Meet our October Teacher of the Month, April Laliberte! April believes that we are all called to yoga for a reason and that we should devote our time to yogic exploration. Her unique style of teaching invites students to connect with the subtle energy of the spirit through meditation, asana and breathing. Read on for insights and wisdom from April.
When did you start practicing yoga?
I started practicing yoga in 1997.
What has yoga brought to your life?
A dear friend Jennifer Urena first invited me to attend Kripalu with her in Lennox, MA and I loved yoga right away! Yoga has opened me up to being truthful with myself about what I could take ownership for in my life as my own doing, and what had manifested only as a result of "other people's desires FOR me." Through this awareness, I move forward with the confidence that I know deep in my heart what is for my best and highest good. Oh, and yoga helped me to obtain a strong body and calm mind, too!
Why did you become a yoga instructor?
I became an instructor in 2009.
What impact can a regular yoga practice have on a person's life?
Spiritual discipline is not something we westerners practice with regularity. It's not seen as an essential part of life. Keeping a regular yoga practice will bring you back to the bigger picture of your life. There is something so satisfying to bowing down to your innermost self and recognizing the true power inside of everyone. You eventually become hooked on the feeling of being reverent to that inner teacher that resides in our hearts and you just want more!
What advice would you give to someone that is just starting yoga?
The time is NOW! You are called to yoga for a reason, take the time and explore everything about this discipline. Challenge yourself to be open and receptive. You just might learn something new and valuable about yourself.
What is special about the style of yoga you teach? I teach a blend of styles I've come to call Energy Infused Yoga. It is a morphed style of Anusara, Hatha, Vinyasa with a special emphasis on spiritual science and energetic teachings. This is not a religion. It is an empowerment method, that allows me to teach students the secrets of being in a body. Read more about this style here: http://yogainclusive.com/intro-to-energy-infused-yoga/
What is your favorite yoga posture to teach, and why? They are all fun, I don't have a favorite pose. I do like teaching poses that bring students to that "ah-ha!" moment. That the most rewarding for me. The meditation after class is very important, but very private...it is the most important aspect of a yoga class that I can teach to students.
Please share some words of wisdom or advice for your yogadownload.com yoga students.
Yoga is WAY more than you think it is. We don't practice yoga here like they do in India. Keep an open mind and try something new. You may get a spark of inspiration! Look for wisdom in your teachers--anyone can teach calisthenics--true yoga is found in the moments of stillness. Your teachers should be bringing you to the point of openness within yourself--after all this is YOUR practice!
What do you like to do "off the mat"?
I like to travel the world and learn about different cultures. I am also a triathlete and mother and wife.
April has been teaching yoga since 2009. She has studied Anusara yoga since 2005 and has adopted the “near therapeutic” alignment techniques that the style offers. April has been studying energetic healing and the science of enlightenment since 1998, accomplishing her Reiki Master training in 2007. She currently teaches online at Yoga Download and Audible Yoga and in-person at her home yoga studio in Longmont, CO and can be reached by visiting www.yogainclusive.com. Connect with her on Facebook at April Laliberte Yoga Inclusive or on the Google Plus Community Yoga Inclusive. April keeps a very active YouTube channel as well with her very popular "Yoda Yoga Series."
April and her husband Jon have started Nomadic Import Traders, an import businesses that works with artisans in Thailand (and around the world) to bring original, handmade, one of a kind, eclectic art to the U.S. Among the items they collect for resale are yoga clothing, silk scarves, hand-pounded sound bowls, wood carved Buddhas, Ganesha statues, antiques and other relics. NIT supports artists by offering fair prices for the artwork.
Click here for a complete listing of April's YogaDownload classes and meditations!