Featured Yoga Instructor: Samantha Westerwelle
Name: Samantha Westerwelle, E-RYT 500, YACEP
Practice with me in community at:
Kindred Healing Space (Sun/Wed/Thu)
Urban Yogis (Sat/Sun)
Spark Hot Yoga Marysville (Mon)
Practice with me one-on-one: In the Sage Room @ Kindred Healing Space (Sun/Mon/Wed/Thu)
1. How did you get started with yoga?
In college I was looking for a way to stretch and relax. As a music major, core classes began in freshman year with high performance pressure. My first yoga class was offered in a gymnasium by a wonderful gal that had a fitness background and was moving more towards yoga teaching. Through this weekly class I found that my breath capacity was increasing and singing was becoming easier, not to mention more enjoyable again. Stress of course reduced but I was enamored with the science behind the pairing of movement and breath. How one hour could not only change a person’s life physically but mentally as well?
I continued to take yoga classes from then on consistently, and inconsistently at times, until landing on a regular twice a week practice that really helped me to see how I myself contributed most to my daily stress. Core Power in Seattle, hate to say it, but am so grateful for it. They hooked me. Community, self care, therapy and much more came one after the other in those days.
2. What is your mission as an instructor?
To facilitate the process of building a healthy connection between self and body in a way that empowers self healing.
3. How do you practice yoga off the mat?
My favorite way of practicing off the mat is through mindfulness. My teacher once described mindfulness to me as simply brushing your teeth. ‘Do you simply brush your teeth in the morning or do you prepare for your day while you brush your teeth?’ he said. Or do you prepare for your family, your day and your to-dos? Honestly, I prepare for my day while brushing my teeth still but it is not the average anymore. These days I walk with conscious awareness of how my feet are engaging in walking, I schedule breaks into my day to help with my anxiety and I spend more time in silence than in noise.
4. Who are some of your favorite yoga instructors?
Todd Jackson - Inner Body Integration - Portland
Sarahjoy Marsh - Yoga Therapy - Portland
Taylor Hudson - Mindful - Everett
Anoop Purohit - Hatha - Rishikesh
5. Outside of yoga what are you passionate about?
Quality food and the art of cooking. Culturally, sharing a meal has so much weight to it in my family. I’ve found food to be one of the most healing and nourishing ways to explore connection with others as well as the self. From looking up recipes, reading cookbooks, cooking while dancing to the most outrageous music to plating with color and immersing in beautiful conversation while the table is full... I love food.
6. What are some of your wellness habits outside of yoga?
Tongue scraping has become the grossest and most interesting practice that I do daily. I feel a sense of self accountability for my daily choices when I look at my tongue. Did I drink enough water? Did I eat an early dinner? What would be best for my body today? All of these questions and more come up as I look at the surface and tissue of my tongue. I also average 8 hours of sleep a night. This is a MUST for me. I can tell everything else in my health suffers from lack of rest very clearly, so I make it a priority.
Samantha Westerwelle, E-RYT 500, YACEP, is an Ayurvedic Yoga Instructor with over 1600 hours of education that began with her first Yoga Teacher Training in India. With a focus on fresh food and appropriate exercise, Samantha recommends tailored meal plans, yoga practices, and daily cleansing routines that support wellbeing from the inside out.
With her extensive training in Ayurveda and Hatha Yoga Samantha seeks to improve energy and mobility in aging bodies through food, movement and lifestyle practices by providing practical and easily applicable suggestions that meet the everyday needs of today’s modern householder. To empower people to move with confidence, so that life can be lived with joy.
Website:https://www.ypractice.com/
Instagram: @samantha.ypractice