Richard Freeman has been a student of yoga since 1968. He has spent nearly nine years in Asia studying various traditions which he incorporates into the Ashtanga yoga practice as taught by his principal teacher, K. Pattabhi Jois of Mysore, India. Richard’s background includes studying Sufism in Iran, Zen and Vipassana Buddhist practice, Bhakti and traditional Hatha yoga in India. Starting in 1974 he also began an in-depth study of Iyengar yoga, which eventually led him to Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. Richard is an avid student of both Western and Eastern philosophy, as well as Sanskrit. His ability to juxtapose various viewpoints, without losing the depth and integrity of each, has helped him develop a unique, metaphorical teaching style.

Richard teaches public classes at the Yoga Workshop as well as spending a good part of each year traveling as a guest instructor, teaching at studios throughout the world. As the founder of the Yoga Workshop, Richard sets the standard for the classes at the studio. As part of that he offers Teacher Intensive courses and special classes through the Yoga Workshop and also gives Studio Talks on Indian philosophy at the studio on a regular basis. He is the author of the book, The Mirror of Yoga (Shambhala Publications).

Mary Taylor began studying yoga in 1971 while earning a degree in psychology. It was not until the early 80’s, when she moved to Boulder and started studying yoga with Richard, that yoga became a central thread in her life. Before that yoga had provided a means of relieving stress, and honing a sense of focus and well being. In 1988 Mary traveled to India to study with K. Pattabhi Jois, and began to see the overlay of yoga with her interests in food, cooking, movement, anatomy and art. Mary has authored three cookbooks and co-authored a book which explores yoga, meditation and finding one’s personal dharma as a means of bring lasting meaning and happiness. (“What Are You Hungry For? Women, Food and Spirituality.”) As the Yoga Workshop’s director, Mary has attended all of Richard’s teacher trainings, and feels she’s just beginning to understand the subject at hand. She brings to her teaching a deep respect for the healing and calming effects of yoga. Her classes are engaging and fun, focusing on the flow of breath, steady movement and the feeling of completeness that can be cultivated through a lasting practice.

Allison began her study of Ashtanga Yoga in 1994 with David Swenson while living in Austin, Texas. Ashtanga Yoga quickly became an integral part of her life and in the years that followed she included an extensive study of Iyengar Yoga as well, completing numerous teachers’ workshops with Gabriella Giubilaro, Manouso Manos and Dona Holleman. She also had the wonderful opportunity to learn from K. Pattabhi Jois during his visit to Boulder in 2000. After moving to Boulder in 2005 she began studying with Richard Freeman and has since completed four of his teacher trainings. Allison has a deep devotion to the Ashtanga Yoga system and brings a sense of confidence and warmth to her teaching. Allison has also spent the past 12 years practicing Tibetan Buddhism, which helps to weave a tapestry of mindfulness within her practice and teaching. When not on the mat, Allison spends her time raising her three children on their organic farm in the foothills. Her life as a parent continues to be one of her most powerful and enriching spiritual endeavors.

Angel came to yoga in 1992 out of curiosity, and as a way to reduce the stress of graduate school in interior design, while acting as the “surrogate mother” to her 2 teenage brothers. She began her formal training with Alan Finger in 1995, later completing his ISTHA teacher training. She has also studied with many renowned teachers including Shiva Rea, Sarah Powers and Tias Little, and in 2004 began working with Richard Freeman. She has completed many of Richard’s teacher intensives. Having been raised in a moderate Buddhist family, mindfulness is an aspect of her life that is inseparable from her practice. Also as a late bloomer to the Ashtanga tradition, she understands its challenges and also its accessibility. Her teaching style is infused with kindness and humility, simplicity and lightheartedness. Her natural inquisitiveness and deep interest in the human body give her keen observation skills and an intuitive hands-on adjustment style. She invites her students to explore their “authentic self” and to cultivate mindfulness through their practice.

