Teacher Feature: Kelli Mae Willis
Teacher Feature of the Month: Kelli Mae Willis
Watch a video of Kelli Mae Willis! Visit Kelli Mae at the studio!
Kelli Mae’s Classes:
Circus Yoga: Thursdays: 3:30- 4:15 pm pm (pre-registration only) | Flying Yoga: Thursdays: 7:30- 8:30 pm | Vinyasa: Wednesdays: 5:45-7:15 pm
1. evo: how did your yoga journey begin and what has yoga come to be or to mean for you?
kelli mae willis: For many years, yoga was on the fringe of my life. I studied philosophy, belly dance, meditation, and Eastern religions in college, and yoga was always offered alongside these practices. As time went on, I took classes in Bikram, Hatha, Kundalini, and Iyengar yoga, and enjoyed the practice tremendously. Then by a very random sequence of events, I found myself traveling to India in 2007 with the family of a 90 year old Punjabi guru.
In India, I thought, why not find a teacher training course? And so I completed a training in Nasik where I learned more about the depth of the yogic lifestyle beyond asana practice. At the end of 2007, I was blessed to attend an AcroYoga immersion with my partner Sam in Big Sur, California. This practice completely exploded my worldview. Since then, AcroYoga and anusara are my primary practices, along with CircusYoga, a practice much like AcroYoga but designed for kids and parents working together.
In each class, immersion, and training, I’m reminded that my own practice has come so far, and yet there is still so much more to learn. This is the heart of the practice to me. Yoga is not a school subject you can master in a certain period of time. It is an entire shift in the method of living your life. Today, yoga is my spiritual driver. I know if I am making choices that support my practice and give me time to move forward in my learning, then these are the right choices in my life.
2. evo: what do you teach and evolution and what is your style like?
km: I teach Flying Yoga, CircusYoga, and Vinyasa all levels classes at Evolution. I like my classes to be playful, challenging, and intuitive. Yoga is a practice of learning your own truth, so I encourage students to take time to relax in postures, and tune in to the intelligence of the body. I like to draw from cognitive psychology and establish the habits of breath awareness and conscious relaxation to create mind-body practices that will serve students beyond the yoga studio. And when it is appropriate, I love to challenge and support my students to break out of their perceptions of what they can or cannot do, and break the limitations the mind has placed on the body.
We do this with the support of the knowledge of our teachers and the energy of the community, and the end result is absolutely profound.
3. evo: whom or what influences & inspires you?
km: The practices of AcroYoga, CircusYoga, and Thai Yoga Massage are some of my greatest inspirations. Each of these practices integrates the wisdom of the East with the energy of the West. We are not ancient Indian monks, and yoga is not a dogmatic, rigid system. It is a fundamental perspective shift that underlies any activity that brings us into our bodies, into the present moment, and into a place of peace.
AcroYoga and CircusYoga encourage play, which to me is so essential yet so easily missed in our modern culture. They and Thai Massage also bring back the vital elements of physical human connection, pieces of our nature that keep us healthy and happy far more than the virtual world. Having a partner on your feet or receiving massage means you must be present and full of compassion. I’m inspired most when students discover abilities or ideas that haven’t come from me. This means that I have succeeded in creating a space for them to explore their own truth. These experiences teach me that the most growth and creativity comes from a humble teacher and empowered students.
4. evo: what is one thing you want your students to walk away from class knowing or feeling?
km: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!