Javon Shapouri
How would you describe your teaching style in three words?
Thoughtful - Empowering - Welcoming
How do you help students overcome challenges in their practice?
I help students overcome challenges in their practice by getting back to the basics. I find that a lot of students want to progress and change their outward expression of the poses quickly, but the real challenge and goal of yoga is to improve the quality of their internal experience. By breaking down poses to their fundamentals, focusing on the internal alignment and subjective experience, disregarding the ego, and finding mastery in the basics students find immediate and profound improvements in their practice that motivate them to continue growing.
What do you hope students take away from your classes?
I want them to feel that no matter how they felt before the class they have made contact with the inner strength that we all intrinsically have.
What’s your favorite song or playlist for a yoga session, and why?
Personally, I prefer to teach my yoga sessions without music so that my students can be free from distractions to better connect their movements with their breath. I also think that it allows the energy of the class to become more connected and can help students to become more conscious of the changes happening within the body, such as breathing rate changes, heart rate fluctuations, and the quality and content of their minds.
A favorite quote or mantra that inspires you?
“Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”.
No matter where we are in our lives or if we have fallen out of alignment with our values the only thing that we can control is how we respond to those bumps in the road. Getting discouraged by not meeting preconceived expectations or by comparing yourself to other people is neither productive nor healthy. The real accomplishment is showing up for yourself and each positive choice compounds on one another, and no matter how many steps back one takes, each yoga class is a step in the right direction.