www.shriyoga.com

Asha Wolf began teaching yoga in 1992, while dancing professionally in NYC. She started teaching yoga in the Ashtanga tradition in 1998 after being introduced to this classic form of the practice by her teacher, Dr. Ranjani Cobo. Asha’s teaching is grounded through this long-time apprenticeship with Ranjani, who blends together elements from the Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga traditions with Zen practices and Native American spirituality. Asha holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Movement Analyst. She brings to her teaching over 20 years of exploration of our internal landscapes through anatomy, physiology, movement, and a variety of therapeutic body-mind modalities. Her teaching style is direct, clear and accessible with a strong, hands-on approach. Asha moved to Boulder in 2006, and is happy to be part of the wonderful community at The Yoga Workshop. In addition to teaching yoga, Asha has a private practice, Wolf Physical Rehab, in which she uses yoga as the primary modality of treatment.

www.wolfphysicalrehab.com

Barry Gillespie began practicing yoga in 1974, and took the first of several teacher trainings in 1978. He taught for 25 years in Ottawa Canada, including 12 years when he ran a studio, Santosha Yoga, with his wife Marcia. He started studying with Richard Freeman in 1998 and has taken several teacher intensives with him. When Barry moved to Boulder in 2004 he gave up teaching, needing a break and a chance to focus on his art. Gradually he started subbing more and more, and is happy to be back. His teaching style combines his love for ashtanga vinyasa yoga, his deep interest in Theravaden Buddhist practice, and a sense of his own limitations; making his classes joyful, still and approachable. When not teaching or practicing Barry can usually be found in his painting studio.

www.barryhgillespie.com

Billy began studying yoga in 1981 with Richard Freeman and by the early 90’s his yoga practice had grown to be a central focus in his life. During his studies with K. Pattabhi Jois both in India and the United States, Bill greatly expanded his understanding and appreciation of the practice.

In 1994 Bill began teaching yoga at Richard Freeman’s Yoga Workshop. He has been teaching ever since, all the while deepening his understanding of yoga and the mind/body connection. Over the years Bill continues to explore yoga through advanced study with Richard Freeman, senior Iyengar instructor Gabriella Giubilaro, a variety of high caliber teachers and through the practice itself. His classes are a comfortable mix of sharing the details of alignment in the postures with a visceral understanding of the internal feelings that act as cues to movement within each posture. Through the utilization of breath, drishti, bandhas, and a slightly irreverent sense of humor, Bill attempts to foster an environment where the student can feel their individual circumstances and work with them directly.

Corrie’s mother, Sylvia, introduced her to yoga in the 1992 as an antidote to school and life. She practiced in San Francisco for 11 years with Barbara Wiechmann, whose primary teachers are Judith Lasater and Ramanand Patel. When Corrie moved to Boulder in 2003, Barbara suggested that she find Richard Freeman and his studio. For several weeks she peaked in the windows at the Yoga Workshop, and then began taking Level 1 and Mixed-Levels classes. With time, she learned to practice in Mysore classes and became interested in philosophy through Richard’s Sunday evening talks and books from the YW library. She took Richard’s month-long teacher intensive in 2007 and studies with Richard and Mary Taylor and additional courses periodically. Her primary interest is the integration of yoga philosophy and practice with every day life.

Dan Michael brings to his teaching a quiet intensity and depth of knowledge, fueled by his advanced asana practice and work as a body worker certified in Structural Integration. Dan’s interest in the interplay of movement, alignment and form as a means of understanding body dynamics has been a lifelong pursuit which began when, as a teenager he became an avid rock climber. After a serious climbing accident in 1994, Dan started studying healing arts at Heartwood Institute. As part of his recovery from his injury, Dan was introduced to the strengthening and healing aspects of yoga, an angle that continues to bring insight into his teaching. A Boulder native, Dan returned home in 1995 and since then has completed four Teacher Trainings with Richard. He also traveled to India to study with K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Rangawami. In the past five years, Dan’s understanding of yoga as an integral part of life has been complimented with extensive studies with Tibetan Buddhist teachers, allowing him to experience yoga is integral part of a healthy life.

