teacher of the month ~ lisa depaul

Meet Lisa. She teaches at Yoga Home Saturday mornings – 8am Gentle and 10:30am Slow Flow. She also teaches our monthly Y12SR (Yoga and 12-Step Recovery) classes the 2nd Thursday of every month, 7:30pm. In addition to teaching yoga, Lisa has a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and works as an addiction counselor. Read her full bio here.

Who inspires you?

Honestly, my yoga teachers inspire me through their integrity and authenticity. Throughout the years I have had some amazing and powerful teachers. My teachers continue to motivate me to be the best I can.

How would you describe your teaching style?

My classes focus on connecting the breathe and movement, there are a lot of slow paced flows that emphasize this. I like to have my students hold poses a little longer and give plenty of choices for them to truly make the practice their own. I find a slow, moving meditation to be the best way to stay present and connected.

Would you categorize yourself as a thinker, maker, planner, or leader?

Definitely a thinker! Which is not always good because I will analyze and over think!

Of all Yoga Home’s core values (Connection, Acceptance, Love, Community, Growth) which do you connect with most?

Definitely community! Before becoming a teacher at Yoga Home, I was a Yoga Home student. Yoga Home was and still is my sanctuary. As a student, I kept coming back because of the amazing and positive people here. I knew no matter what kind of day I was having, I would be welcomed with a smile and not judged for where I was in my practice that day.

Why have you chosen to teach Y12SR?
My work as an addiction therapist motivated me towards taking the Y12SR training. After seeing so many clients relapse, I wanted to be able to offer them an alternative in conjunction with talk therapy. Y12SR founder, Nikki Meyers believes “the issues live in our tissues”. The physical practice gets at the tensions and traumas from the past held in our bodies. I’ve had clients report feeling more relaxed and less stressed. I feel it’s my mission to continue sharing this practice with the recovery community.