Alana Starkweather, RYT-500

As a teenager Alana Starkweather remembers being greatly inspired by a visitor from India who introduced her to Hatha yoga and meditation. Though young, she realized that his teachings were a path for self-transformation, which called to her inner self.  Since that early introduction, her committed personal practice has evolved for over 40 years, bringing with it a deepening sense of presence, self-awareness, and a quieter mind.

Training
Alana is certified by the esteemed Gary Kraftsow through the American Viniyoga Institute of Maui, Hawaii, with over 500 hours of training in asana, pranayama, chanting, mediation, yoga philosophy and psychology. Some of her other teachers include Ted Surman and Mirka Kraftsow, all of whom changed her approach to yoga and are in the lineage of Sri T. Krishnamacharya and his son, TKV Desikachar. Her prior training was in the Ashtanga lineage and she studied with Tim Miller, Sri Pattabhi Jois and Richard Freedman. As she grew older, and following an injury, her yoga practice needed adjusting and she found the gentle approach of Viniyoga ideally suited to these new constraints. Alana’s 30 years of applied knowledge as a Massage Therapist and Somatic Educator brings the added advantage of Structural Awareness and experience with injury rehabilitation to her teaching.

Classes
Viniyoga is an ancient Sanskrit term that implies differentiation, adaptation, and appropriate application. Alana’s objective is to provide the means to bring out the best in each practitioner. This requires an understanding of a person's present condition and personal potential, and the process available to achieve appropriate goals. Alana begins class with a check-in with her students, which allows her to adapt the various methods of practice to the condition and needs of her students, providing each practitioner with tools and a framework for actualizing the process of self-discovery and personal transformation. During her classes students work with alignment of the spine and joints of the body, moving in repetition between combinations of vinyasa with counter-poses in a therapeutic and gentle rhythm of breath and awareness. 
 
Dharma