Caroline (in the middle) with Richard Freeman (L) and Mary Taylor (R)!
Please meet our featured teacher, Caroline Weaver! Caroline is celebrating her 10th anniversary teaching at Flow - how incredible! We are so fortunate to have Caroline on staff - a teacher with a never-ending thirst for further knowledge, who is always intensely exploring the depths of yoga through her own practice. Truly inspiring!
What inspires you to practice at Flow?
Flow is like a second home to me. Every day I am inspired by the dedication of Deb and Ian and the staff, who make me feel so supported—I'm incredibly grateful to them. I'm inspired by my Flow yoga teacher colleagues, who are infinitely generous and knowledgeable. Finally, I am inspired by the folks who show up for class—some of whom I've known for years, whose practices I've seen change over time, and some who I'm just meeting for the first time. Their willingness to show up, to keep coming back, inspires me to keep learning, keep experimenting, keep growing as a teacher and as a student myself.
What was your first yoga experience like?
I think I was 12 or 13—there was a teacher in summer school who taught us sun salutations and yoga nidra. I loved it but being a teenager wasn't really interested in equanimity or peace of mind, ha ha. So the yoga fell by the wayside until my late 20s.
Who are some of your most influential teachers?
Max Strom, John Schumacher, Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor, Doug Keller, and, as of late, Christina Sell. I'm also very interested in the work of Matthew Sanford and plan to go study with him sometime in the next year.
What is something the Flow community may not know about you?
Oh gosh, I wish I had a zany anecdote to tell but the truth is my life has probably been fairly boring up to now—at least compared to some folks I know! I'm cool with that, though. I'm grateful for this life. And I'm grateful for the people and circumstances that allow me to teach yoga.
What is your current practice like and how does it fit into your daily routine?
I fit it in when and how I can! Usually that means practicing in the morning, whether it's in the Mysore room or at home. Whatever I am doing, I want to work with intelligence, with discernment and perception, so it is a creative and truth-seeking endeavor. I approach practice based on how things are feeling—I'm definitely not a fundamentalist—but I am specific and intentional about it. So for example, this morning I had planned on going to Cory's Led Primary class, but because of some pain in my body I decided to practice at home instead, a therapeutic viniyoga-style practice with pranayama, yoga nidra, and meditation. (I know that sounds really long but the whole thing was only about 45 minutes.)
Thank you for sharing, Caroline! We are so grateful that you have chosen to make Flow your yoga home!