Sarah Whittaker: a Yoga Journey

Sarah Whittaker came to the mat in 1995, when she had been invited to a Bikram style yoga class. That class, which had been held in an old farmhouse, was the first step in her journey to becoming the founder of Yoga Paradise.

Sarah Whittaker and her personal shifts

Since it was the early days of the Internet era, she had access to videos and VHS’s online. As her yoga practice blossomed, she came across an Ashtanga VHS by Richard Freeman.

A trained athlete, she was immediately hooked, especially because the VHS tapes at that time were mostly 30 minutes long. “It kicked my ass,” she said, with a hearty laugh, in her interview with Patricia. “But the more it did, the more I kept returning to it.” Soon, she became devoted to the Ashtanga practice, which formed the foundation and pillars of her own practice. She felt blessed to sit at the feet of yoga teachers who had come from places such as India and Mysore, to her little mountain town.

Years passed, bringing various changes. First, she noticed that Ashtanga presented more challenges, both in her personal and teaching practice. Next, Power yoga and Vinyasa flow yoga arose on the yoga landscape, and it became an art form to not let her students know what was coming next.

Shifts in Yoga

Since then, Sarah has observed the ways in which yoga has evolved over the years. Back in the day, yogis practiced in church basements, farmhouses, and attics. When yoga went mainstream and celebrities embraced it, that catapulted it into the spotlight. Add the promotion of yoga apparel and accessories, and yoga became a hot commodity. She watched as the metaphysical aspect of yoga got lost in its commercialization until it became reduced to a fitness activity. Yoga teachers adapted their classes because students didn’t want to hear about Spirit/Source or the yoga philosophy. “They just wanted to know how to strike fancy poses in a bikini on the beach,” she said, with a wry smile

Honoring the roots of yoga

Now, yoga teachers from the ’80s and ’90s are speaking out on platforms, such as podcasts about the need to honor the roots of yoga. “Gentle is the new advanced,” Sarah said. “It’s about teaching more of that deeper excavation of discernment that we all have within us.” She added that there is now more trauma-informed teaching practice, which is crucial nowadays.

Yoga Alliance

So how did Sarah transition from teaching to becoming the founder of Yoga Paradise?

After completing her first Ashtanga YTT in 2001, she hit the ground running, especially when a friend told her that there was a demand in the climbing community in Mt. Rainier, where Sarah still lives. However, she noticed that some of the people who came to her classes found Ashtanga physically challenging. To meet their needs, she shifted gears quickly, and embarked on a journey of diving deeper into further studies. There was a challenge, though. Since yoga wasn’t mainstream at that time, not many yoga studios were available. Sarah didn’t let that stop her. Whenever a master teacher came into the Seattle area, she would go to their classes. Some of these notable teachers included Brian Kast and Shiva Ray.

Enter Yoga Alliance. “My teachers looked down their noses at it,” she said, “because, how do you standardize spirituality?”  Good question. Yet, Sarah, along with others, understood the need for safety, structure, and boundaries.

Teaching in a women’s prison

Sarah learned one of her biggest lessons prior to her mother’s passing. On the day her mother called and asked for help with her transition, Sarah received the news that the space she had been using as a yoga studio was no longer available. Instead of seeing it as the end of her yoga teaching, she took a five-year sabbatical.

Out of that experience, she shifted gears again. For the past 10 years, she has been teaching in a women’s prison, in the Department of Justice system. To better understand triggers, she was specifically trained for a trauma-informed practice. “Even pranayama, the breathing, can cause triggers,” she explained. For example, she was trained never to teach the Happy Baby pose because it can be triggering. Surprisingly, the consensus among her students is that they love that pose! “It’s because they know that they’re safe,” she said. “They’ve spent a lot of time with me and have grounded support.” When they’re in that pose, she takes them through the process of any difficult emotions that might arise.

Sarah Whittaker and Yoga Paradise

Now, Sarah has her own yoga studio in a 36-foot yurt, which was blessed by a man who works with gems and stones. She has the support of the community, who followed her to Yoga Paradise. To her delight, one of her students, who has a fashion background, and who didn’t like yoga at first, told Sarah that she basically had an epiphany, and decided that teaching yoga would be her new path. In fact, she completed her YTT recently, and is learning to express her unique voice and grow on her path.

After everything she has been through, including living with a fused neck, Sarah Whittaker is grateful to have yoga in her life. Her practice has helped her to discover her spiritual side and connection to Source and the Universe. With this understanding, she has created space to be more empathetic to people on their journeys. The more yoga she has practiced, the more vulnerable she has become, and the deeper her empathy for others.

Wrapping Up

What resonated with Sarah Whittaker in her first yoga class and still does today, are these wise words from her teacher: “When in a pose and in the sensation, go into the place of your body that isn’t having sensation.” It shifted her mindset, not running from sensation, but instead, moving into a softer, easier place.

She encourages interested persons to do the YTT, with the understanding that it will take hundreds of additional hours to be on the mat, to be in your body, to feel all the sensations, and to connect to Source.

Another of her favorite teachers said, “The more space we can create within our bodies and spirits, it deepens the quality of our relationships.”

Sarah’s last piece of advice to those who are practicing yoga is, “Stay with it, be with it. It’s always there for you to come back to.”

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