danmichael.net

Jen was a skeptical graduate student when a compassionate friend dragged her to her first yoga class, Ashtanga Full Primary Series, in 2003. She didn’t know quite what hit her but it was love at first dog.  A wish to reduce sickness and suffering had originally motivated her to delve into Neuroscience, but after 9 years of research at Columbia, Princeton, NIH and Max-Planck, she had become disillusioned. As the yoga teacher chanted lokah samasta sukhino bhavantu at the end of class, Jen felt a resurgence of hope that indeed all beings might discover real happiness and the true causes of happiness, deep within. She was so empowered by this that she hung up the lab coat and began practicing and teaching yoga full-time in 2005.  She completed a 6-year apprenticeship and mentored students in 500-hr teacher trainings as an Advanced Certified Jivamukti teacher in Munich.  In addition, she spent 9 months in Asia with teachers of various traditions.  Jen met Richard in 2007 and traveled to study with him 5 times, taking 3 Teacher’s Intensives, before moving to Boulder for more in November 2011. Jen is currently on retreat until this summer.

www.jenlightenment.info

Laura has been practicing yoga since 1995 and teaching since 2002, with a focus on the therapeutic aspects of yoga. After her own bout with illness in 2003 Laura experienced the profound impact that yoga has on healing and recovery, and it became her dream to share that opportunity with others. Following more than 1,000 hours and 2.5 years of study to become a Professional Yoga Therapist, Laura began teaching yoga in clinics, hospitals, and cancer centers. Her specialty areas are yoga for cancer survivors, yoga for fertility enhancement, and therapeutic yoga for kids, although she sees clients with a wide range of conditions and injuries. She is delighted to teach the Yoga for Healing class at the Yoga Workshop, supporting students as they find their own path to peace and wellness. In addition to her yoga therapy certification Laura has completed many other trainings and workshops with master teachers. She is especially influenced by what she’s learned from Scott Blossom, Joseph and Lilian Le Page, Rod Stryker, Sonia Sumar, Paul Grilley, and Richard Freeman.

Laura was introduced to yoga by her mother while in grade school but she did not develop an interest in it until she visited India one summer during college. She enrolled in a yoga philosophy class when she returned and that eventually led to an Iyengar practice. Since then she has experimented with many different styles/schools of yoga which were all interesting and beneficial to her studies. She received her 500 hour certification through Integrative Yoga Therapy and has studied with several senior Iyengar instructors. She has also completed several of Richard’s Intensives and has found her regular practice now rooted in the Ashtanga vinyasa style taught by Richard. Her classes have been described as fun, warm, instructional and challenging. She comes from a background in bodywork, Thai yoga massage, technology and education. Her depth of knowledge and life experience enter every class she teaches.

Marcia Solomon has been a dedicated yoga practitioner for over 30 years and a yoga teacher for more than 25. While living in Ottawa, Canada, she completed her first yoga Teacher Training in 1978 with Swami Vishnu Devananda, founder of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams. She remained a close student of his for 15 years until his death. She opened and co-directed the Santosha Yoga Center in Ottawa, and not long after that she began traveling to study Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga with Richard. In 2004, after eight years of commuting to Boulder from Canada, and after participating in a number of Richard’s Teacher Trainings, Marcia and her husband moved to Boulder. She continues to study, practice, and teach, blending her extensive background in yoga with her love of the Ashtanga system. In addition to her lifelong interest in yoga, Marcia holds a B.A. in philosophy and anthropology, an M.Ed. in education, and has completed a two-year program in Sanskrit through the extended studies department @ Naropa University. She continues to study with the American Sanskrit Institute, under the direction of Vyaas Houston. All this adds to Marcia’s well-rounded knowledge of classical hatha, jnana, bhakti and most especially karma, yoga and is reflected in her kind, accessible and comprehensive teaching style.

