Blog: Teaching at Village Yoga

Since my I have been teaching Yoga regularly, right here in Sierra Madre in the , 24 W. Sierra Madre Blvd, Unit C,  as well as several other locations: Focus Chiropractic in Pasadena and the Flintridge Center in Pasadena.  

I love teaching Yoga.  I cannot believe I waited so long to start teaching. I have the proper credentials (I am a Registered Yoga Alliance teacher at 200 hour level), but I am also a self taught Yogi, having a yoga practice and yoga studies for decades.  

People joke about the difficulty of making a living as a Yoga teacher, and truly, it has to be a passion.  Building clientele in a small intimate boutique studio such as Village Yoga is challenging and inspiring.  The reward is that you get to know your students and you get to help them explore the benefits of a Yoga practice on their own terms. Village Yoga has a serene quality to it that owner Tana Marlow fosters by her own dedication to making the client come first.  It is her intention to create a true Village of yoga practictioners. She is a highly skilled Yogi herself, coming out of the Ashtanga tradition.

Marta Jasberg, a certified Iyengar instructor also teaches at Village Yoga Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. Tana teaches  all levels Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday at 6 .p.m and 7:30 p.m.   Kaytee Fink teaches an energetic flow class Wednesday nights at 6pm and 7:45.  There is also a Friday night class at 7:45 p.m., Yoga 4 Athletes. I teach three Gentle Yoga Classes, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

I got a note from a former teacher Brittany Tatum-Flores, that I want to include here as it expresses beautifully what I am coming to understand about this studio. A couple of months ago I emailed several teachers asking them what attracted them to teaching at Village Yoga.  Here is Brittany's reply.  

First, it was her authenticity. Tana is the "real" deal. Tana doesn't attempt to be something or somebody she is not. She teaches from her heart and tries to get out of the way of G-d teaching through her. Second, the studio itself. It is intimate and a temple which is comprised of not only a pleasing aesthetic,  it is a reflection of the hearts of the students and the teachers. It is a studio-oasis. Generosity - Tana, and her teachers are generous, kind, energetic, and listen. Love - There is REAL love and care and spiritual safety within the studio.

I know I've started my teaching path in a good place. I continue my studies here as well, studying Yoga Therapy and Prime of Life Yoga.  I also look forward to experiencing teaching in different environments, and I am open to the many possibilities that are there for me inthe future.   I also currently teach in a corporate environment at Flintridge Center.   I also look  forward to the challenges of larger classes. But I've landed in a good spot and it is the real deal.  

So come and check out Village Yoga.  Pick up a class schedule and drop in for a class and see for yourself. You will always be welcome.  Namaste!

Visit Village Yoga's website at www.smvillageyoga.com or contact them at 626.482.6379.