Yoga Teacher Spotlight: Misty Sunse Mason

Yoga Teacher Spotlight

What inspired you to start practicing yoga, and how did it lead to teaching?

"Initially I started yoga for very physical reasons like lower back issues and pain and tightness in my hips due to extreme physical activities. I heard about yoga from a friend and found a class at the Rifle CMC that was perfect for me, a physically focused class which really helped me with my physical issues.

I soon met another teacher who led me deeper into yoga. Chauntelle introduced me to the yogic lifestyle which was so foreign to me at that time but she really drew me in to the community, she let me help out around the studio to pay for classes and encouraged me to begin meditating for just 5 minutes a day.

My next teacher Bettina kept encouraging me to take a teacher training and I kept saying no, the last thing I wanted was to be in front of a group of people teaching. But then my mom passed away, I felt so lost and yoga seemed to be the only thing calling me that felt right.

This month long training changed my life path profoundly, it brought a feeling of peace and contentment that I didn't even know existed. When I completed the training I knew I had to share the miracle of yoga and I've been teaching ever since."

What styles of yoga do you teach, and what draws you to these practices?

"Sivananda Yoga, which comes from Vedanta and is hatha yoga is my foundation. It is a complete practice that is very well rounded and gives me a routine which I find helpful.

Later in my yoga journey I began studying tantra yoga with Rod Stryker. This practice has taken me to a deeper level of practice and teaching, it's taught me how to shift and direct energy. Knowing tantra is like having a super power, seriously!

Through specific and focused breathing techniques, visualization, mantra and very simple physical movement the tone of my day can change completely in a short amount of time.

Weaving Tantra into my Sivananda practice has empowered me to live a more fulfilling life and to follow my heart."

How has yoga transformed your life personally and professionally?

"When I become injured in my body, mind, or heart I have noticed that my consistent strong practice manifests as the memory of yoga within of me. That memory is profoundly powerful, it's an imprint or pattern that I has been created thru the practice and I naturally come back to it.

It can be the difference between walking and being bed ridden, falling into depression and getting lost or rising out of it, getting lost in what society says that I'm supposed to do or following my own heart."

What is your teaching philosophy, and how do you bring it into your classes?

"Breath is at the core of my practice and teaching

Breath transforms whatever you're doing, it brings you back into the present moment. In the present we get to experience all of life, even the parts we don't like or really want to be with.

Notice what is arising out of your practice, what shadow parts do you truly want/need to heal? Holding space to feel and offer compassion to whatever is arising is a big part of how I teach. Movement follows breath allowing you the space to connect with deeper parts of yourself.

Self knowledge is power, the world needs us to wake up and stand in our power."

What advice would you give to someone just starting their yoga journey?

"Don't give up on yourself!  Yoga is a path not a destination, a journey that continues throughout your lifetime.

You are unique, there is only one of you in all of time. Yoga is here to help you find and open to your unique way of being and to shine your beauty out into the world."

What’s one thing about you that might surprise your students?

"I've always been a bit shy."

Connect with Misty Sunse Mason

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