Nina Walters is a Yoga teacher based in San Fransisco.
1. What style of yoga do you teach? And, where are you located?
I teach a vinyasa based yoga with emphasis on dynamic movement and mobility. I am located just north of San Francisco, but spend a lot of time in Europe (mainly Denmark)
2. What is your intention behind teaching?
For people to be present; present in their bodies, present in their minds… even if just for a second. I hope to give my students the knowledge that they are something deeper than their instinctual patterns and therefore have the power within them to change whatever they want to change and, as a bi-product create a healthy and usable body.
3. Who are your mentors in yoga?
Annie Carpenter and Shane Davies and my main mentors, but I draw inspiration from all over and way beyond just yoga. I love and study everything from functional mobility to ice-bathing.
4. What have they taught you?
To always ask why!
5. Please mention a book that you have read about yoga that has had a positive impact on you?
Threads of Yoga by Matthew Remski and Anatomy Trains by Thomas Myers (not really a yoga book, but every yoga teacher should have a copy)
6. What lesson are you currently learning in your Asana practice? To sit with discomfort, to let myself experience discomfort and observe my instinctual reactions.
7. How often do you practice? 6 days a week
8. How do you implement the other 7 limbs of yoga into your life other than Asana? Pranayama is a big part of my day to day life, as it is my main stress-buster. I try to meditate a little every day but I should do more!
I try to balance my lifestyle with the Yamas and niyamas by being conscious of my behavior and footprint on the world in general. I try to balance my instinct for Tapas (self-discipline of which I have plenty) consciously add a little more Santosha (contentment - accepting what is right now). I love the balancing act between those two.
9. Why is being present so important to you? We do not realize our own power and ability until we can step outside our instinctual behavior, and to do that we must experience presence.
10. How can we keep up with you on social media? What is your IG handle and/ FB name? @ninajarnumyoga and facebook is the same