Testimonials & My Intention

My Intention
It is my intention as a yoga teacher to help you bring more health and vibrancy to your body, ease and alertness to your mind, peace and happiness to your heart through Anusara Yoga. I provide knowledge, passion, a safe environment and some humor. Love Kim

Testimonials

When I first started practicing with Kim, I was immediately drawn to her detailed and anatomical approach to alignment. After 7 years as her student, I have also come to deeply appreciate the larger life themes that she interweaves into her teaching. Kim is an enthusiastic, honest, goofy, compassionate, and authentic teacher and human being. When I moved out of town, I would plan my visits around her teaching schedule. Now that her classes are online, I am happy to practice regularly with her again!

Elisabeth Stich 

“Kim has taught me so much!!! She is incredibly knowledgeable about anatomy and yoga philosophy and is always looking for ways to continue learning! She has a playful energy, yet she’s also organized and you can tell she’s put a lot of thought into her classes and training programs. I appreciate her stories about how she applies the teachings of yoga into her own life. After Kim’s classes, I always leave feeling inspired to lead a more mindful and balanced life!”

-Sally Taylor

Kim and I took a teacher training together in 2009. We were both students there, but about an hour into the course, she also became my teacher. I have been learning from her ever since. I have never known anyone so generous with knowledge, and yet so humble with delivery. I have grown each time I’ve sat with Kim.   —- bless you, angel.

Lindsey Shumway

"As a professional dancer and aerialist, Kim's classes have been an invaluable form of cross-training to keep my body happy and healthy. She offers a clear and dynamic focus on alignment that I find myself using in my own teaching as well. In fact, I have recommended her to so many of my aerial students that I worry one day her class will be too full for me!" Liz S

"I Love Kim! After studying yoga for more than 10 years I found Kim and she changed the way I engage in yoga, my body, and life. She has a gift for distilling information and making it more accessible to everyone. Her classes are transformational in that they start with an alignment principle, explore it thouroughly and work up to a posture that shifts the way you move, think and carry yourself. Now that I've moved away from Utah I miss her classes (and her) dearly and daily!"Kelli S

"Kim's classes have changed my approach to yoga, myself, and life more generally.  Her focus on alignment has helped me discover and create better posture in my poses and her cues resonate with me in a way that makes the poses more accessible.  I always feel challenged and encouraged in her classes and leave with good information about how to hold myself throughout the rest of the week.  Her teaching style is very down-to-earth and authentic and I appreciate the realness with which she approaches each class.  Her classes are also really playful. Kim encourages students to explore and introduces a sense of joy even when the pose is challenging.  For some students, any yoga class will do, but for me, Kim is a cult classic and her classes set the standard for public yoga classes." Stephanie

"I’ve been practicing yoga now for eight years, the last four years with Kim Achelis-Hoggan as my primary yoga teacher.  Kim is a very knowledgeable teacher and I’ve made her yoga class my routine and rarely miss it.  She teaches Anusara yoga and is Anusara certified.  There are only a couple teachers in the whole state that have that certification.  Every class has a theme and a peak pose that we work toward and there is a lot of focus on alignment, refinement and the breath.  I’ve consistently noticed that no matter how I feel when I walk in the door to practice yoga with Kim, by the time the class is complete, I physically and mentally feel better.  When I started going to Kim’s class, my practice was limited, but now I’m physically stronger than I’ve been since I was in my 20’s and can do handstands and more.  Kim’s class has a lot of great people in it too, so there’s a friendly community feel to it.  I wrote Kim a poem a couple years ago and I think that this sums up Kim’s approach to teaching yoga.

The Elephant Ganesha, Remover of Obstacles, Deva of Intellect and Wisdom

Connector to people, anything is possible, a woman with true growing vision

Knowledgeable guru of alignment and flow, always prepared with a theme and a goal

Your morning practice has become my routine, they make my body strong and my mind serene

You reinforce your points, by repeating the words, in interesting tones of voice, so your point is heard

Keep that back leg straight, turn those lips up and smile, shoulders on your back, inward and outward spiral

Safely guiding us to places we might not otherwise go, you’ve given me more than you will ever know

Thank you Kim!" Kevin

"I've trained with Kim for four years and just love her to death. Yoga can change your life and Kim can be integral to that transformation. She gives individual attention so you feel safe and challenged, and her positive energy makes the whole session enjoyable." Kathleen

"Kim is an excellent yoga instructor. She is encouraging, very knowledgeable about body alignment, full of positive energy, and makes the class fun. You can tell she puts a lot of effort into her class plan, her sequencing is always challenging and interesting. She is definitely one of my all-time favorite teachers, I highly recommend her." Joy

"Kim offers a sweet and real approach to practicing yoga. Each of Kim's classes is rooted in rich tradition, philosophy, and anatomical understanding. She acts as a guide, allowing each individual an avenue to express postures in a way that is most authentic for them. It is a sweet opportunity every time I get to be a part in the safe, supported, and genuine space Kim creates." Aubri B.


