Liz Davis, RYT

RYT 200 Yoga Teacher, Breathe Into Recovery™ Certified

(working toward 500 hour RYT)

• Tell us, when did mind-body first bend you to its will?  My first experience of yoga was of bhakti yoga, or the yoga of devotion. Which typically involves lots of chanting. (Ooooh, spooky!) But seriously, I discovered bhakti yoga several years ago, and I didn’t know anything except that I loved the way I felt when I sang those mantras, over and over again. For the first time in my life, I think, I had made contact with who I really was. So I did some exploring and naturally became really interested in hatha yoga. Showed up at Blue in the fall of 2007 and I was off and running!  The more I explore the wisdom of yoga and many other traditions, the more I meet myself and love myself, which means that I can be of service to other people and the planet. And that wasn’t always true.
• Besides your obvious coolness, what makes you qualified to teach?  I’m an RYT registered with Yoga Alliance, and a certified Breathe Into Recovery instructor. Aside from my qualifications on paper, like any other yoga teacher, I think my life experiences have been such that I want to extend my hand and my heart to other seekers. It makes me feel alive and useful and part of something bigger than myself. Yoga feeds my spiritual hunger, and I love being around other people who have that same hunger.  My next goal: 500-hour certification! Woo hoo!
• What other things are you qualified to do (besides train dolphins ... we're all qualified to do that)?  I’m an experienced freelance writer and editor. So it goes without saying that I’m a sucker for flawless grammar, juicy vocabulary words and ingenious turns of phrase. And now it also goes without saying that I’m an enormous dork.  I’m good with accents, and I do a decent impersonation of DeAnna’s “I’m-freaked-out” face. I’m also a pretty good lifeguard, and I make what I think is the world’s most delicious grilled cheese sandwich ever.
• What can we expect to see, hear and do in your classes?  Well, like I said, I’m a writer, so you’ll get lots of description and metaphors and sometimes even stories, which I hope will help you to have a deeper understanding and experience of your practice. I want to bring an intelligent, compassionate, mind-body-spirit practice to anyone who wants it, because yoga has been so transformative for me. So you can expect me to talk about spiritual and mental matters at least as much as I talk about what’s going on physically in the class.  I want you to feel centered and authentic and free to be exactly who you are. I trust you with your practice…after all, it’s your practice. I’m just here to be a guide, and I’m honored to help you.  P.S. You can also look forward to really good tunes, some chanting and the occasional poem.
• What pose/move do you dig the most and why?  Trikonasana. It’s such a beautiful, dynamic, expansive posture. And I love being sideways. Yeah, I could hang out in Trikonasana all day.
• If you could push a button and remove a pose/move from history, which one and why?  Warrior I torques my sacrum and feels so unnatural to me. It’s just not working out between me and Warrior I. Dear Warrior I, It’s not you, it’s me. Sorry. Maybe we can try again in a few years. See ya around the studio.
• Like, what's your sign man?  Libra, honey.
• What are 3 things that make you smile real big and cheesy?  Big stacks of books, black licorice and my smart-aleck husband. And I know you said 3 things, but I simply must add pictures of baby animals, especially puppies and anteaters. And chocolate.
• What is your favorite quote when you're in need of a little inspiration?  “Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the Fellowship of the Spirit, and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny.  May God bless you and keep you—until then.”
• If you could do anything to change the world, what would it be?  Honestly? Not a thing. I think this world is perfectly designed to facilitate our awakening. But I do have days when I think we could all stand to lighten up a little. Or a lot.
• Any other interesting information you would like to share with the nice people reading this here Bio?  I think that pretty much covers it.