Inspiration
Rusty Wells
Rowena has been practicing with Rusty since 2011 and obtained her first yoga teacher training and certification in 2014 with Rusty Wells at Urban Flow in San Francisco, CA. Rusty teaches unique devotional vinyasa, called Bhakti Flow and leads teacher trainings, retreats, and workshops around the world. His in person classes are filled with music, sweat, stillness, energy, and loving kindness that will open your heart and leave you in a state of content. To check out his teachings from the comfort of your own home, visit his website.
One of Rowena's most memorable lessons from Rusty was learning the effect that saying "it's all good" has on others and self. "It's not all good. But it'll be okay."
Jason Crandell
Rowena was excited to have Jason Crandell as her instructor during her 2014 teacher training in anatomy, alignment, and injury prevention. His mastery of technical communication speaks to her biomedical engineering background and personal experience with physical therapy. For a glimpse of his teachings, check out the YogaLand Podcast which he co-hosts with his partner and former editor at Yoga Journal, Andrea Ferretti. You can also take his classes online on Glo App and his trainings online at his website and take short lessons on his YouTube.
One of the major lessons Rowena learned from Jason at training was what constitutes a weak chaturanga anatomically, and how it introduces risk of shoulder and back injury. Her chaturanga has been firm, stable, and at ease every since. Practicing with him since 2014, Rowena has also learned a lot about class structure, wise use of energy, and yoga business.
A favorite Jason-ism is, "Progress makes progress." Photo credit: https://jasonyoga.com/
Wah!
Wah is a world-renowned musician and artist. You may have heard her music playing before -- Rowena was already listening to her music for years without realizing who she was. Suddenly, the woman behind the voice and sound was her instructor at her 2014 teacher training! If you are lucky, you may find Wah offering her music live in SF. You can practice Kirtan with her every Friday LIVE online on Facebook or Instagram and recordings on YouTube!
From Wah, Rowena learned breathing, sound and thought exercises for studying the relationship with self and others. Some of Rowena's memorable lessons from Wah include: "If you are self-loathing, do service to others and in that way, you can grow the relationships with self." "Some people have a hard time relating to god. So fine. Relate to the self -- how do your closets look? Go home, take everything out, and put back the things you use." Photo credit: https://www.wahmusic.com/
Neil Wadhawan
Rowena and Neil share Indian heritage, appreciation for music, and the teacher, Rusty Wells. Before teacher training, she knew Neil over the years as the talented drum player at Rusty's weekend morning classes. She also took his first classes at Urban Flow. During her 2014 training, Neil was one of the teaching assistants on the Bhakti Flow Teacher Training team. Half desi, Rowena has found it helpful to study with Neil as she continues to explore her own beliefs, Indian culture and history, and western yoga. Rowena has assisted and subbed for Neil's classes and early morning series across SF since 2017.
If you share an appreciation for the art of music, particularly Indian classical music, and live drumming to guide flow of breath and movement, check out Neil's classes, workshops, and retreats! Photo credit: https://www.yogawithneil.com/
Jane Austin
To foster balanced pelvic tone, Rowena has been a practitioner who slips into prenatal classes from time-to-time since Jane's Yoga Tree days (even if she is not pregnant), in order to practice pelvic floor release, manage embodied stress, and foster the divine mother in each of us (jai ma!). Since the yoga teacher trainings Rowena had taken were missing substantial information on the anatomy of and beneficial yoga practices for prenatal and postnatal students, she registered for MamaTree training in 2023 to demystify the process that brings each of us to life and how to best support birthing people with yoga.
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A highlight of training (there were many), was learning about the uterosacral ligaments which attach to the uterus and sacrum providing stability. This structure opened Rowena to the idea that maybe a source of women's pelvic or low back pain on a monthly basis could be due in part to pressure or constrictions placed on bones and on connective tissue when the uterus is going through contractions. Therefore, postures which can release and lengthen connective tissue may be helpful for students with painful menstruation. It is already known that involvement of uterosacral ligaments is linked to chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia. To Rowena, prenatal and postnatal training should be taken by all yoga teachers, regardless of gender, and ideally all people -- anyone interested in understanding the origins of life and what a birthing person goes through and needs in order to feel supported. It turns out they left out a lot of important information in school!
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You can practice with Jane in person at Yoga Flow SF Noe and online at her website. If you're a teacher, check out her onsite and online trainings!
