learning experience!  I learn by traveling, taking other people’s classes, going to workshops to learn new styles & disciplines, reading books, magazines and Yoga Journal emails.  I like to keep up on the exciting new styles and innovations.

PCBYC:  What would you say is the most gratifying part of being a yoga instructor? 

The energy!  The sharing of feelings with people from all walks of life.  Seeing the transformation tools that reside within the students ….the change that happens within 1 hour….the radiating eyes, the color in the face and the inner smile whether it is visible to the human eyes or not!

PCBYC:  What inspires you about yoga?  How have you developed your style?

My private personal practice has been a source of inspiration for me.  At home, I can play with a flow, develop something that I know my students will really enjoy!  I also use meditation.   I have a dancer’s background, so I like to get up in the morning and just dance & flow and see where the yoga takes me.

PCBYC:  Where do you see yourself five years from now?

With a few more stamps in my passport, a You Tube Channel video, maybe some DVDs to share with people who want to practice but whose schedules don’t allow them to come to class.  I will be healthy, learning & growing and on my way to longevity on a happy & enlightened path.

PCBYC:  It has been a pleasure getting to know Jacqueline, working with her, taking her classes, and having her as a dear friend!  Come out & enjoy her instruction – and check out her website http://yogabyjackie.com – she really is one of the best instructors in the area!  And I have a feeling the universe is going to deliver big things for her in the near future!

March 2013 Teacher Feature - Melissa Davis

From PCBYC…..I have had the pleasure of knowing Melissa for several years.  She is one of my favorite yoga instructors…beautiful inside and out, and although that phrase is a somewhat overused cliché, it truly applies to her.  An artist at heart, there is something ethereal that she brings to her instruction.  Make no mistake, if you take one of her classes, you will be challenged!  But, there is something more that draws the student to this teacher.  It’s her true connection to what she is offering to each student, her sense of humor, the buoyancy that results within the student, that makes a practice with Melissa something to look forward to…..and to return to.

Here is our resulting conversation…..

PCBYC:  Melissa, can you share with us what your initial yoga path was?  What was your first experience and how did you come to that point?

Melissa:  Yoga came to me when I was small.  We had 9 kids in our family, growing up in California…yoga was available all around with incense, the whole bit.  I had a brother who practiced; I knew early on that yoga was something special.

PCBYC:  After you’d been a student for a while, how did you come to decide on yoga as a career? 

Melissa (a little laughter):   It’s funny because I really didn’t decide that yoga was going to be a “career” for me.  The way I look at it….it’s something I have been  called to do….it is a service….or a gift to share….not something that I consciously decided I would make money with. 

PCBYC:  Where did you begin your Teacher Training?  It seems as though you are a perpetual student….how have you made your subsequent choices for Teacher Training? 

Melissa (has been teaching since 2003)  I took my first formal 200-hour teacher training at Dragonfly in Fort Walton with Laura Tyree.  Then, went on to pursue my 500-hour designation with JJ Gormley. 

PCBYC:  Curious, I then asked Melissa about 500-hour programs since I am in the process myself and I know of others who are trying to decide where to go next.  Her answers were enlightening…..

I think I might have pursued my 500-hour program a little earlier than I should have.  Looking back, I was a little restless, not as grounded as if I had waited awhile. And I went to many, many different types of workshops over the next few years.   In retrospect, the instruction (through JJ Gormley) was exactly what I needed, but I wasn’t as ready to fully receive it as I would have been later.  What I am currently doing is following the inner teacher, going where my heart draws me, exploring a lot of self study.  I look for authenticity in a teacher or program.

PCBYC:  What would you say a typical day of yoga looks like for you?

Melissa:  I have 4 set (types of) classes….I am an instructor in the 2013 YTT program at Balance and I also teach there, in addition to 2 classes at Rosemary Beach.  A typical day?  On a good day, I get up in the morning and walk for an hour.  I do a walking meditation – praying on the trip out and meditating on the trip back.  Then, I take a shower, and afterward, sit for 10 minutes & meditate & plan my practice, then, I go and teach.  I try to do a small (maybe 20-minute) home practice a day.

PCBYC:  What would you say is the most gratifying part of being a yoga instructor? 

Melissa:   Seeing people get excited about yoga!

PCBYC:  What do you learn from your students?

