Help Fund My Yoga Teacher Training
Donation protected
My Dear Sweet People,
I've been practicing yoga on and off for over 20 years.
I remember my first class, it was at the orignal Jeanne's Body Tech. The owner at the time, Jeanne Ward, RIP, was the pulse of the Atlanta fitness scene. She was the first in the area to bring everything to the gym arena, inclding spin and yoga.
Back then yoga was more on traditional, yoga leftovers from the seventies, and the pina colada song. The yoga of the stereotypical carob eating, hemp smelling, white sarong wearing-bony man, oh, and and lots and lots of relaxation and stretching.
After my first class--in a room full of women whom I believed to be 100--was over, we took a rest in the ending posture, or corpe pose. I remember thinking, "Never again!"
I recall being the youngest and least experienced person in the room. The women were all bendy and weird, and still rocking their Jane Fonda leotards from the eighties.
That was the summer of 1996. I was twenty- two and nothing but sass.
I moved my body around in the ways that were instructed, rolling my eyes wondering when we were going to get started. The next thing I knew someone's voice woke me from what felt like a deep sleep. I was startled, wondering how long I had napped.
I was too immature at the time to understand the benefits of yoga. I just thought of it as a boring class for old people wearing bad outfits and smelling like garlic.
It took another fifteen years before I really understood what it was all about.
Over the years I sampled various styles of yoga. I practiced Ashtanga at Equinox Athletic Club while living in NYC, and tried Bikram Yoga (the classic hot yoga) while living in Denver, CO. I remember the studio had a bowl of smartees in the class in case someone was about to pass out from the heat and/or low blood sugar. I found myself diving into that dish a few times.
After I moved back to Atlanta in 2006 I started teaching (Will Power and Grace,) a class designed by Stacey Lei Krauss, fitness Industry leader, which was inspired by a combination of yoga and dance.
In addition to teaching, I also became a private group instructor and then eventually a personal trainer. My style has changed over the years due mainly to my own aging body and limitations.
I was a runner for years and big into weight training. But I found that my body couldn't handle the stress and strain anymore. I wasn't ever really built for either sport.
I kept finding myself with the same old injuries and ultimately unable to perform at such high levels of intensity.
I decided to pick up Bikram style yoga again at Atlanta Be Hot Yoga, as a way to counteract the damaging effects of working out.
But it wasn't enough. I was forced to put down all high-impact sports and just focus on yoga in order to heal my body. I didn't know it at the time, but I was healing my mind as well.
Yoga became my therapist. And more than anything, it became the place where I went to be quiet and still within movement.
I was forced to be alone with my thoughts.
But I wasn't satisfied with just doing Bikram, the athletic and competitive side of me needed more, so I added Power Flow Yoga to mix. Power requires strength and endurance, like that of weight training and hard-core working out.
This happened about six years ago, but I had no idea how much I was going to come to rely on my yoga practice to get me through life. I started taking classes with Bethany Vaughn at Red Hot Yoga shortly after I suffered a major break-up.
Practicing at RYH became my savior. I left so many tears behind on the studio floor and outgrew myself in my poses. I saw myself change before my own eyes in the mirror. It's where I whishered to myself, "I love you, baby. You're ok."
Practicing power yoga became my identity. I beame a yogi. Yoga has become my lover, my religion, my identity and my companion.
I knew a few years ago that I had to teach. It was a natural progression from being a trainer and fitness instructor, but I just wasn't ever able to come up with the money.
I recently applied for a Grant, catering towards empowering single women with children. The organization awarded me half the tuition, but I still need more funds to fund the training.
I hope to start (alignment based yoga teacher training at Tough Love Yoga, in June of this year.) I believe this style of yoga will serve me well as I mature. And I believe it will also give me the knowledge needed to teach my client's and student's the most accurate and safest form of yoga.
I'm writing today to ask you all to contribute to my cause. I have a lot to offer, both life and fitness experience to add to the ever-chaging world of yoga fitness classes. I hope you can help me share my gifts and talents with others.
Once I complete my training I'll be offering free group classes to those of you who contribute up to $40, and privates for those of you who contribute more than $40.
Teacher training starts June 24, and runs through April, 2017.
Thank you for your support, please pass the karma.