"I truly appreciate the way you integrate meditation, super good alignment, humor in the perfect amount of work/exertion in your classes. You're amazing." Kelli

"Kim is an incredibly attentive teacher.  She brings purpose and joy to every class.  I always appreciate her attention to detail and technique and her enthusiasm for yoga is infectious.  Her knowledge of her craft is impressive, but even more so is her ability to communicate and teach clearly.  I always leave her class feeling refreshed, challenged and encouraged to continue my practice." Misti 

"I always love Kim's messages (theme) in class. They are always profound. And not pretentious in a way that makes me not like yoga. I like Kim's yoga classes." Tessa

"I miss you and your yoga classes so much. I'm still checking out lots of different teachers but just wanted to let you know that you're the best teacher ever!"Kelly H

"I have known Kim Achelis for the last several years, as a student, substitute teacher, and workshop presenter at our yoga studio in Olympia, WA.

Kim’s lives, breaths and exudes yoga. Her adeptness in the practice of asana, her understanding of the depths of its rich tradition, the boldness, creativity, humor, big-heartedness and insights she displays, on and off the yoga mat, are truly remarkable and an inspiration for others.

In the circles of yoga practitioners, Kim is a natural leader. I have personally watched many students at our studio gravitate in her direction enthusiastically, wanting to learn from her and share in her knowledge of yoga and her joy for life.

I also have had the opportunity to observe Kim teaching at the studio, and can say, without reservation, that she would be an asset in most any setting where yoga is taught. She makes things fresh and fun for the students, in a natural and compelling manner, that both inspires and appropriately challenges students. She is clear in her instructions, engaging and connecting with them, and offers balanced, safe, sensible sequences that allow students to experience the extra-ordinary.

Many students at the studio who have taken a class with Kim have come to me and raved about her style of teaching.

In my opinion, Kim’s strengths as a yoga teacher are: 1) the depth of her own personal practice and her knowledge of its tradition, 2) her natural enthusiasm and creativity, 3) her inner drive to continue to evolve as a teacher and person, and 4) the humility and genuineness of her heart. " Nathan Hayes, Director Living Spirit Yoga

gods love is the electricity and we must be the lamps

Theme: connecting to a power greater then ourself. 

Anecdote: Marianne Williamsom's quote "gods love is the electricity and we must be the lamps" I love this. It's like we are all lamps with a cord that is plugged into a wall and we are powered up with electricity from a greater source. (Whatever you want to call this source Grace, Goddess, God, Spirit, Nature, Science...). And we feel so good being plugged in. But then we start doing are own thing  and we start moving further and further away from the wall and our cord gets tight and then... It unplugs from the wall! and we wonder what happened? Why don't we feel good any more? Why don't we feel connected? Loved? Joy?... This is one of the blessing we get from our yoga practice. It is a time for us to connect to something bigger then our small self and connect to something bigger. To remember the big picture. To open to grace! Practicing yoga is one of the ways we stay close to the wall and stay plugged in. Other ways I "stay close to the wall" is meditating, journaling, spending time alone in nature, being present with my children, and having honest heartfelt conversations with friends. In today practice we are going to plug back in to something bigger then ourself. We are going to move toward our heart and away from our head and our stress that keeps us wrapped up in our small self. 

Upa: this month we are focusing on upper body alignment. The first few weeks we focused on getting our side bodies long (SBL), then we added onto that broadening our collar bones. In Anusara yoga we call this inner body bright (IBB). Now we are going to add on by using our muscles (muscular energy) and drawing the head of our arm bones back (ABB). This is sometimes called melting you heart in Anusara. When we do these actions we are literally moving our shoulders away from our head and physically plugging into our heart. How lovely is that?! 

