Maria E. Zuleta-Shubert

It has been 17 years since I received my yoga certification. The field of yoga is like the ocean with a variety of fish different colors, shapes, sizes and so forth. With so many beautiful, compassionate, and knowledgeable teachers is why teach. As it happened I had been running for over 20 years and my muscles were stiff, my joints hurt and my back was so inflame from all the pounding that I was in constant pain. An injury skiing years ago did not help my situation but I keep running until I received my yoga certification. I had practice yoga just a few times prior to my certification. I was the worst in class. I could barely do the postures I was in pain. I made it through my certification and didn’t think I would ever teach again what could I offer. As it turns out by the time I completed the training I had stop running and was dedicate to practicing yoga 6-7 days a week. My back feel better, my mind feel better, my joints and muscles feel better. I was less stiff, I could stand or sit straighter. I was happy less pain.  A friend from the neighbor found out I had completed my training and nag me for about two months to teach him a class. I though it was just one class. After that one class he wanted to develop a practice and asked me to teach as often as he could take a class. I agreed because after I taught that class I felt great. I was so happy I could help someone who had some of the same issues I had: back pain, joint/muscle stiffness, muscle spams. I realized I could use my experience with pain to help people. I didn’t have to teach headstands or arm balances to rehabilitate the body. I could use other postures such as downward dog to assist the body in creating space, lengthening muscles, strengthening joints to feel balance to feel good. I continue to use my pain as a guide to help people who have had injuries whose body is craving space and length. Yoga is one of the best tools to get you to feeling better physically, mentally, emotionally.  I have taught for many years and met many great people who have helped me to transform my teaching from a Vinyasa style to a therapeutic, healing, restorative teaching style. My clients are my gurus, my teachers, my mentors they help me be the best teacher I can be. I am forever grateful to all of them. I am mostly grateful to that neighbor who nagged me to death to teach him yoga. He helped me to discover the desire and passion I have to help people using yoga to feel better.