Teacher Spotlight: Beth Tascione
Take a Class with Beth
Restorative Yoga on Friday evenings from 5:30-6:30 In-Studio or Online
Do you remember your first yoga class?
My first yoga class was in a high school phys ed. class. What was it like? It was surprisingly peaceful and meditative. We were tucked away in a storage closet surrounded by cones and hula hoops, with the sounds of kids shouting and whistles being blown in the phys ed class going on outside our closet in the gym. It didn’t really matter though because we had this sacred little space to move and breathe. It was a small group which it made it that much more soothing and delightful.
Why did you enroll?
Because I was stressed out, curious, and I remember watching Lilias Folan on TV when I was really little and loving practicing yoga with her - I hoped yoga would help me feel less stressed out. And honestly I wanted a little something different from my PE class.
Are there any preconceived notions you had about yoga that changed over time?
That there was only one kind of yoga and that it was all about stretching. I now know that there are so many ways to approach this practice - it can be strong and powerful in its physical demands, just as it can be gentle and soothing; that the teachings and philosophies can impact the way we move through the world. That the “yoga” doesn’t end when we step off the mat.
What have you gained from your yoga practice?
With regard to my body, I’ve gained strength, flexibility, mobility, as well as a deeper respect for it. I’ve also gained more courage, more curiosity (there is so much to learn about and dig into with this practice, and even after over 20 years of studying I still find that there is more that I want to and need to learn!). It has taught me how to live with more mindfulness, patience, more kindness toward myself. As I invite my students to meet themselves as they are with kindness, curiosity, compassion, I’m finally learning to do the same.
Why did you want to become a teacher?
I remember distinctly the moment I decided that I wanted to become a teacher. I was walking down 8th avenue (in NYC where I lived) toward home after taking a yoga class. Despite the traffic, I felt so at peace, so spacious, so limitless and full…so present. And I knew in that moment how special this practice was and how I wanted everyone to experience these kinds of sensations. I said to myself, very clearly and matter-of-factly, “oh…I’m going to become a yoga teacher.” I studied for about 5 more years before I took my first teacher training, and then once I immersed myself in this practice there was no looking back. In the process, I also learned that I really love the art of teaching.
How would you describe your teaching style?
In all of my classes my hope is to hold the space for folks to come to class as they are and meet themselves with kindness, curiosity, and even a sense of humor.
My style changes somewhat based on the type of class I’m teaching, I don’t bring the same kind of energy to a restorative class that I do with a flow class. In my more active asana classes I love to move with the rhythm of the breath – be it big movements or smaller, subtler movements. So, my classes will always have a flow to them, but there is always time to linger and feel what is happening in your body. Over the last few years I’ve been enjoying weaving in movements that I learn from other movement modalities as I think our bodies can benefit from novel movements to help minimize the demands that the repetition of a traditional vinyasa class can have on the body. I’ve also been focusing more on how we can develop strength in our body as well as mobility – not just flexibility.
I like to strike a balance between offering skillful alignment and offering space for folks to have their own experience. I LOVE learning about the body and how it moves. And I love sharing that information with my students so they have a deeper understanding and relationship with their bodies.
My classes are also progressive – I try, as I plan them, to build them in a way that offers folks opportunities to regress or progress through a movement phrase. And I always weave in some kind of heart-centered theme or yoga teaching as one of the things that I love about yoga is that it’s not solely about the body and the movement.
In my restorative yoga classes, my style is more gentle and soothing. I want folks to come and experience deep rest. I want to support them in setting up the environment for stillness and quiet to arise. So I tend to talk less and offer longer periods of silence.In my all of my classes I want to communicate that every offering is just that, an offering, an invitation to explore…
How do you want a student to feel after your class?
More embodied, mindful and aware and more kind towards themselves. These are things that I feel are what I am ultimately offering my students. Yes, the movement and how to move with more skillfulness, and how to de-stress and unwind the kinks, but the awareness and mindfulness that comes from bringing our attention to the breath or to a body part in a pose is tremendous and so easily translatable to our day to day life. I also hope they feel a little more at peace – I think the magic of this practice is the stillness and the quiet that can arise when we create the environment for it.
Enjoy this sweet invitation from Beth T as we gear up for our Intro to Yoga Series, a 6 Week Online Series starting On Sunday, February 20th. Reserve your spot today!