Hi! I'm Binky. I've been teaching Yoga since 2003, the year I received my certification from Sivananda Yoga in Grass Valley, California. I was immediately drawn to the quiet, healing aspect of Yoga, and am endlessly fascinated by the fact that it is based on principles that are stunning in their ordinariness, powerful precisely because they are so simple. There's a really tricky side to this, though, and that is--as with all things ordinary and simple, the danger is they can become virtually hidden. (It is said that the best way to hide something is to keep it in plain sight, and "What We Know (that just ain't so) is a way of going deeper into this).
I pursued this fascination and studied with IYT - Integrative Yoga Therapy - while working at the Wellness Institute offering Yoga therapy to patients with chronic conditions. After several years of teaching one-on-one, I gradually eased into teaching small groups in a way that I felt was still able to retain the quality of connection that is available in a private setting. The workshops that I developed have been tremendously helpful in the process: Demystifying Yoga, Intro to Yoga, and Growing Your Practice. An important element in the process of integration was my exposure to the work of Donna Farhi, with whom I studied in 2008. This had a very significant impact on my work, so much so that I was inspired to pursue that path further by studying with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen - a pioneer in somatic movement and an important influence in Donna's work.
I do not teach a particular style of Yoga as my main interest is in the principles that underlie the practice regardless of the style, and the quality of awareness that one brings to the practice. For me, the emphasis on awareness is crucial in connecting to Yoga as a living process which, at this point, is starting to take me to studies and projects that do not necessarily look like formal practice: My most recent, 'self-designed curriculum' involved attending the Bioneers Conference, meeting visionary activist Caroline Casey, and the poet, David Whyte. My latest projects include an on-going inquiry called WHAT WE KNOW (that just ain't so), and a YOGA IMMERSION for those who are interested in the teaching path.
If you'd like to connect with me, email me at binkyvm@gmail.com. I'd love to hear from you :)
