We're thrilled to welcome Emma Silverman into the Mighty family! Trained in the Kripalu style of yoga, she also brings knowledge of Iyengar, Bikram, Ashtanga, Kundalini and Vinyasa flow to her teaching. Meet Emma Monday nights @ 7:30pm, one of our new Pay-What-You-Can classes!
How did you come to yoga?
Emma: I took my first class with my mom when I was 12. It was on and off for awhile, until I moved to the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and started volunteering there. Since then, I've done yoga every day, whether on or off the mat.
What do you like about Power Yoga?
Emma: Sometimes, the only way to still the mind is to move the body. I believe that there is a style of yoga for us at every stage of our lives; right now, the amazing calm I feel after a Power Yoga class is exactly what I need.
How has your yoga changed since the first time you practiced?
Emma: I used to be a chronic look-around-the-room yogini. I compared myself to everyone. These days, I steer clear of beating myself up if I'm the only person in the room in child's pose. I can't know what the other people in the room have been through to get onto the mat that day-- only what brought me.
Why did you decide to teach yoga?
Emma: In the years preceding my decision to teach, I was first a Project Manager at a software company. I traveled half of the month and worked all of the time. Then I moved to Mexico City and promptly developed a mild form of asthma from the pollution. After those years, my body was wrecked. Yoga made me feel like myself again and, like so many other teachers, I decided to teach my passion and share the love!
Any tips for someone new to yoga?
Emma: The hardest step is showing up. Once you do that, the teachers and the practice will support you.
What is your favorite pose or poses? Why?
Emma: Savasana. A friend once said that they can tell how good a class was for them by how deeply they go into final relaxation. Totally true. I often end and begin my classes in Savasana; I'm a big fan of things coming full circle.
What do you like to do off the yoga mat?
Emma: Biking. I once biked from Ithaca to Ann Arbor, MI and bicycle commute year-round. Ithaca is amazing for hiking, too. After moving here from Madison, Wisconsin, I realized how much I had missed hiking. In nerdier pursuits, I love crosswords, the Sunday New York Times, libraries, and co-ops of all kinds.
What fuels you?
Emma: Banana chocolate peanut butter smoothies.