Apex: urdhva danurasana 

Heart quality: love 

Props: 2 blocks, blanket 

Warm up: 

Tadasana 

1/2 sun salutations 3x 

Audo Muka Svanasana (AMS) push ups 

Mod. Parsvak 

High runners lunge twist one hand down 

Tadasana interlace hands above head sbl, IBB, abb 

Basic 

Wall pec stretch abb 

Prone pec stretch abb 

Mod. Parsvak 

High runners lunge twist- Lunge twist - tree zombie arms sbl IBB abb reach up 

Harder 

Low lunge quad stretch- upright twist  with quad stretch 

Trik 

Half moon 

Half moon quad 

Pincha wall sbl IBB abb  

Bridge

Apex

Urdhva top of head plugging (option hands on blocks at wall) sbl IBB abb 

Urdhva danurasana 

Cool down 

Mantra missile wall foot on wall 

Root femurs 

Supta twist

Supta baddha konasana 

Shavasana 

What kind of lake is your low back?

I am back! 

Theme: be calm and clear like a still lake. 

Universal principles of emphasis: foundation, muscle energy, thigh loop, pelvic loop, organic energy

Apex: Dancer 

Heart quality: calm 

Anecdote: I just had my second baby 2 months ago and life with two children under three can be a little chaotic to say the least. One technique I have been using to stay calm in the chaos is by visualizing a lake. A clear, calm, still lake. When I do this I feel those same qualities in my own body, mind and spirit. This is one thing I gain from a consistent practice whether it be yoga, meditation, breath work, mantra repetition , or journaling... I am able to tap into this crystal lake experience easier and during challenges. Now if I visualize a lake that has choppy and dirty water I instantly feel chaos and anxiety. 

I like to think about the joints in the body as being like a lake. And the way we hold the joint determines if the lake/ joint will be calm, clear, steady, peaceful and grounded of if the lake/ joint will be turbulent, chaotic, stressful, and  un grounding. In this class we are going to focus on the low back. The low back tends to either have to much curve or not enough curve and be rounded. In both these situation the joint would be like the dirty lake. The alignment we want to apply is listed below and should create the feeling of having that peaceful lake in your back;)

Open to grace: get connected to the foundation. 

Muscle energy: create stability. One way to do this is squeeze the foundation toward the midline. 

Thigh loop (TL): Move the thighs back and create a curve in low back

Pelvic loop (PL): Tone pelvic floor anchor and tailbone down. 

Organic energy (OE): Extend from hips down toward earth and from hips up to crown of head and create space in low back. 

Sequence: 

Warm up:

Sun A 3x

Tadasana half moon leg lift 

Utkatasana prep cat/cow variation 

"" hands on knees TL PL OE

Tadasana half moon stretch 

Uttanasana- high runners lunge

Basic 

AMS 

Lunge 

Anjaneyasana

Anjaneyasana quad - upright twist with quad 

Lunge- eagle- standing splits - handstand hops 

Lunge - Dancer- lunge  

Harder

Eprk forearms- off to side twist- off to side quad 

Eprk quad 

Dolphin 

Hero toes tucked 

Virasana - supta virasana 

Half hanuman 

Apex 

dancer 

Cool down 

Baddha konasana 

Janusirsasana 2x 

Twist 

Symmetrical  root femurs 

Shavasana 

More Ease Please

Theme: stay connected to you heart with ease as you move through the busyness of life and your practice. 

Anecdotes: as I get ready for the birth of my second child, Violet, I feel myself rushing to check off my to do list before she gets here. I can feel the effect that rushing has on my body, mind and heart moving me from ease to dis- ease. With this awareness I have been challenging myself: can I move through my to do list calmly while enjoying the end of my pregnancy and the one on one time I have with my son. I love that I can practice this on my mat as well. Moving through my yoga poses while staying connected to ease. Ultimately that's what I want from my practice, to train myself to hold ease in my body, mind and heart during the ups and downs of life and to notice quickly when I am moving toward dis-ease, so I can make adjustments to come back to ease. 

In today practice we are going to move quickly and through challenging poses but we are going to work at cultivating ease throughout the flow ! 

In the busyness of life can you stay connected to your heart?  

