This program got
its name from my belief that if each of us makes small waves of change
in our own lives, families, and communities, we can transform not only
ourselves, but eventually the entire world. Big waves sometimes knock
people over, but little waves can move mountains in their own gentle
way. As we like to say, "Little waves... big
changes."
The aim of
my yoga program is to reduce and then
manage stress levels by teaching specific breathing (pranayama),
stretching (asana), and visualization techniques. Once students
become
familiar with these techniques, they become powerful tools for positive
change in all areas of their lives.
In addition, on a
purely physical level, yoga has the benefit of being another form of
movement that along with regular physical education and sports help to
prevent diabetes, heart disease, obesity, eating disorders, depression, and many other
ailments.
The founder of the
program is
Amanda de la Garza, who is certified to teach yoga to
children and adults.
Amanda lives in Orcutt, California
(an hour north of Santa Barbara) with her husband and son. She's been practicing yoga
since the Santa Barbara Yoga Center opened in 1992, and started
teaching after receiving her main certification in 2004.
Her brand of yoga is
strongly influenced by the Ashtanga and Iyengar systems, focusing on
creating a feeling of flow through vinyasa while also attending to alignment in held
poses. Amanda emphasizes the use of yoga as a form of moving meditation,
encouraging students to explore and open their inner selves even as they
learn about and strengthen their bodies. She believes in maintaining
the roots of yoga as a creative learning process and as a way to expand our
consciousness as we move through life.
