Rosa Lynley

How would you describe your teaching style?

I came up through Iyengar yoga, so I care about alignment, where your femur is, what your back ribs are doing. But the shape was never supposed to be the point. The pose is a way of paying attention, and what I'm really teaching is attention. I bring in Sanskrit and Vedanta because those teachings changed my life before I ever taught a yoga class, and I trust students to be hungry for more than a workout. Expect precision, expect to be asked to slow down, and yes you will still sweat ;)

Was there a moment when you knew that teaching yoga was for you?

It came after my life completely imploded. My first marriage ended, I sold my company, and all my possessions were in storage. Everything that had distracted me was gone, and what remained was my passion for yoga, philosophy and Sanskrit. Teaching grew out of that. It was never a career move. It was the only honest thing left to do.

What is your favorite class to teach at HAUM, and why?

My Sunday morning Breathe + Flow. It's 90 minutes, which feels like a luxury these days, and we use every bit of it. There's time to go deep, time to let a sequence unfold without rushing, and time for pranayama, which most shorter classes have to skip. The breath is where so much of the practice actually lives, and having room for it makes the whole class feel different. Sunday mornings bring a particular kind of student too; people show up unhurried and ready to practice.

What is your favorite class to take at HAUM?

Juan's Hatha Flow, which is a slightly tragic answer because we teach at the same time. He brings the attention to detail I crave as a student, and then layers in theme and philosophy. On the rare week our schedules change, you'll find me on a mat in the front.

Is there a moment from teaching at HAUM Studios that has stayed with you?

A dad came in with his teenage son. While the boy was in the bathroom, his father quietly asked if I would talk to his son about how yoga came from Indian teachers, and what India means to me. He explained that his son was struggling to fit in at school and had decided he didn't want to be Indian anymore. So this father was searching for Indian things his boy might see value in. It broke my heart that this sweet kid felt he had to reject his heritage to belong. I talked with him about yoga and meditation and the Indian teachers who taught them to me. I told him about studying philosophy and Sanskrit in India, at a school that exists nowhere else in the world. I've always believed we have to teach yoga in a way that stays authentically connected to its roots, and I had so many reasons for that belief. This boy gave me one I had never considered. He deserves to have his culture celebrated. I don't know if anything I said made a difference, but I hope he could feel my reverence for my teachers, and for the lineage of teachers from his country.

What can students expect when they walk into one of your classes?

A warm room and a clear plan. I sequence with intention, I cue with detail, and the philosophy is woven through the whole thing. These teachings have been pointing at something true for thousands of years, and class is a chance to feel that in your own body and breath. You'll move, you'll breathe, and you might leave with a question worth sitting with. All levels truly welcome, including the skeptics.

Rosa came to yoga as a long-distance runner, seeking balance and flexibility. What began as a physical pursuit soon revealed itself as something far larger, a path that could meet and deepen her longstanding meditation practice and bring a quality of presence she hadn't found elsewhere. She has studied meditation with Jack Kornfield, Sanskrit and guided meditation with Dr. Carol Whitfield, and Vedanta with Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati in Anaikatti, India. Her asana practice has been shaped most profoundly by Ramanand Patel, with whom she has studied Iyengar yoga for over a decade, and Judith Lasater. Through their guidance, Rosa has come to understand each pose as a kind of mirror: how does the mind meet discomfort, ease, or the unknown? Does it grow still, or reach for control? Yoga, for her, is an invitation to listen, to remain present, and to respond to life with clarity, compassion, and discernment.

Certifications

500hr RYT

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