Teacher Feature Spring 2003:
Molly Ciampa

When I was a little girl, my two passions were practicing gymnastics and playing school. I spent hours doing cartwheels down the block. When I got tired, I would retreat inside to teach my imaginary classroom of students.

In many ways, I feel like practicing and teaching yoga has allowed me to carry my childhood passions into my adult life. Rather than teaching imaginary students, I now have the privilege of touching real people's lives; and, rather than engaging in mere physical movement, I've learned the precious gift of connecting movement to breath and spirit.

My mother introduced me to yoga when I was three years old. My favorite asana was the one where she lay on her back with her legs straight up in the air and I balanced my abdomen on the souls of her feet with my arms and legs outstretched like Superman. "I'm flying!" I would say -- and I truly believed I was.

My next experience with yoga wasn't until college. I took a class, hated it, and vowed never to do yoga again. I now realize I didn't have a very good teacher. She had a drill sergeant personality and taught yoga like calisthenics.

After college, as a fitness instructor, I became certified to teach Reebok Flexible Strength, the fitness industry's first version of "Power Yoga". At first, I didn't realize it had anything to do with yoga and by the time I found out it did, it was too late. I was already hooked. By whatever name, all I knew was that it made me feel good.

Over the next few years, I dabbled in practicing yoga and teaching yoga-based classes. The first classes I taught were called "Strengthen and Stretch" because the gym's class coordinator was worried people would be turned off by the word "yoga" -- imagine that! I loved teaching these classes and soon a fitness-colleague-turned-yoga-instructor became a mentor, helping me to deepen my practice and understanding of yoga and refine my teaching style.

Despite my love for yoga, I kept it "on the side" and became more serious about teaching step aerobics and spending time in the weight room. As my muscles became more and more defined, I became more and more disconnected from my body. Eventually, I lost the "real me" somewhere in the midst of my daily workouts and calorie counting.

It took the process of rediscovering the "real me" and a lot of professional trial and error before I finally came to be a full time yoga instructor. I often tell people that when I left my corporate job to do fitness and personal training full time I was in the right neighborhood. When I started focussing on Pilates and Yoga, I was on the right street. When I focussed exclusively on yoga I was in the right house; and when I discovered Anusara Yoga, I finally found the right room.

Sometimes I find myself wishing I could have skipped all the trial and error and become a yoga instructor ten years ago. Then, I remind myself how much my experience as a fitness instructor, my knowledge from Pilates and personal training and my personal growth informs my yoga teaching. I am truly grateful for all the experiences I've had along the way (even the difficult ones) and the unwavering support of my fianc…`, family and friends. I simply feel blessed to be where I am today, enjoying an "adult version" of my little-girl passions.