Hugs and Love,
Shannon Katz
I've been practicing yoga on and off for over 20 years.
I remember my first class, it was at the orignal Jeanne's Body Tech. The owner at the time, Jeanne Ward, RIP, was the pulse of the Atlanta fitness scene. She was the first in the area to bring everything to the gym arena, inclding spin and yoga.
Back then yoga was more on traditional, yoga leftovers from the seventies, and the pina colada song. The yoga of the stereotypical carob eating, hemp smelling, white sarong wearing-bony man, oh, and and lots and lots of relaxation and stretching.
After my first class--in a room full of women whom I believed to be 100--was over, we took a rest in the ending posture, or corpe pose. I remember thinking, "Never again!"
I recall being the youngest and least experienced person in the room. The women were all bendy and weird, and still rocking their Jane Fonda leotards from the eighties.
That was the summer of 1996. I was twenty- two and nothing but sass.
I moved my body around in the ways that were instructed, rolling my eyes wondering when we were going to get started. The next thing I knew someone's voice woke me from what felt like a deep sleep. I was startled, wondering how long I had napped.
I was too immature at the time to understand the benefits of yoga. I just thought of it as a boring class for old people wearing bad outfits and smelling like garlic.
It took another fifteen years before I really understood what it was all about.
Over the years I sampled various styles of yoga. I practiced Ashtanga at Equinox Athletic Club while living in NYC, and tried Bikram Yoga (the classic hot yoga) while living in Denver, CO. I remember the studio had a bowl of smartees in the class in case someone was about to pass out from the heat and/or low blood sugar. I found myself diving into that dish a few times.
After I moved back to Atlanta in 2006 I started teaching (Will Power and Grace,) a class designed by Stacey Lei Krauss, fitness Industry leader, which was inspired by a combination of yoga and dance.
In addition to teaching, I also became a private group instructor and then eventually a personal trainer. My style has changed over the years due mainly to my own aging body and limitations.
I was a runner for years and big into weight training. But I found that my body couldn't handle the stress and strain anymore. I wasn't ever really built for either sport.
I kept finding myself with the same old injuries and ultimately unable to perform at such high levels of intensity.
I decided to pick up Bikram style yoga again at Atlanta Be Hot Yoga, as a way to counteract the damaging effects of working out.
But it wasn't enough. I was forced to put down all high-impact sports and just focus on yoga in order to heal my body. I didn't know it at the time, but I was healing my mind as well.
Yoga became my therapist. And more than anything, it became the place where I went to be quiet and still within movement.
I was forced to be alone with my thoughts.
But I wasn't satisfied with just doing Bikram, the athletic and competitive side of me needed more, so I added Power Flow Yoga to mix. Power requires strength and endurance, like that of weight training and hard-core working out.
This happened about six years ago, but I had no idea how much I was going to come to rely on my yoga practice to get me through life. I started taking classes with Bethany Vaughn at Red Hot Yoga shortly after I suffered a major break-up.
Practicing at RYH became my savior. I left so many tears behind on the studio floor and outgrew myself in my poses. I saw myself change before my own eyes in the mirror. It's where I whishered to myself, "I love you, baby. You're ok."
Practicing power yoga became my identity. I beame a yogi. Yoga has become my lover, my religion, my identity and my companion.
I knew a few years ago that I had to teach. It was a natural progression from being a trainer and fitness instructor, but I just wasn't ever able to come up with the money.
I recently applied for a Grant, catering towards empowering single women with children. The organization awarded me half the tuition, but I still need more funds to fund the training.
I hope to start (alignment based yoga teacher training at Tough Love Yoga, in June of this year.) I believe this style of yoga will serve me well as I mature. And I believe it will also give me the knowledge needed to teach my client's and student's the most accurate and safest form of yoga.
I'm writing today to ask you all to contribute to my cause. I have a lot to offer, both life and fitness experience to add to the ever-chaging world of yoga fitness classes. I hope you can help me share my gifts and talents with others.
Once I complete my training I'll be offering free group classes to those of you who contribute up to $40, and privates for those of you who contribute more than $40.
Teacher training starts June 24, and runs through April, 2017.
Thank you for your support, please pass the karma.
Hugs and Love,
Shannon Katz
Organizer
Shannon Katz
Organizer
Atlanta, GA