Yoga House Instructor
Dee is a compassionate instructor who thrives in continuing to evolve and challenge her own personal practice and students. She has an abundance of knowledge that shines through her classes. Dee has been with Yoga House since our doors open in June of 2018 and teaches a variety of classes from Iyengar to flow to leading classes through journey’s. We’re incredibly honored to have Dee a part of our team!
Where are you from?
I was born in Brooklyn, NY, and moved throughout the United States, always with Colorado as our family’s home base. After many trips to Montrose to visit our children and grandchildren, we settled in Montrose.
What is your favorite activities / hobbies outside of yoga?
Spending time with family, bicycling, painting (acrylics), mid century modern furniture and architecture, and travel add joy to life.
What is your favorite thing about Montrose?
Montrose provides quick, easy, outdoor access to the mountains, waterways, parks, bike trails, and wildlife we enjoy.
How would you describe yourself in 5 words or less?
Encouraging, upbeat, interested, goal oriented.
What was your first introduction to yoga, and what was it, that resonated with you with a practice?
While working in Fruita and they offered free yoga and invited me to attend until I gave in. I had know idea what yoga was and expected something like volleyball? I was surprised to find yoga to be challenging while lying on a mat. I love that yoga uses focus and breath to calm the mind and body, allowing rest in the spirit toward communion with God.
What are the challenges you face in your personal practice and how do you overcome them?
The most challenging thing to me is that ‘if you don’t use it you lose it’, and ‘youth is wasted on the young’. I find those statements to be true in all aspects of life – mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, educationally . . . There are so many things I played at as a child that I work to re-attain as an adult.
What is the story of inspiration that lead you to become a yoga instructor?
Working for a company with an on-site wellness program for their employees, free yoga was one of many offerings that I led or attended. I was surprised to see the health transformations and hear the health benefits individuals reported from their yoga practice, less overall pain, low back felt better, reduction in stress and anxiety, improved lung capacity, greater flexibility, speedier recovery after sports. Most impressive though was to hear them report back about how their doctors raved about their shortened recovery time for hip surgery. This experience helped me understand the importance of applying yoga anatomy to my classes.
Where did you do your teacher training and what style are you trained in?
My Yoga teacher training was through the Academy of Yoga in Grand Junction.
What was your biggest take away from teacher training?
My biggest take away from teacher training was how important having a self practice is. It enables you to understand the pose and anatomy, while experiencing the intensity of each pose before you lead others.
Tell us more about the kinds of classes you teach at Yoga House:
My classes are based on B. K. Iyengar’s yoga – focusing on breathing and alignment throughout. We start by warming up the body, instruction on how to find physical/structural support is infused as we move through basic poses and play our way toward learning more intense poses. We follow our breath as we move and flow, cool down and end with a relaxing savasana.
What is your advice to anyone new to yoga?
As a child, though I was often told to stand/sit up straight (alignment), I don’t ever remember being taught how very important breath (like prayer) is to our body, mind, and emotions.
Start slow, find your breath, and learn to move with your breath, find your alignment (best posture). These two staples provide your body with much needed safe support as you move through daily life, and through yoga, find a practice you enjoy, the rest will follow.
Anything else you would like to add?
Let each breath be a prayer (slow and well thought), walk with God, and be a blessing!
Ready to Try A Class?
Colorado Yoga House is open 6 days of the week and during some months, open 7 days a week. Yoga House encompasses instructors with various backgrounds and teaching styles so you can always continue to discover the depths of this amazing discipline. Click below to see our current schedule, and we look forward to seeing you in class!
