Lilamayi Hayashi

Lilamayi Hayashi is the perfect teacher to highlight in this last of seven newsletters focused on the chakras. She brings a natural energy of openness, joy, and authenticity to her yoga teaching and to her life. Lilamayi is trained in the Anusara tradition of hatha yoga and has more than 25 years of experience with meditation, chanting, and selfless service through practice and training in Japan, India and the United States. Read on to learn more about her deep spiritual practice and how you, too, can harness her presence, peace, and calm into your own life. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have ever had a conversation with Linnea Larson, Yoga Trek’s Community Meditation instructor, you know that she does not mince words. She will tell it to you like it is, creating a breath of fresh air and a sense of authenticity that no doubt speaks to her years of practicing yoga and meditation. Linnea is well-read and definitely on the path toward self-realization, humbly acknowledging what works and doesn’t work for her in her yoga practice and in life. Linnea has been trained to teach yoga, yin yoga, mindfulness meditation, and more. Read on to find out more about her more than four decades of experience in the worlds of yoga and meditation, including the various gurus who have influenced her candid outlook on life. Read the rest of this entry »

Gretchen Sonstroem brings her full self to her vinyasa classes at Yoga Trek: the actress, the nurturing friend, the animal lover, and the humble yogini. Her innate diversity ensures that her students reap the benefits of multiple perspectives in the practice of yoga. While she is originally from the Milwaukee area, Gretchen brings wisdom from her years pursuing an acting career in New York City to her classes. Read on to learn more about her background, teaching, and integration of yoga into her life. Read the rest of this entry »

Nicole Sopko

To many, Nicole Sopko might seem like a typical yogi. She’s super bendy (and I do mean super!), vegan, and smiles basically all of the time. What might seem typical on the surface is the result of years of a dedicated practice, a commitment to living the yogic principles well beyond a physical practice on her mat, and a deep enjoyment of teaching others. Nicole teaches vinyasa classes in the Dharma Mittra style and is often students’ first exposure to the Yoga Trek studio as our Introduction to Yoga class instructor. Read on to learn more about Nicole, including her rebellious teenaged years, her commitment to four-legged friends, and her perspectives on the practice of yoga. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have ever taken one of Linda Rotunno’s classes, then you know you will have a spunky, cheerful, vigorous and deeply felt experience. You will also know why we are featuring her alongside a focus on the third chakra. She embodies many traits reflecting a strong third chakra: cheerfulness, expressiveness, sense of humor (think “belly laughter”), and selfless service. As a teacher Linda readily transfers to her students the wisdom she has gained from using her body throughout her life and then having to modify her relationship to her physical self as it has aged. Linda has a vibrant personality with a sense of humor and playfulness that are contagious. Read on to learn more about Linda’s love of yoga and how she uses it to be generous with herself and others on and off the mat. Read the rest of this entry »