Maya Parr

((The style of yoga that I teach reflects all of my experiences with yoga. Both of my parents were practitioners of Richard Freeman before I was born, and have thus had a deep influence on my understanding of the philosophy of yoga. In high school, following a soccer injury, I was introduced to the practice of yoga in a more practical way, where the balance between strength and flexibility in the body was emphasized and highlighted. It was around this time that I began to realize the benefits of yoga on my mind and internal world, as well as on my body. I began practicing consistently around the age of 18, trying out new studios, flows, and independent practices. I worked as a karma yogi, cleaning studios and answering phone calls at different studios around the Boulder area to trade for membership. It was around this time that i began seriously thinking about one day teaching. After high school I saved money and traveled to Nepal, where I worked closely with a yoga teacher in Kathmandu for a months time. We mostly talked about compassion. Yoga was with me through all of the major moves and events of my late teens and early 20s, and became a grounding and stabilizing force in my life. In 2022, I traveled to India for the first time to complete a thesis for my undergraduate degree on women's reproductive education. Living in Delhi, my relationship to yoga transformed once again. I am someone who thrives in community, and I often feel comfort with the help of a teacher. However, living in India was the first time that the help of a physical classroom was no longer an immediate option, and also not a requirement. I was needing to be in touch with my internal experience, and so each day I would show up to my mat to check in,. It became a ritual that sparked a true curiosity and love for my human experience. In 2024 I returned to India where I spent 3 months in the heat of Mysore in an intensive teacher training. We practiced every day except Sundays from ~4am to 9pm, with breaks for lessons in anatomy, philosophy, chanting, and technique for two months. The intensity was such a relief for me. To be involved in a community that matched my passion for yoga was stabilizing and affirming. I am still learning about the ways that this experience has impacted me. In my third month in Mysore, I was given the unique opportunity to stay on and assist my teacher, Prashanth, in training the next batch of 20 students in becoming teachers. Working closely with Prashanth is an honor that I cannot put into words. His humility and dedication is something that impacts my life daily. After retuning to the US, I began my professional teaching journey holding small classes in Lyons, Colorado. I also am honored to have worked with two local friends and mentors, Cali Leola and Steph Shwartz, to gain more insight and support as a new teacher. I work with teachers to continue to deepen my practice and experience as a teacher.))

With more than 20 years of exposure and 10 years of dedicated practice, the yoga I teach includes dynamic movement, breathe, balance, strength, fluidity, inversion and creative expression. The purpose behind my teaching is for students to develop a more intimate relationship with heir bodies and internal systems. This has been the greatest lesson that I have taken from yoga, and continue to learn in my daily life. Providing spaces for people to connect and share what is known and felt, feels like the purpose behind my classes. I have a lot to share in this realm, and it is a joy to be able to give back and connect in this way.

Classically trained in Ashtanga, I pull many postures from the Primary series, while also incorporating different transitions and flows that inform my personal expression. I teach an Ashtanga inspired flow that can be adapted to all ages and bodies. More than just the alignment, the strength, balance, and flexibility that is experienced in yoga, the purpose behind my classes is for students to sense the internal experience that they are having, and begin to develop a deep relationship with it. Ashtanga is the path of 8 limbs, the first part of this journey being ahimsa. Ahimsa most directly translates to "nonviolence" in thought, speech, and action. This is the first step in learning to apply yoga to all parts of life; this is the reminder I instill in my students in our time together on the mat. Balancing this intention, with physical strength and health for the body is the way that I experience and lead students through their practice.