Heart quality: ease 

Principles of emphasis: open to grace, muscle energy, organic energy 

Sequence: 

Warm up 

Utt- w2- hrl twist- w2

Utt- Lunge 

AMS- plank 3x 

Pigeon with side stretch 

Basic 

AMS- half moon- w2- rev W

AMS- half moon - w2- rev w- mod. parsvak   

Malasana - crow 

Harder 

Utk- twist utk- lunge twist- lunge- AMS- Same leg L- twist L - twist utk- utk (repeate second side) 

Uttanasa with clasp behind back 

AMS- half moon- w2- rev w- Parsvak 

Prone quad stretch 

Danurasana 

Dolphin

Apex

Sirsasana - Hero clear head and neck 

Pigeon quad twist 

Cool down 

Thread needle- root femur bones asymmetrically 

Twist 

Symmetrical pose 

Shavasana 

Create Happiness

Theme: happiness/contentment is hard to find can you produce it 

Anecdote: meme of two stick figures. One says "where did you find that? I have been looking for it everywhere!" Referring to the bottle of happiness the other stick figure has inside his body. The second stick figure says "I created it myself." 

Heart quality: happiness 

Principle of emphasis: first principle: side bodies long + inner body bright. Muscle energy: arm bones back. Shoulder loop 

Apex: Camatkarasana (wild thing) 

Warm up

AMS 

Uttanasana hands clasped behind back 

Tadasana explain traps and shoulder actions 

Basic 

W2

High runners lunge twist 

W2- mod. Parsvak- rev warrior 

Parsvakonasana

Mod. Vashistasana

Vashistasana - pigeon 

 

Harder

Dolphin

Bhujangasana

Eka pada bhekasana 

Anjaneyasana twist with quad stretch  

Ardha chandrasana- chapasana 

Danurasana 

 

Apex 

Vashistasana- Wild thing 

Cool down  

Virasana self wrist massage and traction 

Bharadvaja’s Twist

Balasana head on block. Know that everything you seek is within you 

Shavasana 

Foggy Road

Theme: come out of the fog and see yourself clearly as amazing, brilliant, loving, capable being that you are. 

Anecdote: Thursday it was super foggy in Utah. As I was driving trying to navigate where I was going with out being able to see I was reminded of a teaching within Anusara Yoga about Malas. 

The philosophy that informs Anusara say there are different malas which are normally compared to dust on the mirror which prevents us from seeing our self clearly. We can also think of malas as fog on the road that stops us from seeing clearly, like my experience Thursday. There are three ways that this dust/fog prevents us from seeing our truth and as a result creates feelings of limitation around our heart (iccha), mind (jnana), and body (kriya). 

Anava Mala- veils the iccha shakti. Feeling limited in the heart, this leads to desire, feelings of lack, sadness, unworthiness, and incompleteness. The main feeling connected with this veil is sadness.
Mayiya Mala- veils the jnana shakti. Limits knowledge. We see duality not realizing the unity/oneness this leads to conflict and hate. The main emotion with this veil is anger.
Karma Mala- veils the kriya shakti. Feeling limited to act. Creates fear of not being able to accomplish something or ability to create. The main emotion from Thai veil is anger. 

These different malas prevent us from seeing clearing and not being able to see clearing prevents us from connecting to our truth and our heart, just like the weather on Thursday. It was so foggy it was hard for me to see clearly. At one point I thought I was driving between the lines but then I saw that was not the case. Just like in life I will be so sure I can't act or that I am not intelligent enough to do something. But then I am reminded that I am, that it was just the fog preventing me from seeing my wholeness. 

In our yoga practice and in our life when we feel inadequate or less than in our mental, emotional or physical abilities we can remember it's the fog on the road. 

Universal principle of alignment emphasis : 

first principle: side bodies long which often pulls shoulder up to ears with neck muscles (this is like the fog. We don't even realize we are creating more stress in our body and moving away from the heart) - inner body bright "collar bones broad" to disengage upper trapezius muscles. 

muscle energy: (this is remembering to move to the heart) drawing the arm bones back tips of the shoulder blades down and towards the heart to engage lower trapezius muscles (this is remembering to move toward the heart, to our truth) 

FYI this like all good alignment is therapeutic. In this case should shoulder alignment is therapeutic for the neck, shoulders, elbows wrists. 

