Teacher SpotLIGHT with Linda Krebs

P.Y. How did you get interested in Yoga?

L.K. "Yoga has always fascinated me...as a teenager, I would read my little yoga book called, "Introduction to Yoga", by Richard Hittleman and attempt to do the postures. I don't even remember what attracted me to yoga in the beginning, except that I have always been a mystical person at heart. Somehow, I knew that the practice of yoga was much more than just doing physical postures.

Fast forward through my life after raising my family, my interested in yoga resurfaced and I began taking classes here and there around the Fort Wayne area. I knew that a yoga practice would help me with the anxiety I was dealing with. I subscribed to Yoga Journal magazine years before developing my practice and one day walked into "Mind Your Body" yoga studio to inquire about a position at the front desk. As fate would have it, my timing was perfect and I finally began my yoga journey! Yoga has been an integral part of my life ever since and my teaching has evolved with the wonderful trainings and encouragement I have received here at Pranayoga Institute.

P.Y. What has been the most important aspect for you living your yoga and sharing with your students?

L.K. As my personal practice has developed to include the five pillars of yoga: right exercise, right breathing, right thinking, right nutrition and right relaxation, finding balance has been key to my approach in teaching and living my life in equanimity."

Check out Linda's Schedule Here

Mary Newell-PranaYoga Teacher SpotLIGHT

My yoga journey began in 1994 with a video featuring Ali MacGraw & Erich Schiffmann. My “intention” was to gain flexibilty. After practicing once I was hooked (on the feeling of “calm”...not on the “stretch” part). What started as a physical practice has emerged into so much more. I owe that to “intention” setting.

I began setting intentions for my home practice such as: staying with the breath, letting go while forward folding, opening my heart during backbends and finding the effort and relaxation in every pose. Intention setting is what guided my yoga practice from a great stretch to complete presence and awareness.
Intention setting started transforming how I instruct my yoga classes as well. As I enter the studio, I state the intention to be fully present and analyze what energy change needs to occur. I open my heart, consciously breathe, observe, and then set an intention for the practice. Recent class intentions have included: chakra balance, reaching apex poses, detoxing twists, engaging bandhas, and living the yamas and niyamas(the ethical principles of yoga)

Off the mat...intention setting continues. I began incorporate loving kindness. This turns the focus to right intention. By “right” I mean intention for the good of all, not for personal gain. When faced with tough choices, my intention is to choose what causes the least amount of harm. I was taught early on that when one suffers we all suffer.

Yoga, for me, started as a liberating home practice. I soon craved connections. My Pranayoga family provides a sense of community, support and devotion that is rare. Many different backgrounds, paths and intentions moving toward light and love. No one person has to exist in isolation.

Sharing my passions with others is a blessing. My intention today is to be a wife, mother, friend, student and instructor who is truly authentic and present.

Check out Mary's Positive and Power-Full Classes

1301 Lafayette:

Mondays 9:30am and 5:15pm
Wednesdays 5:30am
Saturdays 8:00am