As a Boulder native, Matt took his first yoga class with Richard Freeman at 14 and took up the practice in earnest at 17. He began teaching in 2005. Matt is a longtime student of Environmental Science, Ornithology, and religion, and in 2008 he earned a master’s degree in Environmental Anthropology from Stanford University. Matt’s classes are known for synthesizing eastern philosophical traditions in combination with metaphor and precise alignment instruction to create enlightening, fun, and challenging experiences. He encourages his students to explore their edges and guides them through the internal sensation cues that enable this vibrant work to be done safely and therapeutically. In addition being inspired by Richard, Matt has been deeply influenced by his studies with Francisco Kaiut and Luciana Ross, Wendy Bramlett, Chuck Miller, Maty Ezraty, Ramanand Patel, Gabriella Giubilaro, Rodney Yee, and Matthew Sanford.

When he’s not at the yoga studio, Matt likes to rock climb, hike, camp, and birdwatch. He is also the owner of Human-Nature Photography, a company devoted to portraiture, nature photography, and documenting the vital connections between humans and the environment.

http://www.mattchampouxashtanga.com/

Having been a dancer when she was young Melissa had always been curious about yoga. Finally, in 2002 she was living in New Orleans and a friend took her to an Iyengar yoga class. She was immediately struck by the mental and physical transformation after just one class and immediately devoted herself to a regular practice. For the next six years she built a strong foundation in the Iyengar method and in 2006 she completed an Iyengar teacher training course and began teaching classes in Denver.

However, a lifestyle shift had her back to work in advertising and moving to Boulder in 2007. Having always been curious about the kindred roots shared between Iyengar and Ashtanga yoga, Melissa began taking classes at the Yoga Workshop and has been practicing Ashtanga ever since. In 2012 she completed her first teacher intensive with Richard and is now able to devote herself full-time to practice and teaching. Her teachings are founded in the importance of alignment but also in building strength, flexibility and consistently moving with the breath. While it’s important to explore one’s edge, she feels it’s imperative to nurture a sustainable and balanced practice that will endure for a lifetime. Melissa feels that yoga itself is the ultimate teacher both on and off the mat…and a key lesson is to keep a sense of humor! Expect her classes to be instructional, challenging and fun!

Michal Lebowitsch Dayan attended her first yoga classes as a teenager while living in Israel. While attending film school in New York at NYU, she was fortunate to continue her yoga studies with Swami Buaji. In 1999, after working as a producer in the film and television industry, getting married and having a child, she missed her practice so much that she schlepped her family all the way from Israel to Boulder to begin studying with Richard. Since then Michal has completed two of Richard’s Teacher Training’s and has also studied with various Iyengar influenced teachers including Aadil Palkhivala. Michal’s interest is in cultivating the mindfulness that flows naturally from a focused and continuous asana practice. Her teaching style is authentic, precise and strong, bringing together a clear understanding of the details of postural alignment with the uninterrupted flow and tapas of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. This clear manner of engaging her students is an invitation for them to quiet the mind, continually returning to the present experience.

Olivia began her relationship with yoga whilst attending law school at the University of New South Wales in Australia. First a climber and then a yogi she began yoga as part of her curiosity with the art of movement. She naturally gravitated to yoga and has been dedicated to practicing ever since. She thus decided to abandon her legal career and dedicate her time to something she believed would benefit society more than another lawyer! Olivia has had an in depth study of the Ashtanga Vinyasa tradition having first done a traditional apprenticeship in Australia for several years and then furthered her studies when she moved to Boulder in 2006. In the 4 years that she has been in Boulder she has complete two teacher intensives with Richard Freeman. Her teachings draw from the knowledge of her own experience as a teacher and as a practitioner making yoga both accessible and non-intimidating to her students. She also has interest in cultivating the mindfulness that flows from a focused and continuous asana practice. Her teaching style comprises of intuitive hands-on adjustments, energetic alignment and bringing an internal awareness to the self. Olivia feels blessed to have had so many wonderful teachers and hope that she too can cultivate that appreciation of yoga with her students.

