By Shannon Perez
Staff Writer
“Finding your true breath” is an important teaching in yoga as well as in Mira Costa Spanish teacher Anita Rossell’s life. Rossell’s passion for yoga and aerial arts has expanded outside of the studios and her home, and has made its way into her classroom.
Rossell’s extensive practice in yoga has brought peace and balance to her life and has helped her through tough times. Once a beginner, Rossell has transformed into an experienced yogini.
“The one thing yoga works on is acceptance of who you are right then and there,” Rossell said. “I’m very grateful that yoga entered my life because it really has been life changing.”
Rossell began practicing yoga over 20 years ago after an injury from dance, but over the last 10 years she began to truly incorporate yoga into her everyday life. Rossell takes classes at yoga studios around the South Bay Area including Yoga Works in El Segundo, but also finds time to practice daily at home.
“Yoga has taught me to be compassionate with myself,” Rossell said. “We all deserve at least 10 minutes out of the day to focus on ourselves, it helps us become more compassionate in the end.”
Through her practice in ashtanga, a method of synchronized breaths with a series of poses, Rossell finds herself being more present which, according to Rossell,is important when she teaches.
“Just taking a slow deep breath helps you become more aware of what is going on around you,” Rossell said. “My students benefit from me being completely mindful and present when I teach, and that is ultimately my goal.”
Because of the relaxation and balance that Rossell has gained from yoga, she tries to incorporate those values into her classroom. Rossell plays soft music in the background of her class, regularly has the lights dimmed low, and often displays beach scenes on the board to create a welcoming and calming environment,that she hopes will help her students thrive.
“My yoga follows me off the mat as much as possible, I often tell my students to just take a deep breath with me, and most of the time they can’t,” Rossell said. “I find that they are stuck on the “go-go-go” mode that they struggle to decompress and focus.”
Recently, Rossell has begun to practice “flying yoga” or aerial yoga, a method of yoga in which silk hammocks are hung from the ceiling and participants practice poses suspended in the air. Rossell values the incorporation of movement, breath, and strength.
“For me, aerial yoga is all about play and it is important for me to be able to play,” Rossell said. “It helps me remember not to take life so seriously all of the time, because at the end of the day we can only control so much.”
In the past, Rossell has had her students push desks to the side, put all work away, and follow her in a basic yoga flow in order to decompress from the building stress of AP testing. Rossell hopes to continue her practice and passion for yoga for another 20 years, and hopes to further incorporate yoga into her classroom on a more regular basis, she hopes the students will learn to appreciate its benefits like she does.
“Yoga is very powerful and beneficial and I truly believe that anyone can begin at any level,” Rosell said. “It is our job to take care of ourselves so we can be our best self possible, and through yoga I can do that.”
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