As the blogger for Bernal Yoga, I have the unique opportunity to visit almost every class and workshop at the studio. And I discover that every teacher, every class, offers something unique and special.

I had seen Megan Windeler at the studio many times. She is hard to miss. She has a very bright spirit, like a fluttering tinkerbell, and she brings that to her classes. Often, when watching her set up for an incoming group of practitioners, I would hear her playing music and dancing around the studio, welcoming people in. In this class, on Wednesday evening, Megan asked all the students to introduce themselves, offering a sense of community and togetherness. And again, that is a core part of what yoga is about. The asanas are just part of the practice. Yoga is really about the breath and the way in which we are with ourselves and each other. Since the word means union, it would make sense for people to be introduced, and to find, well, union together.

Megan’s class is not fast paced and action packed and yet, when it was over, I was shocked. She gently and calmly lead us through asanas, ones we are familiar with, sometimes asking us to hold them for some time. There is a misconception, I believe, that to have a workout, you have to have a sweat. And that is one kind of workout for sure. But placing your body into a position that stretches it in a way you hadn’t before certainly works out muscles that have not been worked out before. In  his class, Pradeep recommends to explore the position, change it in a way you might not have before. In Megan’s class, she offers a chance to do just that. Yoga is an invitation to go as deep as you want to, and deep doesn’t mean a bind or going into a complicated pose. You can be deep in the simplest of poses like downward facing dog, or warrior one, or even shivasana. It’s about the way you hold it, and carry it that counts.

And, of course, the breath.

Megan is a Mom and she loves yoga. Come to her class and you can sense both those things, and be prepared to be surprised by how the time passes.