Aubrey Holster

Aubrey Holster, 25, a former WVU student, is a yoga teacher in training.

Aubrey began taking yoga classes at Inner Life Yoga Studio during her college career in 2009.  She became very passionate about yoga and aspires to be a yoga teacher one day.  She graduated college with a degree in art and education, and she is a substitute teacher for secondary schools in Monongalia County.

She explained that yoga started out as a hobby for her.  She has only taken yoga classes at Inner Life and prefers to practice Iyengar yoga.

 

Aubrey found the studio by searching the Internet for yoga studios in the Morgantown area.  She did not know anyone who was taking classes there, but she decided to try it out.

 

She has always liked to be physically fit, as she exercised at the WVU Student Rec Center in college.  She said that she preferred to run and use the elliptical machines, as well as ride her bike.  Today, her only form of exercise is yoga.

 

Aubrey takes the Level 2 class on Wednesday nights and the Multi-level class on Saturday mornings.  There are seven to 11 students in each class.

 

She practices Iyengar yoga, in where she uses props and practices the poses at a slower pace than other types of yoga.  This type of yoga is helpful in learning proper alignment of the body.

 

She has experienced Vinyasa yoga before but does not like it very much because in this type of yoga, the poses flow more.

 

Aubrey said that practicing yoga on a regular basis has made a big difference in her day-to-day life.  She claimed that Iyengar yoga is the best type of yoga for her body.  She is a naturally jittery person and Iyengar yoga forcers her to slow down, pay attention to her body and focus on alignment.

 

“It’s a slower process, I am able to better absorb the information that the instructor gives me,” said Aubrey.  “It helps me to connect with my body better, which is my favorite thing about yoga so far.”

 

She explained that having a good instructor is very important.  She is very pleased with her yoga instructor because the instructions that are given in the classes are very clear.

 

Furthermore, Aubrey is in the teacher mentoring program at the studio, where she attends a monthly yoga workshop, a 3 hour mentoring class with other teachers, observes a beginners class and afterwards has the opportunity to teach 3 poses in front of the class instructor and be given one-on-one feedback from Siegfried Bleher, who runs the program.  This spring, she will be teaching her first beginners class at Inner Life Yoga Studio.

 

In addition to practicing yoga at the studio, Aubrey practices yoga at home, as well. She practices up to 15 poses a day, which always includes a headstand and shoulder stand, and she also meditates for 10 minutes every day.

 

Aubrey eventually wants to own her own yoga studio that emphasizes Iyengar yoga. 

 

She never used to see herself as being a teacher, but once she realized that she enjoys sharing things that she thinks are important for others to know, she knew it was the right field for her.  She likes the feeling of helping others and is always excited to share her experiences with others.

 

Aubrey said that teaching helps with critical thinking skills and is beneficial to all involved.  She wants to continue teaching yoga and in the education system.

 

Aubrey explained the many benefits of doing yoga. 

 

“The biggest benefit is being more in tune with my body throughout the day, and I can tell that I feel more control over my body,” said Aubrey.  “I am getting to the point where I am realizing how yoga is changing the way I think.”

 

She said that yoga has given her more mental control.  She is more aware of her thoughts throughout the day, and she feels more relaxed.