Sapphire

Sapphire has deep roots in the world of yoga and first started to study and practice with her father who is a yoga teacher in Tucson, Arizona. Her passion and devotion has led her to study and teach Kundalini in addition to Hatha style classes. She has recently expanded her expertise to include Yin yoga, a very meditative, simple and uncomplicated practice, where longer held floor postures are used to stimulate connective tissue. Sapphire highly recommends students to move at their own pace. She holds great reverence for the healing aspect of yoga. Classes are led sometimes a bit spontaneous and playful. An attitude of your highest joy is encouraged.

Sapphire received her Hatha certification from the Kripalu Center in Lennox, Massachusetts, and her Kundalini certification under the guidance of Mehtab, Guru Karam and Siri Bahadur in Yoga Yoga’s Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training program. With over 2,000 hours of classroom teaching experience, she keeps her classes fresh by studying with new teachers and stepping out of her comfort zone. She has been greatly influenced by her father, who passed on books and music and encouraged her to study Paul Grilley’s approach to Yin Yoga. Being greatly inspired by Mehtab, Guru Karam, Siri Bahadur and Deva Powell, Sapphire has incorporated the practice of Kundalini yoga into her lifestyle.

Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Sapphire has been living in Austin since 1999. Her parents practiced yoga when she was growing up and she always thought they were weird and embarrassing. Much later, when her mom was teaching in Mexico in the 80’s she joined in the classes and had an eye-opening experience coming out of relaxation. Sapphire looked up and saw the tropical white clouds and blue sky and felt in tune with the infinite! She embarked on the path of yoga as a career and her work and practice give her a sense of connection to something much greater than herself.

In her free time, Sapphire likes being in nature, reading and dressing up for a night on the town. She loves music of all kinds, particularly soul music, jazz and instrumental, and anything that uplifts her spirit and inspires her to dance. She also plays music and enjoys singing and writing songs. Her cat Ayla likes to be held upside down and dogs Webster and Sadie love to go for walks. She sometimes treats herself to pancakes on Sundays with her neighbors. Her mother is a talented harpist on the Soundings of the Planet label and Sapphire often plays her mother’s music in her classes. Sapphire brings her great love of yoga and the wisdom she has gained from years of practice and study into every class she teaches.

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Recommended Books
Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar.
Yin Yoga by Paul Grilley.
Kundalini Yoga by Shakta Kaur Khalsa.
Kundalini Postures and Poetry by Shakta Parwha Kaur Khalsa.
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda.
Prakriti - Your Ayurvedic Constitution by Dr. Robert Svaboda.
Yoga Gems - Georg Feuerstein.

Recommended Retail
No matter what style of yoga you practice Sapphire highly recommends the bolsters and zafu cushions!

Favorite quotes:
“Enthusiasm, the secret of eternal youth. Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind. It is not a matter of ripe cheeks, red lips and supple knees. It is a temper of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions. It is freshness of the deep springs of life. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.” - Swami Bua, age 110

“Your strength is how calmly, quietly and peacefully you face life.” - Yogi Bhajan