Forrest Yoga teachers in the NYC area
Author, Yoga Therapist, Forrest Yoga Guardian, and Master Teacher Erica Mather, M.A. is a life-long educator. She teaches people to feel better in, and about their bodies, and to view their bodies as an ally and best friend on the journey of life. Her forthcoming book Radical Body Acceptance: End the Time-Sucking, Confidence-Crushing Pursuit of Unrealistic Beauty-Standards and Start Living Your Life (New Harbinger 2020) is a 7-step spiritual journey helping women befriend their bodies and utilize them as tools and allies on their quest to live their best lives. Her Adore Your Body Transformational Programs help overcome body image challenges, and the Yoga Clinic of NYC supports students, teachers, and health professionals learn about empowered care for the body. Mather is a recognized body image expert, a Forrest Yoga lineage-holder, and was also named one of the next generations’ important yoga teachers by Yoga Journal. She writes for Mind Body Green on the topic of body image challenges, is a regular columnist for Rivertown Magazine and is a popular repeat interview on the SoulFeed Podcast, Hay House Radio’s Angel Club, and more. Mather lives in New York City.
Maria Bassett
Maria Bassett, RYT-200, has studied and practiced yoga and Reiki since the 1990’s. After Forrest Yoga found her in 2008, she went on to earn her 200-hr teaching certificate in Forrest Yoga in 2014, studying directly with Ana Forrest. The course of her life changed. Later she completed the 100-hour Yoga Clinic of NYC Teacher Training with Erica Mather. She currently teaches private clients in New York City, corporate classes at Rockefeller University and co-teaches Monday night classes with Erica and Shayna. Yoga continues to be the place she finds calm. Practice via SoundCloud with Maria here or YouTube here.
Shayna Skarf (E-RYT-200, PhD) discovered her passion for yoga during a year of service work in India 25 years ago. Stumbling upon Forrest Yoga in New York City, she was struck by its transformative power. After obtaining a Ph.D. in English, Shayna studied directly with Ana Forrest, completing the Forrest Yoga Foundation Training and Advanced Training. She then gained specialized knowledge in trauma-informed yoga practices, through certification with Exhale to Inhale in New York. Most recently, she completed a Chair and Corporate Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Journey in Boca Raton, Florida. With over 1,700 hours of professional teaching experience, Shayna is skilled at adapting classes to students with injuries or disabilities and believes yoga should be an empowering practice available to everyone. Her primary goal as a yoga instructor is to encourage students to draw connections between their minds and bodies, to learn about themselves through movement and breath, to build confidence, and to find joy and a sense of adventure in discovering their own abilities.