Bay Area Yoga Teacher Highlight: Amanda Snow
Name: Amanda Snow
Practice with me at: Soulstice Spa-Relax and Be Free Flow- Saturday 9:30 am. Metta Yoga Studio- Candlelight Flow- Sunday 6:15pm.
How long I’ve been practicing yoga: My 1st memory of practicing Yoga was when I was 5 years old. As an adult, I have been practicing regularly for over 20 years.
How long I’ve been teaching Yoga: I have been sharing Yoga and other movement exercises with clients for over a decade. In 2017, I trained and received my YogaWorks, 500hour teaching credential, and have teaching regularly since.
What kind of Yoga I teach: My passion is designing programs to reset the nervous system to assist and support students in an often stressful, busy modern world. My classes are eclectic, and my specialty is that I draw upon many forms of yoga with a strong emphasis on alignment. My classes fine tune the body and the brain for optimum performance and result in students having a positive mindset. Themes in my yoga classes include energy medicine meditations and I work with the current season. I am also inspired to help students develop energetic distinction points between themselves and others, creating energetic boundaries through their yoga practice. The focus on this type of practice can serve and protect students on many levels.
I love teaching challenging Vinyasa classes with Bar Method elements, woven in. One of my mottos is – “Strong glutes, strong back, strong life!” since sometimes we need to push dissonant energy out of the body with a stronger practice. I also offer Yin, Restorative, and Gentle Yoga as a counterbalance to quietly unwind tension in the body.
My Mantra these days: “I am willing to see things differently!”. If the practice is working, our bodies as well as our psyche are changing for the better. It is possible to have a flexible body but a rigid mind. Your Yoga practice can be a form of supporting better mental health to soften the analytical mind from over thinking and anxiety.
An Asana/meditation or kriya that has been resonating with me lately is: “Yoga is an energy management system.” I believe in balancing the endocrine system through Yoga and the chakra system. Pineal gland meditations are valuable to increase our intuitive abilities.
How I like to practice Yoga off the mat: My goal is to spread good vibes and kindness to others since I believe that no one goes through life unscathed. I believe there is a richness in community, so in our tech driven society, where many are lonely, it is nice to acknowledge others as humans and that is an ongoing theme in my classes.
My sign: Virgo.
The last book I read was: Femme Fatale: Love, Lies, and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari.
Favorite local juice/tea spot: My office at Gloss Beauty is located right next door to Rustic Bakeryon Magnolia Ave, in Larkspur, so I go there often. I also support and enjoy Urban Remedya few times a week for nutrient dense meals, since I live in a body that moves and is constantly on the go.
Where I go for a nourishing meal: I love the peaceful energy and organic delicious food at Lotus Chat in San Rafael. It is a prefect quiet place to eat post practice. I recently ate at Oyama in Larkspur Landing and enjoyed the quality and preparation of their Sushi. Both places are located within proximity to the yoga studios I practice and teach at.
What’s on your yoga playlist right now: I owned a ticketing company and did box office management for live music events, so I have a vast library of music I choose from. I also grew up in Philadelphia, so I love silky smooths beats and Reggae music, and I also love hypnotic, instrumental music like Sol Rising, to flow to.
A few of my favorite yoga teachers include: Erika Trice, James Higgins and Judith Lasater.
A ritual I love: I am a spa entrepreneur and aromatherapist who studied clinical aromatherapy in my early 20’s. As a result, I design moving meditations and rituals for healing, release, and growth that often includes aromatherapy. I believe hot water and essential oils are simple rituals to purify the body and the muscles on a daily basis. I enjoy candle gazing or Trataka as a ritual as well.
What I am letting go of this year: I am letting go of residual sadness, including my own, as well as the collective’s. Every year, I affirm and set an intention to relax more, and feel increased freedom in my body.
What I am embracing this year: I am embracing an adventurous year with another successful urban wellness yoga retreat to Florence, Italy May 22nd-29th www.yogainitalia.com.
My website: www.relaxandbefree.com.
My instagram: @relaxandbefree.
