Seattle Yoga News is on a mission to find and highlight all of the hidden, and maybe not so hidden, gems in our yoga community and beyond. We want you to learn about their experiences and perspectives, but also a bit more about their personalities, so we have a few fun questions for them. This week’s spotlight is turned towards Emma Shandy Anway.
We asked Emma to share a word with our community and this is what she had to say:
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A YOGA TEACHER?
I have been practicing yoga for the past two decades and it had always been a dream of mine to become a certified teacher. When I began graduate school and was working with people with major traumatic histories I started to realize how integral yoga and movement is to mental health care. I realized that I wanted to be a therapist who had the credentials to do this integrative work and so I decided to do a summer training program while I was on a break from school.
WHAT KIND OF TRAINING HAVE YOU PURSUED?
I completed my 200 hour teacher training with CorePower in Ballard and have also completed Trauma Informed Yoga training with Street Yoga.
WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU ALWAYS GIVE YOUR STUDENTS?
As simple as it sounds, I always remind them to pay attention to what their body is telling them it needs, and see if they can honor whatever that is. As a society we are so constantly stressed and anxious that we tend to numb ourselves, and weaken our mind-body connection. Being able to tap into how your body is feeling and what it needs is a skill that highly benefits all aspects of your life.
WHAT TYPE OF YOGA DO YOU LIKE TO PRACTICE AND WHY?
Having recently moved to Seattle from California I am currently coping with the winter cold by practicing heated vinyasa yoga. I love starting my day with a sweaty flow practice, it rejuvenates me and warms me up from the inside out!
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE YOGA RELATED BOOK?
Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar. This book truly changed my life, I read it first when I was 17 and it transformed the way I thought about yoga and how I practiced.
WHAT IS ONE THING MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I have dual citizenship with the U.S and Britain. My mom is from Scotland so I spent nearly every summer abroad while I was growing up.
OUTSIDE OF THE WORLD OF YOGA, WHAT ARE YOU REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT?
I am currently finishing up a graduate program in Marriage and Family Therapy and am extremely passionate about all things related to mental health care. There is so much stigma surrounding so many issues that people deal with and I want to work to counter that and provide healing and education in whatever ways that I can. I love working with the relationship between yoga and therapy and am excited to launch my own private practice this fall!
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE YOGA SCENE WILL BE LIKE IN SEATTLE IN 15 YEARS?
The current yoga scene in Seattle feels very fitness focused and I think over the next fifteen years there will be a swing towards people practicing more for the spiritual/mindfulness aspects of yoga. There is so much constant chaos in this city with the massive amount of growth that’s happening daily and I think there will be a point where people start to realize they need something to help stabilize and ground themselves more.
WHERE CAN ONE TAKE A YOGA CLASS WITH YOU?
I am currently teaching at the Mind Body Sanctuary in Fremont, and am focusing specifically on classes for women who have experienced pregnancy loss and want to find ways to reconnect with their bodies. I will be broadening to general vinyasa classes this spring which will be open to all.
WHO IS THE YOGI WE SHOULD FEATURE NEXT?
I would like to nominate Julia Canfield.
Emma Shandy Anway’s Bio: Emma Shandy Anway is a Marriage and Family Therapist candidate passionate about working with the bio-psycho-social-spiritual-sexual self to help clients on their way to healing. Emma is certified in trauma informed yoga instruction and most recently has been utilizing her training in this subject area to create yoga classes for women who have experienced pregnancy loss. Emma is a Californian and moved to Seattle with her husband to attend graduate school. When she is not studying Emma enjoys finding ways to make vegan food taste good, salsa dancing and chasing the sunshine!
