Meet our lovely teachers and members of our community:
October/2011
Sonja Rzepski (Ashtanga and Vinyasa Instructor):
Name: Sonja RzepskiChris Whitney
Name:Chris Whitney
Washington Heights or Inwood? Where are you from, or where were you before moving uptown? I currently live in with Inwood with my wife, who I met while serving in the Peace Corps in South Africa. I’m originally from Danvers, which is a small town outside of Boston, Massachusetts on the scenic North Shore.
How did you get into yoga and how/what/where was your first class? I got into yoga when I first moved to NYC and went to my first class at MindBodySoul Yoga in the Heights. It was an Anusara Inspired class with Amy Soucy, who is now teaching at Bread and Yoga! Hooray!
What motivates you to continue with your yoga practice? I am an early childhood educator and I strive to maintain a calm and mindful presence in my classroom. I find that yoga helps to cultivate that presence. My yoga and teaching practices are inexorably intertwined. I view them both as inquiries, which propel each other. As I progress and discover new things about myself as a teacher, I also progress and discover new things about myself as a yogi. I love the journey!
What does your practice routine look like now? I try to get to Restorative Hatha every Friday with Ola. This class is such a great way to transition from the busyness of the week to the weekend. I also love Anausra Inspired yoga with Amy! I love the focus on specific poses and going deeper into those poses. I find myself ujjayi breathing throughout the day, especially when I’m moving into or through challenging situations.
Favorite posture these days? Why? I love Tadasana or Mountain Pose because I view it as uncomplicated, yet every time I enter it, I learn something new about myself. I also feel really empowered in this pose, standing tall and ready for what the world has to offer.
Favorite food these days? Hawthorne Valley Farm’s Aged Alpine cheese. It’s just so delicious! I’ve shredded it to sprinkle on pasta, sliced it for a sandwiches, and just eaten it whole!
Last book you read… I read Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell while traveling Guatemala this summer. I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s like a dream within a dream…
Favorite place or thing about the neighborhood? If you could change or add something to the neighborhood, what would it be? Inwood Hill Park. I love noticing Young’s new circle art in the forest, watching Shakespeare in the summer, flying a kite down by the Nature Center, going to free yoga, and so much more! I’d love to see a bookstore that offers a great selection of children’s books in the neighborhood. I use children’s books everyday in my classroom!
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September/2011
Amy Soucy (Anusara Instructor):
Washington Heights or Inwood? Washington Heights
Where are you from, or where were you before moving uptown? I spent several years “hopping” all over the city, in Brooklyn, Hell’s Kitchen, Upper West Side, Lower East side, until I settled in Washington Heights and found my true home. I am originally a Michigan girl though, born and bred just outside of Detroit.
What did you do before you started teaching yoga? I was a musical theatre performer, making the rounds auditioning and performing.
How did you get into yoga and how/what/where was your first class? I think my first class was actually at the Chelsea Piers a very long time ago. It was too advanced for me and I remember feeling confused during and after class. It took me a while to return to a class, but when a friend invited me, a couple of years after, to come and try a class at Integral Yoga on 13th street, I was hooked… it was a much different experience, much more nurturing, as well as a deeply spiritual environment.
What happened between the time you first got into yoga till you got your first certification? There wasn’t much time between that class at Integral before I decided I wanted to delve a little deeper, learn a little more about Yoga in general. After 9/11, I felt sort of aimless and unsure whether the path I had been walking was truly for me, so I decided in 2003 to give the Integral training a whirl. After staring at their teacher training ad for over a year, I decided to take the plunge. My first instinct in signing up for the Teacher training at Integral was NOT actually to become a teacher, but only to deepen my understanding of the history, philosophy, and practice of yoga.
What does your practice routine look like now? I try to squeeze in at least a half hour practice to 45 minute practice three times per week, and I often practice with the skilled teachers on “YogaGlo.com,” as I like to be guided when I practice at home 
… I also enjoy dropping into classes at my neighborhood studio MindBodySoul, and at Vira Yoga, the downtown “hub”of Anusara Yoga.
Favorite posture these days? I adore Arrdha Chandrasana and Arrdha Chandrachapasana! Why? They are such expressive poses, they allow you to feel so expansive! I am also loving (somewhat) Hanumanasana, as a way to free up my notoriously tight hamstrings and hips!
Favorite food these days? Quinoa with lots of different sauteed veggies has become a fun staple food for me… there are so many possibilities with Quinoa
Favorite place or thing about the neighborhood? The parks, both Ft. Tryon & Inwood Hill. They both have their own distinct, magical qualities, and are both so lush and green. There’s nothing more enjoyable for me than spending an afternoon in the Inwood Hill forest or sinking my feet into the grass high above the Hudson in Ft. Tryon.
Anything else you might like to add? I am honored and excited to be a part of the Bread & Yoga Community!
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Heidi Schambra:
Washington Heights or Inwood? Where are you from, or where were you before moving uptown?I grew up in Chapel Hill, NC, and moved from Washington, DC a bit over a year ago. I’m now a proud citizen of the Heights!
How did you get into yoga and how/what/where was your first class?I got into yoga in Atlanta about 15 years ago, when I realized I needed something to calm me down from my coursework! It was the best thing I could have ever prescribed for myself.
What motivates you to continue with your yoga practice?There’s nothing more satisfying than struggling with a pose for weeks/months/years, then one day –*poof*–being able to do it. I also love the ‘mental stretch’ it gives you after a long day. My husband banishes me to the studio when I haven’t been for a few days, because I get seriously crankypants.
What does your practice routine look like now? Er, if I’m being consistent, I’ll try to get in 4x/week. But as much as possible: the Lisa-Patrick-Shawna regimen!
Favorite posture these days? Why? Favorite posture of all time: plow. Simple and not hard, but I love the simultaneous stretch and compression, and the shutting-off of the world. All you do is be silent and breathe. Most fun posture: rockstar!
Favorite food these days? I’m currently having an unhealthy relationship with medjool dates.
Favorite place or thing about the neighborhood? If you could change or add something to the neighborhood, what would it be? I love Ft. Tryon park–to breathe it in with all of your senses!
Anything else you might like to add? How great Bread & Yoga is–thank you, Marcela, for bringing such a focus of energy and happiness and community to our little end of the island!
