KAVITA PATEL (SHE/HER)

ALIGNMENT, PRENATAL, RESTORATIVE, KIDS/TEENS

Kavita was introduced to yoga in college when she was pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting. She practiced yoga during her movement and vocal training. Kavita found that it grounded and relaxed her for performances. It was not until the birth of her first child that she was deeply drawn to yoga. Kavita needed to reconnect with her body and find a place of peace within herself. Yoga has given Kavita that and so much more. She finds solace in her practice and sense of empowerment for having an understanding of how her body moves through space.

Kavita completed her 200-hour training in 2012 and her 300-hour in 2023. She is a certified 200-hour E-RYT and RCYT. She is also the owner and founder of Monkey Bear Yoga, a kids yoga company focused on bringing yoga to public schools. Kavita loves to teach because it allows her to share her practice and passion for yoga as a way of life.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CLASSES AT PRANA?

My yoga classes play with both finding structure and freedom in movement. I don’t take myself too seriously. I believe equally in grounded purposeful movement, wobbling, falling and soaring. Compassion, laughter and a lightness of heart guide my instruction. My practice is also rooted in the fundamental principles of yoga. Asana, or poses, are one branch of the yogic system. The word yoga is used first by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras to expand on Krishna’s teachings of yoga. I firmly believe we must honor the roots of these sacred teachings.

  • I play music without words in class. I prefer music from indigenous cultures. The music in my classes is one way to connect with staying present, rather than taking the individual out of the experience of being in a body.

  • Not too hot or too cold! Yoga should be practiced in a comfortable environment.

  • Yoga has given me the expression to connect to the very essence of my being. With a regular asana practice, I am at home in my body. Studying the philosophy of yoga through the Sutras and Bhagavad Gita has given me a path and purpose in life. Meditating daily allows me to practice quieting my busy mind and gives me a place of refuge.

  • The Bhagavad Gita is endless fascinating for me and a wealth of knowledge. I would also recommend Anticolonial Philosophy by Dr. Shyam Ranganathan for a modern look at philosophy from an authentic source. Skill in Action by Michelle Cassandra Johnson is a handbook of how the Yamas and Niyamas are a guide for leading a life of justice and compassion.