It’s always special when Bill or Savonn come to teach class at Bernal. While all the teachers are brilliant, there’s something special about taking class from the founders. My first introduction to Bernal was through Bill. His straightforward style, paired down to asanas and instruction with a selective reference to the spiritual side of the teachings makes for a very focused class. Don’t get me wrong. I love the metaphorical associations between yoga and life, like what comes up when there is challenge, or how to breathe through a tough moment. Those help me with my day to day. But there’s a focus and calm that I love about the way Bill teaches. He has this encouraging way of letting us know, in subtle ways, be it walking through the room or offering a supportive “good” after we get into a pose, that he is there for us. And because he has been part of Bernal for so long, it’s almost like taking class from a cousin or a friend, someone that has been in your life in one way or another for a while, a wonderful familiarity.

Turns out Bill also taught Thai Massage over the weekend and some Bernal teachers took the class so we may find moments of massage over the next few weeks.

Bill also told a great story about KT, a brilliant teacher. He said that when she came to Bernal, she went to Bill and simply said, “When do I start?”, having just met him. “Have you not heard about me from Stephanie?”, she said. Needless to say, she was hired and with great pleasure. Bill said he felt honored to be teaching a class she usually teaches. As did we.