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 Naomi Huober.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH YOGA?
I always say that my first memory of yoga was in the fourth grade. I had an asthma attack during storytime and I was rushed to the school nurse, but unfortunately she didn’t have my meds on hand and was forced to find another mean to calm my struggled breathing. So, she resorted to having me slow down my breath, counting to four on the inhales & exhales, breathing deeply into my belly. My asthma subsided, and from then on out I found myself doing this breath pattern whenever I felt asthma coming on, or even if I was just bored as I found it comforting. I had no idea that this was what I would one day know as pranayama!
WHAT KIND OF TRAININGS HAVE YOU PURSUED?
My roots are in Anusara, but more recently I have focused my studies in the school of Rasa Yoga, studying under Greta Hill. Rasa is a style of yoga that is very rich and multifaceted which satisfies my endlessly curious nature. It has allowed me to go deeply into the philosophy, mantra and myth as much as the alignment, biomechanics and therapeutic applications. In addition to Rasa Yoga, I have studied with Jason Crandell, functional movement specialists and Julia Piazza of Birth Wisdom Yoga.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING METHOD?
My goal is to deliver the whole of these practices & everything that they have meant to me. I teach every class with a theme, so that I can weave in yogic teachings & philosophy, and help students connect to their hearts + find time for self-reflection. I am a great lover of alignment and moving in a way that is creative but also truly beneficial for the body. Each class I focus on a key concept or action and work to download that information by building from more simple to complex movements. Chances of hearing a myth, practicing a mantra or working with a mudra in my classes are also very high.
HOW HAS YOGA INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE & WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON?
Yoga has given me a way to be in my body, my emotions and my experiences with more grace & authenticity. Life is both full of the greatest joys as well as some of the biggest struggles, and yoga has given me a way to be with it all. This practice has meant turning the mirror back on myself, always being willing to ask the questions and dig deeper. It has helped me to feel stronger and more at ease in my body, and it has also taught me how to connect more intimately with myself and others. This practice continually teaches me & inspires me to molt into the next best version of myself.
WHAT’S YOUR MISSION AS A YOGA INSTRUCTOR? WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO REACH AND WHY?
My two biggest passions are community & mother nature. I dream of a community where high levels of collaboration are possible, where individuals feel seen & heard, and where we can all work & live together across our differences. I envision a world where we treat mother nature with the utmost respect, refraining from taking more than we need, and committing to a simple lifestyle. I truly believe that community & a lifestyle of this kind are the medicine so many of us need, and also the answer to most modern-day problems. My teaching spans many generations and demographics. I don’t want to teach to one type of person because I hope to bring many kinds of people together. I will work to build this kind of community & lifestyle with any students who are willing.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT YOU’VE EXPERIENCED AS A YOGA STUDENT? AND HOW ABOUT AS A TEACHER?
As a student, one of my most inspirational journeys has been my one with mantra. The first mantra I ever worked with continually was the Purnamadah Chant and it blew my heart wide open. It unlodged things that lived deep inside of me, that were ready to be healed & confronted. I’ve since worked with many mantras and use them in my own practice for a variety of reasons at different points. Mantra has helped me find confidence in my voice, it has been a source of strength, and it has served as a direct line into my heart whenever I need it. As a teacher my most inspiring journey has been assisting Greta Hill’s 200-hour, watching each students’ transformation as well as the kind of community that’s possible in those spaces. The way our group came together to really listen & share in support of one another was one of the most beautiful & inspiring dynamics I have yet to witness.
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO GAIN A CERTIFICATION IN BIRTH WISDOM YOGA AND NEXT GENERATION YOGA?
I think that there is something so special about pregnancy, families and children. I love connecting to people at all stages of life, and I truly believe that the yoga practice can meet you wherever you are. I’m not currently teaching kids yoga, but I am leading prenatal series and I love working with women at a time of such change & feminine power.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE YOGA RELATED BOOK?
The one that I continually go back to again and again is Awakening Shakti by the ever-amazing Sally Kempton. I eat up all things ‘divine feminine’ and love the world of archetypes and Mythology.
OTHER THAN PRACTICING YOGA, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF YOUR WELLNESS & SELF-CARE HABITS?
Getting out into nature for a swim, hike, backpack or camping session is my number one. Nothing makes me feel more alive, connected, strong or revitalized that being with the elements. As weird as it sounds, journaling and talking to myself out loud are other practices that keep me grounded & sane. Both help me to process & make sense of what’s in my head or what’s going on with me emotionally. Beyond that, I fill myself with nourishing, organic, whole (and often home-cooked) foods, and move my body in one way or another every single day. I also weave in a couple strength training sessions each week to compliment my yoga practice.
Oh, and Sunday night Restorative at Seattle Yoga Arts with Nicole Bratt is god.
WHO IS THE YOGI WE SHOULD FEATURE NEXT?
Roe Johnson! Roe has dedicated her teaching to the more introspective practices of Yin & Restorative. She holds very sweet space, inviting students into a place of quiet, stillness and introspection that is very healing and revitalizing.
Naomi Huober’s Bio: Naomi teaches a heart centered yoga practice brimming with creative sequencing and a deep attention to alignment & functional movement. After practicing yoga for almost 10 years, she completed her RYT 200hr Yoga Alliance certification in 2017 with Mariel Freeman at Three Queens Yoga in Philadelphia. This training was based in Anusara teachings with an emphasis on Tantric philosophy, therapeutics and meditation. She has since completed a second 200hr with Rasa Yoga and continues to study under the mentorship of Seattle-based instructor, Greta Hill . She is also certified with Birth Wisdom Yoga to lead prenatal and Next Generation Yoga to teach yoga for 2-7 year olds. Outside of the yoga studio, Naomi is a lover of all things nature, design, travel and food.
To learn more about Naomi check her website and follow her on Instagram.