Heart quality: clarity

Apex: Parsva bakasana 

Props: bolster, 2 blocks, blanket 

Warm up 

1/2 sun 3x 

Tadasana breakdown principles shoulder and action of trapezius muscle 

Basic

W2 

High runners lunge twist - w2

One hand Hand on wall - side bodies long- inner body bright - lower trapezius pull behind heart - pec stretch 

 Parsvak 

Trikonasana

Harder  

Prone over bolster pec stretch 

Wide leg forward fold clasp hands 

Dolphin  

Handstand L partner 

Anjaneyasana - Anjaneyasana quad stretch

Fish twist 

Lunge twist 

Apex

Parsva bakasana 2x

Cool down 

Bridge

Urdhva danusara 

Supta Twisting core 

Symmetrical root femurs  2 ways 

Shavasana supported on bolster with 2 blocks to angle bolster and blanket to put around ankles in variation of Supta baddha konasana to release hip flexors. This supporter bolster variation will allow gravity and props to uplift heart while keeping the upper neck soft

Meditation

Honor the Dark, Renew Hope with the Light

Theme: honor the dark and celebrate the returning light. 

It is very important for me to I remember pulsation. I learn the beauty of pulsation from nature. For example it isn't always light and it isn't always dark. That this duality is a vital and beautiful part of life. Sometimes when I experience a darker feeling or shadow aspect of myself I feel like it will last forever! But just like in nature I remind myself that this too will pass. I remind myself this even when I am ecstatic and on top of the world, that yes this to will pass. This helps me not cling to or avoid feelings or situations because I know wonderful and challenging aspects of life are pulsating into and out of my experience always and I can be grateful for both. As cliche as it is, we can not have the light with out the dark. So on this day of Yule/ winter solstice when we are experiencing the darkest night we can honor the darkness and all that it brings and we can also celebrate the return of the light. 

Anecdote: winter solstice 

UPA: inner body bright 

Apex; visvamitrasana 

Heart quality: Hope 

Props: strap, 2 blocks, blanket 

This is an abbreviated excerpt of "A Celebration of Winter Solstice" from The Circle of Life by Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr.

"There is a tendency to want to hurry from autumn to spring, to avoid the long dark days that winter brings. Many people do not like constant days bereft of light and months filled with colder temperatures. They struggle with the bleakness of land and the emptiness of trees. Their eyes and hearts seek color. Their spirits tire of tasting the endless gray skies. There is great rejoicing in the thought that light and warmth will soon be filling more and more of each new day.

"But winter darkness has a positive side to it. As we gather to celebrate the first turn from winter to spring, we are invited to recognize and honor the beauty in the often unwanted season of winter. Let us invite our hearts to be glad for the courage winter proclaims. Let us be grateful for the wisdom winter brings in teaching us about the need for withdrawal as an essential part of renewal. Let us also encourage our spirits as Earth prepares to come forth from this time of withdrawal into a season filled with light.

"The winter solstice celebrates the return of hope to our land as our planet experiences the first slow turn toward greater daylight. Soon we will welcome the return of the sun and the coming of springtime. As we do so, let us remember and embrace the positive, enriching aspects of winter's darkness. Pause now to sit in silence in the darkness of this space. Let this space be a safe enclosure of creative gestation for you."

Warm up: 

Cat/cow

Table jump rope spine 

Half moon side stretch 2x 

Basic:

Sun b 3x 

Utkatasana twist- L twist- warrior 2- rev warrior - AMS- utt

Mod. Parsvak 

Parsvak 

Dolphin- pincha manyurasana 

Harder:

Lunge t arms twist- rev L- high runners lunge twist- Anjaneyasana twist with quad 

Pigeon quad 

Twisting pigeon quad 

Parsvakonasana 

Ardha hanumanasana with front foot wide- scandasana 

Apex:

Double pigeon - compass 

Visvamitrasana mod. 

Cool down:

Janusirsasana 

Parsva janusirsasana prep fold down middle 

Parsva janusirsasana strap 

Shavasana supported supta baddha konasana 

A Winter Solstice Prayer by Edward Hays from Prayers for a Planetary Pilgrim.

The dark shadow of space leans over us. . . . .
We are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred
also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.
As our ancestors feared death and evil and all the dark powers of winter,
we fear that the darkness of war, discrimination, and selfishness
may doom us and our planet to an eternal winter.

May we find hope in the lights we have kindled on this sacred night,
hope in one another and in all who form the web-work of peace and justice
that spans the world.

In the heart of every person on this Earth
burns the spark of luminous goodness;
in no heart is there total darkness.
May we who have celebrated this winter solstice,
by our lives and service, by our prayers and love,
call forth from one another the light and the love
that is hidden in every heart.
Amen.