All instructors are 200 or 500 hour certified yoga teachers
*** Private classes available upon request ***
Amy - Power Yoga, Sweaty Yoga -
I can only teach what I practice and what works for me is a nice Vinyasa/Power Yoga flow. My classes are strong and challenging but totally approachable. Some days are mellow and some days are full of fire. There is no doubt that what we do on the mat will lengthen, strengthen, and balance us physically but also mentally. It is my hope that we can quiet the mind and begin practicing 'moving meditation'. For the past 5 years I have been teaching at Santa Monica Power Yoga a yoga studio run solely on donations from the students. As a native Texan, I am happy to call Austin home and be teaching at Black Swan Yoga. I will see you soon. Namaste
Barren - BOOTCAMP! -
Im the founder of VO2 Fitness and a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, Performance Trainer as well as a triathlete and duathlete from Austin, Tx. Ive lived here in this beautiful city for a little over 12 years. Through the years I have embarked on a wonderful journey of wellness and will continue to strive to be the best trainer and person I can be. Learning early in life of the importance of being active has helped me become better aware of the benefits of mental, physical, internal and external health. I have many goals and aspirations of becoming the best personal trainer and athlete I can be. I 'm very passionate about what I do and have a very positive and motivating drive in making not only me but others around me the healthiest they can be. Focusing on perfect health is something we can all do within ourselves, despite what may be happening on the outside. I really take pride and enjoy seeing other peoples lives change through proper, well-organized training programs, a will to change, and a positive attitude.
Chelsea - Candle/Power Vinyasa, MP3 Power, Kids Yoga -
I am a lucky girl. Yoga has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old living in Southern California. During my years moving around as a TV news reporter, it kept me sane, grounded, and calm in tense situations. Then, my relationship with my breath and trust in the process helped me heal a herniated disc in my back. Now yoga is a much larger part of my life. I left the local news biz seeking a more peaceful existence, and found it teaching yoga. I am trained in the YogaWorks method. My Vinyasa flow classes are sure to make you sweat, but also leave room for meditation in the movement. I am so grateful to get to share this practice with students of all ages; I teach kids, teens, and adults in this awesome yoga community.
Courtney - Prana Flow, Power Yoga, Sweaty Yoga -
The practice of yoga has opened my life to amazing experiences. I have found courageto live my truth, strength to overcome habitual patterns, vision to inspire dreams, and bliss to dance freely. I have taught yoga in Austin and Costa Rica, and love connecting with people as they find their own joys of transformation on this journey. My practice is based in the Vinyasa Krama tradition and principles of 'conscious evolution' as taught by Shiva Rea. I also have roots in Iyengar and Anusara yoga traditions, massage therapy, yogic philosophy, and cultural anthropology. Classes flow in rhythmic and challenging sequences and incorporate themes to harness the attention of the mind.
Jai! Namaste!
Gigi - Vinyasa Thai, Hatha + -
I began my yogic journey in the summer of 2006 and immediately fell in love with the practice. Initially only seeking physical benefits, I quickly discovered that yoga has so much more to offer - mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I have so much gratitude toward all my wonderful teachers on this amazing journey who have inspired me to follow my heart and become a teacher of yoga. My classes are influenced by Iyengar and Anusara styles of yoga, as well as Buddhist and traditional yogic philosophy. I challenge my students to use asanas and breath to stay in the present moment. Together let's watch the power and beauty of this transformative practice unfold as we bring the wisdom of our practice off the mat into the world.
Hillary - Iyengar, Vinyasa -
I have spent most of my life traveling and exploring. Originally from New Mexico I have called Austin home since February of 2009. After earning my bachelors degree in Eastern Philosophy and Religion I received my RYT and have been teaching yoga for the past two years. I see yoga in all stages and movements of life; it is the dance of nature, a reflection of our humanity and a path of self-realization and enlightenment. My yoga is constantly evolving and I believe that if you are moving with intention, stilling your mind and breathing, you are doing yoga beautifully.
“The yogi realizes that his life and all its activities are part of the divine action in nature, manifesting and operating in the form of man. In the beating of his pulse and the rhythm of his respiration he recognizes the flow of the seasons and the throbbing of universal life.” B.K.S. Iyengar
Joshua - Kundalini, Kundalini Power, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Dance -
Sat Nam ~ After a spontaneous spiritual awakening at 19, I began practicing Hatha and Kundalini yoga to cultivate and maintain mental clarity, elevated energy, and a joyful presence throughout the transition of leaving the comfortable "American way" and embarking upon a 3 year soul journey through Utah, California, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, and Burning Man. After practicing and teaching in international studios, tropical beaches, and snowy mountains, I realized I loved Austin more than anywhere else, and settled back in town, teaching Hatha Flow classes with an emphasis on mindfulness and prana flow. I experienced a huge energy current flood my central energy channel (sushumna) during the Kundalini Summer Solstice Festival in New Mexico, and was immediately hooked to the elevation, transformation, and power of Kundalini Yoga. Since that time, I co-created an intentional yoga & permaculture community, Sacred Acres, and have been leading Full Moon & New Moon meditations and YogEcstatic Dance Experiences in addition to teaching Kundalini and Hatha Yoga, and deepening the connection to our Source.
