September Teacher Feature: Abbey Harris
Every month, we want to allow you to get to know a little more about each instructor here at Beyond Yoga. This month’s Teacher Feature is Abbey Harris. We hope you enjoy getting to know Abbey and trying her class at the studio!
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Instructor at Beyond Yoga
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ABBEY HARRIS
Hi Abbey! Tell us a little more about the style and type of classes you teach at Beyond Yoga?
Currently, I am teaching the following classes at the studio:
Tuesday – 7:15 PM – 8:15 PM: {be} still – Restorative
Saturday – 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM: {be} still – Restorative
This (restorative) is my favorite class to teach, because it’s my favorite class to take! I always say that restorative classes can be deceiving. You can go as far as you want physically and mentally in this class. The intention is to open spaces in the body that hold tension, due to built up emotion and physical rigidity. The breath becomes essential to this class to calm the mind and allow anxiety to pass and healing to come into the body. I love experiencing Jesus on my mat when I’m able to set aside all distractions and open my heart to what He has to say to me. I hope everyone who takes my class gets in on that too!
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What would you tell someone who is taking a yoga class for the first time?
First, don’t think or worry that everyone else in the room will be looking at you thinking “They sure don’t know what they’re doing!”, because they aren’t! I love {be}yond yoga because it draws each person onto their own mat to work through their own movements, and comparison leaves the room. There is so much daily comparison that happens in our world, so it’s a huge relief that it doesn’t come into our space at {be}yond yoga. Second, bring permission with you! We take so much of life seriously that it’s a relief to laugh if you can’t do something new. But know that you’re going to have fun doing something new that feels good too!
What would you say is the biggest misconception about yoga you hear from your students or the public?
People think that they won’t be able to do yoga because they see all these wild inversions and arm balances on social media. For me, yoga is about engaging the breath to decrease stress and meet with Jesus in a holy moment between the two of us. This frequently happens for me in the simplest of postures – savanna – just laying on my back with my hands open to receive.
How long have you been teaching yoga? What is your yoga background? And what do you love most about teaching yoga?
I have been teaching yoga since 2014, when I got certified by Holy Yoga. I took my very first Christian based yoga class in 2004. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was immediately hooked! I loved encountering Jesus on my mat and also discovering what my body was capable of. I had no idea that different poses could affect my heart and emotions so profoundly. It was as if I had counseling, worship, and a personal trainer all on my mat with me!
Since 2004, I’ve tried innumerable styles of yoga, been in all kinds of studios, and practiced with a huge variety of teachers. All of that being said, I was so hungry for intimacy with God that just practicing or teaching yoga alone wasn’t enough for me anymore; I needed so much more than yoga. I needed God on my mat. That is why I decided to get certified by Holy Yoga and why teaching at {be}yond yoga has been so profound.
What I love most about teaching yoga is providing a platform for others to meet with Jesus, and explore new ways to move and open their bodies. We come against so much condemnation from the world against our bodies, that to have someone leaving my class feeling lighter in spirit and proud of their body makes my heart soar!
What would you like to share with anyone that comes to your class or is interested in taking it?
If you are hungry or searching for more of the true Jesus, as well as wanting to find your true identity as His beloved, please come take my class! To discover that you have His heart, and that He wants to attend to your body and heart in ways you never thought possible, is something I’d love to offer you in my class. Plus, I really love massage and essential oils…so if you’re wanting to incorporate that into your yoga practice, come join me!