My first yoga class was in 2004 when sports injuries left me temporarily unable to run, bike, and climb. A friend shared a magazine photo of someone in Parva bakasana, which I thought would be cool to learn. Back then I had no idea how much the people and practices of yoga would actually change my life. I distinctly remember lying in savasana at the end of that first class, feeling a sense of peace, lightness, and spaciousness that I had never experienced before. I also remember being a bit surprised about the tears in my eyes. They say, when the student is ready, the teacher appears. And so in that way, the doorway to yoga was opened, and yoga found me.
In the early years, I explored many forms of asana with teachers in San Francisco and New York, including Hatha, Ashtanga, Bikram, Jivamukti, and Shadow yoga, and gradually found myself practicing every day, sometimes twice a day. My first class with Janet Stone was in September of 2004.
No matter where I am in life, I have been drawn back to Janet’s teachings, again and again. So while my day job continues to be in marketing for tech companies, I have become a lifetime student of yoga in all its many forms, on and off the mat.
I have been teaching of assisting for ______.
I did my first yoga teacher training with Janet in 2010 and have been assisting her classes, retreats, and trainings since 2013.
I am most experienced in...
Juggling full-time work at demanding jobs plus other responsibilities with a devotion to the yoga practice. I know this can be very challenging and I am happy to share what has worked to help me incorporate asana, pranayama, Ayurveda, and meditation into a daily ritual that feels essential and natural.
The continual exploration of yoga philosophy including the yamas and niyamas, and stories about the deities as taught by Janet Stone, Hareesh Wallis, and Shiva Kumar. I look forward to sharing my observations for how these teachings can inform, support, and guide our relationships with each other and a deeper understanding of ourselves.
Developing and sustaining a regular practice of meditation and stillness, as informed by my studies with Adyashanti and countless hours gazing at the ocean.
How Ayurvedic practices including diet, lifestyle, and asana can support your health and well-being as informed by my studies with Scott Blossom, reading books by Dr. Robert Svoboda, and spending time at an Ayurvedic center in South India.
I am committed to studying and deepening my practice in ...
Sustaining a daily ritual of asanas, meditation, and pranayama, weaving in even more ayurvedic wisdom and heartfelt mantras. Rather than reaching for some higher, end goal, I am focusing on what can be learned from the here and now, paying attention to the spaces in between all the push and the pull, the likes and the dislikes. I am striving to cultivate a deeper awareness and respect for where there is imbalance and a commitment to opening the aperture (as Janet often says) to see things truthfully and to have the courage to create positive change.
My mentoring style or approach is...
To meet you where you are, to listen with compassion and without judgment, to share how I personally have experienced yoga, and to reflect back on what I’ve learned from my teachers as honestly as I can. When I did my first teacher training, my mentor Jody Greene talked about the importance of Kalyana Mitra, having spiritual friends or guides that support and inspire you on your journey. I am very grateful to this sangha for all the ways I’ve been held and supported and look forward to doing the same for others.
The best way to learn more about me is through...
You can find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/apunsal and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annaloohoo/ although I don’t post often and much prefer direct 1:1 connections, so feel free to reach me over email at apunsal@gmail.com
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