"If you don't see God in All, you don't see God at all" - Yogi Bhajan
L - Body Mechanics -
What came first? Rolf or Yoga...It was Yoga. What initially lead me to the practice was a sports related injury from my teens that never quite healed. From that injury I developed a sciatic condition that became quite debilitating & found no relief within traditional healing methods. In 1991, I began studying under an Ashtanga yoga teacher in Pittsburgh, PA unaware of the various styles offered in the yoga community. All my teachers have been vital role models but, it was Tias Little in NM that clearly introduced me to MY body for the 1st time in my life. I truly became aware of how I was holding myself & in fact compromising certain areas in my body due to that old injury. At that time, I was teaching yoga & walking the path of becoming an Acupuncturist. It was during a 'pelvic girdle' workshop with Tias & Jan Sultan, a Rolfer, that a light bulb went off & the path of Structural Integration or Rolfing opened up to me. Nine months later, I was off to Boulder, CO to become a class model to The Guild for Structural Integration, a Rolfing school, and eventually where I graduated from in the spring of 2005. Since that time, I've worked diligently on how these two modalities work symphonically together - Structural Integration & Yoga. I'm an avid admirer of movement in all forms. I'm constantly observing bodily movements to understand how we operate and where from both physically, energetically & spiritually - bringing those observations into the classroom with a light heart & an open mind. My approach to instructing Rolf Yoga is this cocktail: to 1st understand your structure & where you may be holding old patterns & imbalances while becoming aware of them. Next, is moving thru these new awareness's via Yoga asana or poses. This is an exploration into your body, your movements, your practice from the inside out. Classes are geared towards all levels and all spiritual backgrounds. Ciao, L'
Lauren - Vinyasa Thai, Hatha + -
I stumbled upon yoga 8 years ago but only near the end of my college career did I fully dedicate myself to my practice. Realizing I didn't want to pursue a job in the corporate world I dove headfirst into yoga training to discover what gave me the most joy. After 300 hours of training, I am still on the journey. The greatest part of the practice for me is the delight in always being a student. It is such a humbling practice but at the same time, tremendously empowering. I most enjoy sharing this journey with other students of yoga and celebrating the new discoveries made each class. My classes are inspired by Buddhist philosophy and its translation on and off the mat. I challenge students to go inward, focusing on alignment and breath, and most importantly ask students to play and explore with an open heart and mind as we all seek that which brings us joy.
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman
Lilyana - Hatha Flow, Vinyasa -
Although I was born and raised in Dallas, Austin has been my home for the past five years and I plan on keeping it that way. I began practicing yoga in 2000 and was hooked from the first savasana. Yoga brought balance to every aspect of my life and I strive to practice daily, both on and off the mat. I began teaching in 2006 and love to work with beginners, advanced practitioners and everyone in between. Each person brings something unique to every class, asana and breath and that's why I love teaching- so I can learn from and serve each of my students. We're all on this journey together and can learn so much from each other in the process.
Michael - Sweaty Yoga, Hatha+, Vinyasa Thai, Power Yoga, Core -
"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend." - Bruce Lee
My life has taken many forms, many shapes and is constantly evolving. A friend introduced me to yoga at a dark time in my life. I had just hit rock bottom and yoga became more than just a practice to me. For once in my life I knew what it was to feel alive. I love the feeling of opening my mind and letting life's beauty flow. Opening Black Swan Yoga has been a dream come true and look forward to the evolution of this studio, amazing Black Swan Yoga teachers, students, and city of Austin, TX.
Tyler - Sweaty Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa, Vinyasa Dance -
Many blessings in this lifetime. Always an active and curious youth, I gave yoga a try at college in Chicago. It then slowly percolated into my life until after years of doing it on my own, an opportunity to deepen my understanding arose - and I flew to India for my teacher training. Thus for 10 years since I started, this process of continual self-discovery, through travel and yoga, has enriched my life immeasurably. I seek to offer what kernels of knowledge and experience I have. We can use yoga both to help sooth the extremes that we encounter on a daily basis, settling us back into a truer space of peace, equanimity and joy; and thereby deepen our understanding of the What We Are. "Know Thyself" - Socrates.