Yoga of Joy Testimonials
"Yoga of Joy awakens the child inside of us all. As adults in modern times, we can easily forget about the lightness in spirit that we felt when we viewed the world through wide, youthful eyes. I always thought of myself as a "kid at heart" but after practicing Yoga of Joy for over a year, I could very clearly see that I hadn't fully tapped into that childlike energy for quite some time. This practice is a gift that has enhanced every aspect of my life and how I now perceive the world at large. It has renewed for me the ability to find that place of peace that only a child can feel. No other yoga practice has so perfectly balanced physical invigoration, mental clarity and spiritual rejuvenation for me. I am very thankful for the opportunity to explore Yoga of Joy and recommend it to anyone who wants to remember what it was like to worry less and enjoy more."
~ Ruben Bautista
"Studying the Yoga of Joy is like drinking a cool glass of water, essential to life, refreshing, and pure. As an 8th grade teacher, I often work at least 13 hours a day; this practice brings me energy and helps me stay focused and relaxed. Yoga of Joy has allowed me to awaken my heart, mind, and body. There is something powerful and wonderful about this practice and it truly has brought joy to my life. There are moments in life when you know you are experiencing something life-changing; something you will always take with you. Practicing Yoga of Joy has helped me find a sense of peace, unleashed positive energy in my heart, and fueled a deep, lasting, and heartfelt commitment to this practice."
~Cory Jong
"I now realize that Yoga of Joy is a midlife gateway for me. Instead of having a midlife crisis, I am having and experiencing the yoga of joyfulness and release of countless inhibitions, fears, anxieties and repressions that I didn't even know I had (well I didn't know and I did know, if you know what I mean!), and I'm a lifelong practitioner of mindfulness and inner journeying! Yoga of Joy is a refinement of everything that has led up to it in my life; the lightest, most easeful, most energetically precise practice that I have been drawn into. It is a sweet embrace indeed. It really only comes down to one word: ecstatic! Just bliss. In the most easeful and yet surgically effective cleansing and healing ways imaginable. Yoga of Joy is a true blessing; balancing on all levels of mind, body and spirit. The image I can offer you is a laughing, bubbling stream, in all its cool, moving, refractive, and easeful essence. My humble offering to you: flow with it and that will be the release your spirit seeks and offers to others."
~ Valorie Thomas
"Yoga of Joy has transformed my life in ways that were unfathomable even one year ago. I had no idea what I was going to learn- but some higher consciousness was pulling me in the direction of these classes. Words cannot justify the breakdown and therefore breakthrough I have experienced in my body, my mind and most importantly, my heart. Learning about the Yoga of Joy was the most compassionate decision I have made for myself in a very long time. It is only through having true compassion for ourselves that we can begin to understand compassion for others. I am forever grateful."
~ Amy Jones
"The snow is melting around me--a February thaw in the midst of a long New England winter. I go through the ritual of the Yoga of Joy, and I remember how, almost two years ago, I came to this practice—or it came to me.
I had been studying with Carry at the Hollywood YMCA for several months, when I asked her if she could recommend a yoga retreat. I had never been to a retreat, but I felt like I was ready to go deeper in my practice. Carry happened to be teaching a weekend retreat at the Mt. Baldy Zen Center, and I went. It snowed then, too, and melted. Dharma snow, Carry said, augured a powerful practice. The retreat was a watershed for me, setting in motion tremendous inner growth that brought me across the country from LA to Massachusetts, to a new home and new ways of approaching my career and my life. I let Carry's teachings wash over me, and after the retreat I never missed an opportunity to learn more about the Yoga of Joy from Saturday sessions in Silverlake. Now that I am in Boston, I miss those sessions, but the practice is still with me.
The practice itself is a way of cleansing my body and spirit. Each breath and movement reestablishes the connection to my higher Self and lets the preoccupations of the self (small 's') drift farther away. Joy comes from the realignment with One-ness, of letting go of darkness and isolation and opening to the light.
~ Sarah Rotman Epps
"When I practice I connect with that essential part of me that plays, laughs and is gratefully imperfect. My first class was like opening a bottle of sparkling water, and my giggles and smile lasted well beyond the hour."
~ Bonnie Buckner
"Yoga of Joy classes have opened the way to a totally new form of practice in my life. The movements themselves are simple and repetitive, and, like children do, they offer clear, playful solutions to life's problems. This way of practicing encourages us to find the joy in life, and through that joy blossoms energy, health, and karmic release. I don't know how it works; we make "ooooh" sounds and curl our fingers into flower shapes, and open our eyes very wide, and poof! Magic happens. I feel very lucky to have found this practice and can't wait until the next class!"
~ Amanda Yates
"Every flavor of yoga is different. What I love about Yoga of Joy are the cool mudras, strange sounds, postures, and eye movements - all at once! It's a very unique combination that really takes you out of your shell, and makes it impossible not to smile. It gives me a feeling of pure childhood play and deep spirituality at the same time - which is both a powerful lesson and an amazing experience to carry around inside. It makes my heart smile!"
~ Andy Mannle