Meet Catherine On Yoga
I am a hyper-achieving, people-pleasing perfectionist who cares far too much what people might say and almost more so what people might think.
And this is who I am on yoga.
(Cue the “this is your brain on drugs” late ‘80s anti-narcotics campaign.)
I came to yoga from injury in 2000 or 2001 after my first foot surgery. I had been a competitive runner throughout high school and college, so as you might imagine, the thought of being stuck in a room on a roughly 2’ x 6’ piece of PVC was torture. Worse yet, being asked not to “look around” but rather to “look inwards"!
Being the Type A that I was, and a Taurus, my stubbornness took over, and for three years, I begrudgingly attended my weekly yoga at Unity Woods, then at the time in Woodley Park, D.C., per doctor’s orders. I felt the anger brew every time I lifted my arms in Vīrabhadrāsana I (Warrior 1), and I went through my things-to-do list with every Śavāsana (Corpse Pose). But go I did.
And then it happened.
For three years, unbeknownst to me, the practice had been chipping away at something inside of me, slowly breaking down my resistance to this notion of turning inwards. At the end of this one class, instead of building my list or checking things off, I cried.
I actually cried.
Tears released from my eyes in Śavāsana, and I felt an overwhelming sense of relief, of space, of quietness.
I didn’t really know what happened; all I knew was that I was hooked, that there was magic in this practice, and that more people needed it.
That I needed more of it.
And that I wanted to be the conduit of it for others.
After that, my weekly class became three-times per week, progressing to Level 3 Iyengar.
I signed up for my first, foundational teacher training here in DC with Kim Weeks and Kristen Krash, despite being in a full-time MBA program at Georgetown.
I began teaching beginners.
I then attended my second, advanced training up in NYC with Jodie Rufty and Chrissy Carter, despite having started my high-paced, corporate life in the Big Apple. I studied under and subbed regularly for some of the best teachers in the city.
Moving back to DC, I taught regular classes at Lighthouse Yoga Center and YogaWorks*, and prior to COVID, I was part of the teaching faculty of three RYS 200 YogaWorks trainings.
During COVID, as many yoga teachers did, I started my own company that delivers online yoga classes and professional coaching services in effort to help people calm the mind. As you likely know, Yoga Sutra 1.2 says the very definition of yoga is the “cessation of the fluctuations of the mind stuff.”
It’s a work in progress, as we all are, as I am.
I’m grateful to partner with my fellow teacher and friend, Tara, to guide this community along a yoga path from my experiences as a student first.
I look forward to meeting you!
Catherine
*YogaWorks as a teaching methodology was founded by Maty Ezraty, Chuck Miller and Alan Finger over 30 years ago, blending the best of Iyengar and Ashtanga practices.
Sign up here to practice with Catherine on Fridays at 7:30 am ET.
Ready to join an inspiring community of yogis? Become a member!