Unedited, candid, and honest: YogacityNYC interview

I’m super grateful that I recently sat down to chat about how I’m progressing post-scandal, and in the beginning of this promising year of life.  I talked with Lisa Dawn Angerame of YogacityNYC – the yoga blog, calendar, and online resource for all things yoga in New York. We had a candid and deep conversation that spanned days and spoke as fellow New Yorkers, and fellow teachers, each steeped in different styles and communities for a long period. This is the unedited version of our chat.
Lisa Dawn Angerame: How long have you been practicing and teaching yoga?

Julie Dohrman: I took my first yoga class in 1997. It was a Kundalini yoga class with Lea Kramer. I loved breathing and moving in an expressive way, and was elated to find her also teaching vinyasa yoga at Crunch gym where I was a member.

It was at Crunch I met Amy Ippoliti, who had just become certified with Anusara Yoga. I found in her classes that I was learning something about my body, bio-mechanics, and energy flow, the mythology of yoga, and its history. I did my first teacher training with Amy at the newly opened Virayoga in 2002 and have been teaching ever since. I became a full time teacher in 2005 when I finished my Anusara certification.

LDA: Who are your main influences (past and present)?

JD: My mind was opened and the fire of knowledge was stoked from studying philosophies and mythology of yoga, in particular Tantra lineages, with Douglas Brooks. He was my primary teacher for bringing to life the background and meaning of yoga.

After teacher training, I mentored with Amy Ippoliti and that kind of personal relationship with a teacher proved to be priceless. Amy helped train my eyes and strengthen my confidence in the classroom. John Friend was, of course a valuable teacher and mentor, showing me how to see the energy of the entire classroom and teach in accordance with the flow. They both taught me how to look, what to look for, and to teach with the purpose of serving an opening for students.

In 2007, I met Paul Muller-Ortega, another great teacher of meditation and scholar of Tantric and Kashmir Shaivite traditions. His teaching dove deep into my bloodstream and spoke to a part of me that yearned to be fed, that of the heart of practice through meditation. The influential triad of John showing me the pathway to healing through the body and asana, Douglas in understanding the theory of the practices, and now Paul carving out the pathway to deeper practices themselves through meditation, has been very fortunate. I am filled with gratitude to all my teachers, past and present.

LDA: Speaking of John Friend, how did the whole scandal impact you?

JD:  It was a huge shocking escapade and felt like a rug of stability had been pulled out suddenly and unexpectedly. What’s grown has far exceeded my own expectations, including the increased ability to use yoga and its disciplines to help me process this enormous change.  I see a stability I’ve already had existing as wisdom, patience, and perseverance.  A sense of creative freedom is blossoming wildly, feeding an existing passion for yoga that’s being channeled into teaching.

LDA: When did you resign your Anusara certification?

JD: In May, a few months after the whole thing broke.

LDA: What was that process like, deciding to resign?

JD: I got clear that separating was not going to hurt me. In addition to processing the challenging emotions of breaking ties with my teacher, the reality of rampant misuse of power by him, and how the change was unfolding for the community, I was worried that if I resigned I would somehow be hurt in terms of my ability to earn a living as a yoga teacher.  But, I got clear that it is a teacher driven world, not a style driven world. It gave me confidence to quit and to realize that my personal growth was depending on it.  I had open conversations with managers at the studios where I teach and they helped me realize that it was me who was bringing the teachings, not the style. It was really empowering to realize that, yes, I was gifted these teachings by great teachers, but I hold the key.

LDA: I know community was a big thing for Anusara. Can you describe the feeling now?

JD:  I can only speak for my own experience of community, which feels like there’s a vacancy.  This whole thing broke some friendships which deeply saddens me. People were taking sides, people were hurt and people were angry (and still are), worried about their lives and careers. I see some people moving on though, and unexpected new connections are being forged which feels great. Community is being rebuilt.

So strangely in the same breath, it’s a very exciting time and I feel that what broke apart in Anusara last year is a huge opportunity. Personally, it’s been the proverbial blessing in disguise for perspective I’ve needed in becoming more self sufficient with the teachings, putting them to full use, and collaborating in new ways.  This is what teachers do and my teachers have all done – instill an ability of questioning the value and meaning, purpose and use of any teachings in ones life, and learn to develop them for yourself.

LDA: Are you still teaching the same as before you resigned?

JD: I am, except with a profound burst of creativity and freedom. I am discovering even more ability to convey teachings in my own voice and to teach what I love. The methodology is in me. I teach with a theme because it serves students to have a focus for asana as a spiritual practice, and I still use alignment technique because the body deserves that kind of attention and refinement. I love the classroom as a playground for like-minded people to meet and find their common ground as the love of yoga. I am always a student of yoga first, so I am continuing to explore how all of this impacts students, and I do that through my own practice.

LDA: Will the training you’re offering be in the style of Anusara? How will it be different?

JD: This is a great question. Shaktiyoga New York teacher training is RYS-200 with Yoga Alliance, and will provide a comprehensive and full exploration of what it takes to teach yoga in the classroom or privately in an intelligent, safe, and expansive way.

Shakti is Sanskrit for ‘flowing energy’ and a name for the Goddess.  Shaktiyoga is a practice opening to this flow, which is abundant and positive in nature. From my own experience, leading life from this place leads to enormous peace of mind and strength when dealing with challenge.  I aim to teach teachers how to weave this message and higher meaning of the yoga practice into the classes, into the poses themselves, and into the breath.  It needs to be experienced as a component of a spiritual practice transmitted through the body, heart and mind, not just body.  Trainees need to know the bio-mechanics, anatomy, and technique of the asanas, as well as philosophical traditions behind the practice, have a meditation practice, and be committed to their own personal growth.

The SYNY 200 hour training is divided up into two parts. Part one is a 50 hour immersive exploration on the foundation of yoga I call Wisdom of the Sages. It’s about the pre-teacher  deepening their practice and understanding the alignment technique and bio-mechanics of the body, and review the foundational texts of yoga – The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and The Bhagavad Gita.

The second part is 150 hours of actual training and learning how to teach yoga in the classroom, including how to put together a class, the real art of sequencing, layering meaning into the practice, teaching pranayama and meditation, anatomy of the poses, and the application of yoga therapeutically.

I will have several guest teachers highly regarded for their expertise to enhance particular aspects of teaching yoga. Manoj and Jyothi Chalam will present mythology, the archetypes of deity, philosophy and bhakti; Ellen Saltonstall is a NYC anatomy and therapeutic yoga wizardess bringing her knowledge of the body, and Jennifer Pettit is also a goddess-expert of teaching Prenatal and Postpartum yoga.

Each one of these pros offer their own trainings in their respected fields, and trainees are encouraged to pursue a field of interest after the training. These modules of the training will be open to the public for any teacher to join in and gain from.]

What’s different is that I will offer more freedom for trainees to explore self-expression. I will provide a solid, detailed, and complete guide for the trainees to add their personal voice and flavor.

LDA: It sounds very well thought out. How would you define you’re teaching style?

JD: Lively and balancing, inspiring and deep. My classes are energized by passion and curiosity, and a desire to share this stuff.  I teach intelligent, determined and uplifting classes, and vary them so students get to work on specific things week to week. I am moving onward, fully rooted in my own practice of using yoga for transformation, growth, and healing.

Registration information and details about dates and cost of the training are on both her website and Bend and Bloom Yoga at www.bendandbloom.com.