Teacher Spotlight: Lisa Leizman
Do you remember your first yoga class? What was it like?
The first class? That would be me in the back row, huddled in the corner, wondering “what’s a yoga mat?”. There were vibrant colors and textures, statues of wondrous beings, beautiful music, the surprising imprint of my foot on that sticky thing. The peak pose was, I later discovered, parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle). What? I couldn’t even make sense of what I was seeing, let alone figure out how to do it, so I drew this picture of what appeared to go where.
It was exciting! A world of such abundance-- new physical possibilities, powerful philosophical ideas, a discipline of imagination, compassion and delight.
Are there any preconceived notions you had about yoga that changed over time?
Every now and then, throughout my life-long dance education, somebody would offer training in something that they called “yoga for dancers”. A few of the shapes were familiar, others quite unusual, the limited instruction very sparce and the stated purpose to “get your leg higher” or “be more bendy”. I was always left with the nagging suspicion that there must be more to yoga than stretching.
Why did you want to become a teacher?
Over many years, I have taught many things. It is work that I have always loved. But, in all honesty, I had absolutely no intention of becoming a yoga teacher. Even when I was enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training, I actively resisted the idea of teaching-- my goal was to keep learning and studying. But, in the end, the desire to share that knowledge was too deep and the opportunity to work with and learn from students too strong to ignore. Teaching is a practice of generosity, creativity, hope and hard work—one way, in the company of others, to become ourselves.
How would you describe your teaching style?
Our class is a warm, open invitation that welcomes all students just as they are. Together, we explore our embodied experience with careful attention to physical alignment, clear, consistent instruction and through the study of the wonderfully rich philosophical traditions of yoga.
How do you want a student to feel after your class?
Did something in the class speak directly to you? A physical experience? An intriguing idea? Was it something poignant and tender? Yoga encourages you to engage all that you are--- your whole self--- body, mind and heart. What of yourself did you find in this practice?
Photographs
Dance rehearsal at the Northampton Center for the Arts.
Lindsay and me dancing to Prince at the Shea Theater!
Is that a lemur on my head?
