We are excited to welcome Maija Waris to the team as part of our merger with Moxie Yoga!
Tell us about yourself! What are some things that your students might not know?
I was born in Sweden to Finnish parents, and have spent most of my adult years traveling between the US and Scandinavia. I am a huge lover of art — I never feel alone in a city where I can find a Rothko painting somewhere. I see life as an endless candy store of things I want to learn.
How did you become interested in yoga?
A late stage Lyme disease diagnosis is what it took, then yoga opened up a whole new universe of exploration into my body and mind.
Tell us about your yoga journey. What style did you start in and with whom do you study now?
I started out with Yoga to the People in NYC. After a few years my boyfriend took me to a Kula class in New York, and after using up his 10 class card, I was hooked. Schuyler Grant and Nikki Vilella are endlessly inspiring and the Kula style is intelligent, creative and.. sweaty! Through Kula, I found Annie Carpenter on the west coast. I did my prenatal training in my third trimester and am so grateful for Alex Rossis mentorship — she definitely influenced my pregnancy as well as my prenatal practice and teaching. I have lately become slightly obsessed with everything Judith Hanson Lasater and restorative yoga.
Describe your teaching style. What can folks expect when they attend your class?
My classes are based on breath, alignment, and the joy of movement and discovery. Combining energizing flow with restorative asanas and pranayama, I would love to leave my students with a sense of balance and perhaps feeling a little lighter, a little more grounded, and a little more connected. My background is in the performing arts and movement, holding space and creating presence through somatic exercises and breath has been a big part of it. This is prominent in my teaching style as well. What I love about prenatal yoga is that the yoga is fitted to the pregnant woman, instead of trying to fit the pregnant woman into yoga. To me THIS is YOGA.
Any exciting projects or plans on the horizon?
So much to learn! I want to deepen my understanding of restorative yoga, trauma sensitive yoga, and prenatal yoga. And I have all sorts of community building ideas/plans for my yoga mamas.
I’m excited to be sharing practice with such a wonderful community of yogis!
Follow Maija Waris on Instagram: @maiogini.
