Kim Haegele

Biography

INSPIRATIONS Maty Ezraty; Lisa Walford; Martha Graham; Bill T. Jones; Pema Chodron (and all her books); Jack Kornfield (and all his books); Sebastian Junger (and all his books); Reggie Ray; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Joni Mitchell; Friesian horses, The Rocky Mountains, break-of-dawn hiking; and Max Strom, who gave me one of my first real glimpses into Yoga as a way of life. WHY I PRACTICE During a childhood marked by trauma, movement offered me salvation and redemption in a way that nothing else could, and continues to be my saving grace. I I love the combination of movement, mindful awareness, and breath inherent in Yoga asana practice. For many years I did Ashtanga Yoga exclusively; it connected me to elements of my great love, modern dance, as well as my passion for intensity, athleticism and the transcendent place to where these things often lead me. Although I still love a challenging physical practice, moving into my mid 50s and dealing with injury has led me to gentler and subtler Yoga techniques, of which meditation is a significant part. I continue to find the best parts of myself by harnessing my body, brain and heart in ways that move me beyond the mundane and toward the sublime. In terms of everyday life, I’ve learned through Yoga (particularly, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali), to be calmer, kinder, more tolerant and more compassionate than I would have been if I’d stayed on the trajectory of my early life, and for this I am immensely grateful. WHY I TEACH I teach because I love it. Guiding and witnessing positive change in those who study with me leaves me falling in love with teaching and my students over and over again and creates an affirmative, nurturing feedback loop that engenders well-being and a strong, supportive community. Yoga consistently makes lives better and I love being a part of that. INSPIRATIONS Maty Ezraty; Lisa Walford; Martha Graham; Bill T. Jones; Pema Chodron (and all her books); Jack Kornfield (and all his books); Sebastian Junger (and all his books); Reggie Ray; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Joni Mitchell; Friesian horses, The Rocky Mountains, break-of-dawn hiking; and Max Strom, who gave me one of my first real glimpses into Yoga as a way of life. WHY I PRACTICE During a childhood marked by trauma, movement offered me salvation and redemption in a way that nothing else could, and continues to be my saving grace. I I love the combination of movement, mindful awareness, and breath inherent in Yoga asana practice. For many years I did Ashtanga Yoga exclusively; it connected me to elements of my great love, modern dance, as well as my passion for intensity, athleticism and the transcendent place to where these things often lead me. Although I still love a challenging physical practice, moving into my mid 50s and dealing with injury has led me to gentler and subtler Yoga techniques, of which meditation is a significant part. I continue to find the best parts of myself by harnessing my body, brain and heart in ways that move me beyond the mundane and toward the sublime. In terms of everyday life, I’ve learned through Yoga (particularly, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali), to be calmer, kinder, more tolerant and more compassionate than I would have been if I’d stayed on the trajectory of my early life, and for this I am immensely grateful. WHY I TEACH I teach because I love it. Guiding and witnessing positive change in those who study with me leaves me falling in love with teaching and my students over and over again and creates an affirmative, nurturing feedback loop that engenders well-being and a strong, supportive community. Yoga consistently makes lives better and I love being a part of that.

Research Interest

Yoga