Melissa:  That every person is a different image of God….I try to see them that way and meet them there…and experience their joy!

PCBYC:  Do you feel there is a difference between studio yoga and classes conducted in other venues?

Melissa:  I’ve taught in both studios and gyms for years….I have to say that I feel  more free in the studio to share more….less restrained than I do in a gym.

PCBYC:  Do you have a favorite pose?  Why?

Melissa:  Standing Forward Fold ….because it’s easy for me!!

PCBYC:  What about yoga makes you laugh?

Melissa:  Farting & snoring make me giggle!

PCBYC:  How does your yogic path integrate with or enhance your life as a wife & mother?  As an artist?

Melissa:  It has already integrated – it isn’t separate – yoga is in everything.

PCBYC:  Where do you see yourself as an instructor five years from now?

Melissa:  I see myself still teaching…but maybe less classes….always teaching but maybe not as much.

PCBYC :  THANKS more than I can express for sharing your thoughts and insights….we who have been your students and who may become your students have been very blessed….namaste….Melissa J

January 2013 Teacher Feature: Paul Zipes

PCBYC:  Paul, in one of your informational profiles, you say that you began your yogic path on a dare from your wife.  Can you elaborate?

PZ:  She was doing a Bryan Kest Power Yoga tape and I did not act  impressed so she suggested I try it.  It was a while before I started a regular practice but that day was the beginning of my journey. 

 PCBYC:  Why did she dare you and did you immediately jump in and decide to become an instructor and studio owner?    How long would you say it was before you felt called in that direction? 

 
PZ:    It was about 5 years of dabbling with yoga before I became certified to teach and then about 5 years after that I opened a yoga studio.

PCBYC:  Once you felt yourself going down that path, how did you determine what type of instruction you would take? 

PZ:   Initially, I just wanted yoga that was really physically challenging but that changed over time as I learned there was much more to yoga than just being able to do a headstand or tricky balance pose.

 PCBYC:  How did you come to study with a Guru in South Florida?  What were the benefits of that type of training versus others you evaluated? 

PZ:   A lot of serendipity led me to find my teacher.  Initially I was actually signed up to take teacher training at Dragonfly Yoga Studies in Fort Walton but right after I registered I tore my ACL playing soccer and withdrew from the training.  Months later I still really wanted to attend a teacher training course and found one near Miami that taught  basic yoga and space was available.  I got lucky in many ways because the experience far exceeded my expectations and gave me a solid foundation from which I continue to grow from.

PCBYC:  When you completed your training and opened your studio, what were your initial expectationsHave the expectations and goals changed over the years?  

PZ:  After teaching at local gyms for many years I felt like Panama City needed more than the few yoga studios that existed at the time.  I thought I could open a studio that would attract teachers and students from our local community.  That desire is reflected in our name Yoga For You.  What I realized since opening the studio is that it won’t be able to attract all yogis because we don’t teach certain types of yoga that some people like, such as Bikram and Iyengar.  So, now my goal is to simply make sure people know that Yoga For You is here for anyone who wants a yoga studio to practice in with highly qualified teachers to safely and authentically teach them yoga. 

PCBYC:  What would you say is the most gratifying part of being a yoga instructor? 

PZ:  When a student smiles after class and feels great or when a student finds relief from an injury or stress. 

PCBYC:  What do you learn from your students? 

PZ:   Humility is a biggie and so is tolerance.

PCBYC:  How have you remained a student yourself? 

PZ:   I practice with other teachers whenever possible and practice on my own.

PCBYC:  How does your yogic path integrate with or enhance your life as a husband & father

PZ:   They may disagree at times but I think I am happier, calmer and more in the moment.    

PCBYC:  Do you and your family practice together?

PZ:  No but sometimes my wife and I will take a class together.  

PCBYC:  Tell us a little about Yoga for Vets?  In what ways can others become involved? 

PZ:   Yoga For Vets is a not-for profit organization that I started 5 years ago.  Our website lists over 600 locations that offer 4  free yoga classes to any combat veterans.  If you know a combat vet, tell them that they can take 4 free classes at my studio or go to www.yogaforvets.org for more info.  It is our way of telling vets Welcome Home.

PCBYC:  Where do you see yourself five years from now? 

PZ:   I have no idea; I try to live in the moment. : )