YOGA TEACHERS at the YOGA SPACE

Debbie Mathew started practicing yoga in 1981; "It has truly been the guiding light of my evolution as a human being. When I explore the practice and wisdom of yoga deeply, I gain wisdom, compassion and feel the expression of my greatest potential."
Debbie has taught under various circumstance (as a wilderness guide, in the Art Dept at the University of Wyoming...) for 28 years. She has a 200 hour yoga certification through Yoga Alliance and began teaching yoga exclusively in 2003.
Debbie's teaching styles includes the integrity of Iyengar alignment and the wisdom and heart of many ancient teachings, including Eastern & Western traditions. Her teaching is also influenced by many contemporary teachers she has studied with, including Pranayama (breathing techniques) at the Rocky Mountain Institute of Yoga & Ayurveda. She has studied & practiced many forms of Meditation, and recently completed a teacher training on Yoga Nidra/integrative restoration with Richard Miller. Debbie desires to integrate the wisdom of all spiritual traditions, honoring the unity in diversity.
Debbie has owned and managed the Yoga Space since 2003 and is committed to providing the community with a range of extraordinary yogic related services intended to heal and engage the potential of every participant.

Dani Smith believes yoga to be an ideal path to mental, spiritual, and physical well-being. Through its practice she has come to see that health of body, mind and soul are interdependent. In her instruction she strives for a fulfilling balance between physical exertion and meditation. She wants her classes to feel like a journey, where the flow from pose to pose is natural and seamless, and where everyone exists in the moment.
Dani has practiced yoga for over 8 years, and been teaching for over four years, approximately 500 classes during that time. She enjoys crafting sequences, occasionally incorporating aspects of Pilates, dance & Tai Chi into her style. She has experience with a wide variety of age and ability levels and derives satisfaction from addressing her students’ unique needs. Dani believes yoga helps to fortify patience and serenity. She also enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Alison Holloran has been involved in athletics most of her life. She started competitively running at the age of ten and has continued to keep exercise a steady force in her life. Ali began to practice Pilates after the birth of her first daughter when she realized not everything was going to “fall back in place.” After taking Pilates mat classes for 2 years (and the birth of her second daughter) Ali became aware of the powerful changes both motherhood and Pilates could have on one’s life and body. Pilates has had such a powerfully positive life/body changing effect to her life, she wanted to pass on the benefits she has experienced. Therefore she sought to become an instructor and completed her mat certificate in 2008 from the Pilate’s Training Institute in Steamboat Springs CO. Ali has found that Pilates incorporates all angles of strengthening to the body, connecting you deeper into your body and strengthening from the inside out. In addition to teaching Pilates Ali is a full time mother of two and is the Conservation Programs Manager for Audubon Wyoming.

Shannon Bowen has studied Iyengar, Anusara, Ashtanga, and Kundalini Yoga for the past eleven years. She has worked with teachers in Washington, DC, New Hampshire, and Wyoming. She also has twenty years experience in classical ballet, a variety of modern dance forms, and the Pilates method. Her Buddhist practice strongly influences her understanding of yoga.
Shannon’s approach is integrative and holistic, incorporating all elements of her training into class. She is committed to providing a safe environment in which all participants can experience their practices in their own fullness. This means that there is no one “right” way. A variety of modifications are offered to help students perform each posture correctly within the constraints of their individual bodies. She focuses on proper alignment, the integration of breath into movement, and the development of an inner focal point. Shannon employs guided visualization to enhance the relaxing effects of asana practice and to foster a more articulate body awareness. Finally, she comes to class enthusiastic, with loving-kindness that she openly shares with clients, and with a sense of fun and play.

Amy Glenn has been practicing yoga for 8 years. She began practicing yoga full time on the island of Kauai where she was a student of Bikram, Ashtanga and Restorative Yoga. Since then her studies have also included Flow Yoga, ViniYoga and Yin Yoga.
For the last 7 months, she has been engaged in a teacher training program under the instruction of River Cummings, the senior student of Gary Kraftsow, (the originator of Viniyoga), following the lineage of T.K.V. Desikachar and T. Krishnamacharya. She will complete a 200 Hour Yoga Alliance Certification in October of 2008. In March she plans to take the advanced training for the 500 hour Yoga Alliance Certification.
“Yoga changed my life. It is truly no exaggeration to say that yoga saved my life.
I believe in the power of the breath.
I believe in meditation.
I believe that Yoga is the path to liberation. Through the practice of Yoga, both on and off the mat, the body, mind and spirit can be transformed. Bliss results when these transformations reveal and allow full integration of the human system. From this integration we are allowed to see that happiness is within and Oneness is universal.
As an instructor I hope to encourage people to seek their own creative truth and personal liberations. I hope to accommodate a fulfilling path of health, peace, happiness and self awareness.”