By: Katie Lulla
High school senior and newly certified yoga instructor Nora Yang is using daily, online yoga sessions to encourage relaxation and wellbeing in the Manhattan Beach community.
Yang started going to yoga classes when she was nine years old so she could have a fun activity to share with her mother. She grew to love the concentration and focus necessary to create the various postures and stretches.
“Over time and as I grew older, yoga became a powerful tool in my life,” said Yang. “In high school, I began practicing almost daily and I relied on my practice as a way to center, ground, reflect, and challenge my physical and mental strength.”
Yang was intrigued by both the origins of the postures and the meanings behind the names, according to Yang. She strove to explore the ancient tradition and apply it to her modern-day life. She trained in all levels of Vinyasa but also studied Yin and Restorative yoga. Vinyasa focuses on the flow of movements and breathing while Yin helps the body’s connective tissues.
“I find that yoga heals through the way it challenges,” said Yang. “I wanted to get certified so that I could dive more deeply into the practice and history and learn how to share the art with others.”
In the fall of her senior year, Yang completed an extensive 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher certification at Yogaloft where aspiring instructors attend all-day lectures, learn class sequencing and practice teaching. In addition to in-person lessons, Yang completed assignments on aspects of anatomy and physiology to balance their practice.
“The most important aspect of teaching yoga is knowing how to modify poses and sequences to fit different people’s bodies and needs,” said Yang. “It is really important to check-in with people and to see how they are feeling and to keep them as safe as possible while practicing.”
At the end of the 200-hour course, each certified instructor teaches and co-writes a class with two other teacher trainers. Unlike other instructors, Yang does not use music in her own sessions but says it can be motivational when used correctly.
“I tend not to use music because I sometimes find it distracting from the breath and my own thoughts,” said Yang. “Music can be a very powerful tool in teaching yoga, but when it’s wrong, it can also completely change the atmosphere you’re going for.”
When Mira Costa closed due to the Coronavirus, Yang decided to start hosting free yoga sessions over Zoom from 2:30 p.m to 3:00 p.m. every school day. The class has a diverse group of attendees with students, teachers, and even some of Yang’s international friends.
“For my zoom class, I hope that people come away feeling looser, happier, and rejuvenated,” said Yang. “It is a 30-minute window of time where we can forget about the craziness of the world and come together to connect, breath and move.”
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