Photo credit: https://janeaustinyoga.com/
Catherine Middlebrooks
Catherine was Rowena's yoga teacher at Yoga Flow in Pittsburgh, PA where Rowena discovered yoga during recovery from chronic pain and inflammation. What made Catherine a great teacher was her ability to provide clear verbal cues, zero mysticism, and physical assists which were not about the vanity of a pose, but about finding breath and relieving strain. Today, she teaches postnatal yoga.
One of the most meaningful readings Catherine gave in a class that led to my first yoga book purchase and study was: "For many of us, our yoga teacher fulfills the role of steadfast advocate as we take risks and try new behaviors on the mat. In time, however, we must begin to be able to do this for ourselves. We must learn to trust that if we fall out of a balancing posture, rest during a vigorous class, or take a day off when we are tired, we will not lose our own respect or affection. Many of us expect more of ourselves than we would ever ask of anyone else. We simply cannot live up to our potential unless we are willing to live boldly and take adaptive risks...We must know that at the end of the day there will be a home to return to, where we will be loved for our hearts as well as our deeds. We must be steadfast in our love and respect for ourselves, both when we soar and when we stumble." - R. Gates & K. Kenison, Meditations from the Mat
Dominique Ponko
On a snowy, depressing Pittsburgh day in 2010, Rowena trudged home from grad school worrying that she may never be pain/inflammation free or graduate with a PhD. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a sign that read, "Free Yoga for 1 Month" with an arrow pointing to around the corner. Her physical therapist and multiple doctors had been nudging her to give yoga another chance. It was this month-long gift from Yoga Flow Shadyside that allowed Rowena to try again.
Dominique Ponko is a teacher at and the owner of Yoga Flow in Pittsburgh, PA where Rowena truly discovered yoga. Dominque's school of yoga was one with little mysticism, taught all the modifications for each pose at every class, and left theology out of asana practice -- which in hindsight, helped Rowena focus on the flow of body and mind. Moreover, this studio welcomed students, diversity, and her recycled college rags as yoga gear. Not once during her time at Yoga Flow did Rowena know about her teacher's struggle with brain cancer. Rowena learned about Dominique's story as she was getting ready to move to SF, while reading a feature in a small local magazine.
One of the biggest lessons Rowena learned from Dominique was how humility and selflessness makes a great business owner and yoga teacher. Dominique owns 5 studios in the Pittsburgh region - go visit!
Stephanie Snyder
Already a student at Stephanie's classes since her Urban Flow days, Rowena got to know Stephanie better while working at Stephanie's studio, Love Story Yoga, behind desk and as a teacher when it opened in 2017. Stephanie invited Rowena to participate in the first LSY teacher training. After training, Stephanie invited Rowena to be her mentee.
What Rowena took away from training and working at LSY was colleagueship with teachers Nichol Chase, Susannah Freedman, and Peter Walters Yoga, as well as new friendships with Asian American students who understand what it's like to be a minority in a yoga room, for which she is grateful.
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From Stephanie's mentorship, Rowena learned she is capable of teaching at the best studios in SF. She honed the skill of advocating for herself and asking for help from peers and teachers in order to build a living teaching yoga. Rowena's teachings flourished thanks to Stephanie's firm and supportive push off the cliff of fear and into her True Self. From this mentorship experience, Rowena learned that a mentor is someone who presents you options (actions) you didn't see clearly before. Rowena carries this learning with her as she mentors folks in the corporate workplace and blossoming yoga teachers. You can practice with Stephanie on Glo App, on her YouTube, or in person at LSY. ​​
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Katie Panas
During a break between biotech startup jobs, Rowena started taking more of Katie's day-time classes ​at BodyRok Mission on Classpass. Turns out, Katie was the founder and co-owner of BodyRok and building out the team. She asked Rowena to join to teach yoga and work desk. This offer was a no brainer to Rowena - unlimited BodyRok classes!
Thanks to Katie's nudge, "You are already ready. Just teach." Rowena taught her first regularly scheduled public yoga classes.
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From Katie, Rowena learned how to run a fitness and wellness business, serve the community through fundraisers, manage/maintain a brick and mortar business, train team members, run personable and organic sales and marketing, create a brand, and mentor other professionals. Rowena watched in awe as Katie and her cofounding team grew BodyRok from two to three SF locations, to a successful, high quality national franchise with locations coast-to-coast.
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