All of Karla's classes involve:
(1) mindfulness techniques
(2)warm-up movements for the joints (3) standing and balance postures - (unless chairs are needed for client)
(4) brief cool down and
(5) zen-like relaxation period.
She believes that breath is the most important cue, that twists should be done with caution, that muscle strengthening is almost always needed asymmetrically, and that finding ease in each pose is necessary to integrate the essential tenants of yoga.
Her teaching style is unique and influenced by her P.T. education, decades of yoga training in multiple yoga traditions, and recent training with The Postural Restoration Institute (PRI). Join a PRiSM Yoga class to see the yoga/PRI difference.
Karla shares many of Ray Long’s (Bandha yoga) concepts w/muscular engagement cues that help students learn more about their own body and align the bones for the intended benefit. Also, she integrates as much of Postural Restoration Institute's science into the poses as possible, as it relates to ribcage, pelvis position and efficient airflow.
She enjoys teaching in a structural way to give the student more body awareness yet cues expanding one’s keen sense of the subtle body.
As long as the client is breathing in the pose, she does not care about a perfect pose. As the student learns to alter the pose to fit their body type and energy level she is thrilled that one of her goals as an instructor is met!
"I’ve taken yoga classes for many years. With some instructors I feel that I would get just as must benefit from a YouTube video. With Karla, the experience is different. I took my first class with her 3 years ago and knew immediately that she is special. In addition to her yoga training, she is schooled in physical therapy. Her knowledge & experience are of the highest quality, but what I appreciate even more is the love she puts into everything she does. She treats each student as an individual, helping strugglers modify a pose & helping the more advanced learn new poses. Karla is as unique as her classes which are always creative, challenging & spiritually fulfilling."
- Linda Livingston
"I am new to Yoga and was so happy to have Karla Hollan be my very first instructor. I enjoy her style of teaching, calm voice and willingness to help with any pose if there was difficulty with the reminder that we all can do Yoga as it best suits us and our bodies. I think Karla has a warm spirit and I left her classes feeling very relaxed."
- Joanne Hoeambrecker