Ty has been studying Ashtanga since 2005. His first exposure to the practice was a Primary Series class led by Jennifer Elliott at Ashtanga Yoga of Charlottesville. Ty caught an insight in that class that drew him deeply into yoga: Our mental tensions play out in our bodies, and we can resolve them with somatic techniques. He returned to Jennifer’s studio each day to learn the Ashtanga Vinyasa system, and with persistent practice, he began to feel more alive.

Ty taught at Ashtanga Yoga of Charlottesville from 2007 to 2012, leading public classes and giving private lessons, while pursuing his PhD in philosophy. He practiced with increasing astonishment at the benefits of yoga. He came to see yoga not only as a powerful form of mental therapy, which can alleviate suffering of all kinds, but as a means of enhancing the entire psychophysical being, refining its functioning beyond ordinary measures of health. With yoga, he learned to access a deeper intelligence, one that expands awareness, broadens understanding, and teaches us to move more gracefully through life.

In the summer of 2012, Ty found himself in Boulder attending the month-long Teacher’s Intensive at The Yoga Workshop. Richard Freeman’s philosophical discourses on yoga captured his fascination, while Mary Taylor’s instruction on alignment prompted him to reassess what he thought he knew about the practice. Intrigued, he decided to stick around.  He now spends his time, practicing, teaching and writing about yoga.

De West’s teaching is grounded in keen observation and knowledge of the body as it relates to a balanced approach to yoga postures. She began pursuing the path of yoga in 1992, first practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga in Seattle, then moving to Boulder to study with Richard. She has studied extensively with Richard and has completed two of his Teacher Intensives. De’s teaching reflects her experience in both Ashtanga Vinyasa and Iyengar yoga as well as a deep interest in anatomy and philosophy. She has studied yoga with K. Pattabhi Jois, Rodney Yee, Aadil Palkhivala, Norman Allard and Gabriella Guibilaro. She also has worked extensively with yoga therapy for specific physical needs. After participating in a prenatal teacher training with Gurmuk (as part of the Yoga Workshop Teacher Endowment Program), De has begun to apply the principles of therapy and yoga to teaching prenatal yoga. De’s teaching style is warm, precise, and detailed. She also brings a sense of enthusiasm for the interrelated nature of mind and body into her classes.

http://dewestyoga.blogspot.com

Susan Chiocchi brings to her yoga and her teaching a calm, precise and deep understanding of the body from the inside out. Her initial exploration of yoga, more than 20 years ago, was in working with the energetic aspects, which focus on prana and the movements of subtle energies withint the core of the body. As a former dancer, Susan connects easily to the precision and flow of the Ashtanga Vinyasa system, and has an insightful understanding of alignment. Through this combination of internal focus and external expression, she coaxes students into deeper awareness of their core while encouraging dynamic exploration of the physical body. Susan has worked extensively with Richard, beginning with his first Teacher Intensive in 1999. She has also studied in the Iyengar tradition and continues to study tantric yoga and healing practices through the teachings of Tenzen Wangyal Rinpoche in the Tibetan Bon tradition. Susan is a Certified Reiki Master Teacher and has a diploma in Brennan Healing Science. She has a private healing practice in Boulder utilizing Reiki, Brennan Healing Science and her ongoing studies in Tibetan yoga.

www.reikicolorado.org

Thomas Crown is a Certified Massage Therapist and has been studying Ashtanga Vinyasa since 2001, completing Richard’s Teacher’s Intensive in 2011. He has studied the Anatomy in Clay Learning System extensively and has a Biodynamic Balancing and Craniosacral Therapy practice. His teaching style uses a variety of perspectives to make these topics accessible and useful in daily life.