Barb Germershausen has been practicing hatha yoga for more than 30 years and teaching since 1984. She lived and worked in a Vipassana meditation center in Santa Fe in 1987, and later founded and directed her own yoga studio in Austin, Texas from 1989 until 1996. During that time, she developed and directed a 300-hour teacher training program. In addition, she taught yoga classes for 2-1/2 years to inmates at a nearby Federal prison. After moving to Charlottesville, Barb taught at Living Yoga from 1996 through 2002, introducing the beginner class and prenatal yoga. Barb presents a traditional, meditative approach to hatha yoga, bringing a sense of humor and compassion into her class.
why i love to teach yoga:
I came to yoga more than 30 years ago through a love of and curiosity about Eastern philosophy. I soon learned that the practice of hatha yoga could help alleviate the pain of my scoliosis (curvature of the spine), a condition discovered at the age of 19. In the years that followed I tasted various styles of yoga, but it was the discovery of Integral Yoga that addressed my search for inner peace, and this is the style that has been at the core of my practice for the last 20+ years.
I began teaching yoga in 1984, feeling called to share this invaluable tool for inner peace and healthy living. Following a few years of “on the job training,” my partner and I opened Yoga House in Austin, TX in 1989. For the next 7 years, Yoga House served hundreds of students weekly, offering beginner through advanced classes in hatha yoga, as well as prenatal yoga, partner yoga, and instruction in martial arts, Tai Chi and meditation. Through a 300-hour teacher training program, dozens of students earned certification to teach yoga, and many of them are still offering classes throughout the United States and abroad.
At Yoga House, I found my niche in teaching beginner students, a focus which continues today. Many beginners feel embarrassed by their lack of flexibility, and some may be intimidated in a large class. It has been my mission to help the beginner student feel comfortable and welcome, whether in a group setting or through private instruction. All of us are beginners at one point in our practice, and I believe it is important to remember this and to always approach the wisdom of yoga with beginner’s mind, regardless of our level of expertise.
