I discovered yoga as a teenager in the late 1960’s. It was an exciting time to be alive! It was also a tumultuous time; a time of uncertainty.
Much like today, I believe.
As someone with scoliosis, I've always appreciated the physical benefits of yoga, but my introduction to the practice actually grew out of a curiosity about Eastern philosophy. I wanted to learn how to meditate, and I saw Hatha Yoga as a gateway. To this day, my yoga practice is informed by my desire to find stillness, to create calm amidst the chaos.
For me, it is not all about the body. It is the union of BODY, MIND, and SPIRIT.
And this is what I aim to impart when I teach.
simplyYOGA, est. 2003
Barb Germershausen, ERYT500
she/her/hers
After practicing various styles of yoga in my twenties, I finally found what I'd been looking for during an Integral Yoga class in Marietta, Georgia: the BODY*MIND*SPIRIT connection. I was hooked. By 1984 I was practice-teaching wherever I could, and substituting for my teacher. Here's the rest of the story in a nutshell:
June 1987-December 1988 - Santa Fe, NM
-taught evening yoga classes at the Waldorf School and city parks program
-lived and worked in a Vipassana Meditation Center
-studied Sivananda Yoga
-attended College of Santa Fe in their creative writing program
June 1989-April 1996 - Austin, TX
-opened Yoga House on the edge of UT campus
-offered classes in yoga, meditation, tai chi, qi gong and kung fu
-taught yoga at a medium security all-male Federal Correctional Institution in Bastrop, TX
-sponsored a weekend event with Swami Satchidananda
-developed an intensive year-long apprenticeship program
-certified dozens of yoga teachers in the central Texas region
-granted Yoga Alliance ERYT500 status
June 1996-present - Charlottesville, VA
-taught at Living Yoga on Market Street (1996-2002)
-offered classes at Parks & Rec, Charlottesville City, Mary Williams Senior Ctr, Colonnades
-established simplyYOGA (2003)
I currently offer in-person and online yoga and meditation classes, workshops, retreats and private instruction. I also teach chair yoga online and at The Independence/Charlottesville.
What's with the eyepatch, matey?
Arrrgh! It's a curiosity, ain't it?
When children ask me why I'm wearing a patch over one eye, I often respond with this:
"What? Have you never met a lady pirate?"
It usually elicits a gasp, followed by a wide grin. Yep, that's how I roll. But if you'd like to know the real story behind the patch, check out this video from The Moth Story Slam at The Miracle theater in Washington DC where I came in second place, just three tenths of a point behind the winner. For this introvert, just getting the nerve to be on that stage was a win! I hope you appreciate the story.