In 2002, Alissa, a graduate of Rutgers college, was working in the chemical industry and lifting weights for exercise. Intially, she took yoga classes to alleviate the tightness in her back, the result of her choice of exercise and long days of sitting in an office chair. Alissa soon found that yoga not only helped allieviate the back stress but also began to calm her overactive mind.
After a few months of yoga, Alissa was introduced to Ashtanga. While she found it very challenging, the moving meditation helped her find a calming center. In September of 2003 Alissa went to her first workshop in Ashtanga. It was a week long retreat in Utah with teacher David Swenson. The week of intensive practice helped Alissa to fully embrace the practice, and by the end of the week Alissa realized that Ashtanga would transform her life.
By 2004, after 2 years of yoga practice, and after working in the chemical industry for 5 years, Alissa made a decision to start on a new path. She left the chemical industry and began relying on her yoga practice for guidance. In 2005 she attended David Swenson's teacher training, not with the intention of becoming a teacher, but hoping to deepen her own personal practice. The training brought many changes to Alissa's perspectives. By the time the training was completed, Alissa was on the path to becoming a yoga teacher, something she never would have expected.
Currently, Alissa maintains her own 6 day a week Ashtanga practice, and teaches 5 days a week at several studios in the Central New Jersey area. Alissa continues to be inspired by additional studies with many great Ashtanga teachers, including Wendy Green, David Swenson, Christine Hoar, and Nancy Gilgoff as well as many others, both in and outside of the Ashtanga practice.
Alissa's teaching of Ashtanga focuses on her desire to help students to relax in postures, and not to stress over what they cannot do, or the challenges that they face. Alissa tries to help those attending her classes to just be in the present moment and breathe.
To see Alissa's current class schedule click here
