Teachers

Hi yogis! Hope this week finds you all well. Im excited about this weeks post, as this week we’ll get to know Stacy and her story a little more.

For those of you who have taken Stacy Whittingham’s classes, you know that there is something about this woman that shines so bright it fills the room. She moves with grace and has so much
love and passion for people; she genuinely cares about supporting others in their personal journeys to health and wholeness.

Last year I had the privilege of going through Stacy and Gena’s teacher training and got to know Stacy on a deeper level. With her permission, I’m honored to share with you part of her story!

Living the American dream and working in corporate America, Stacy found herself run down and in a yoga class. After a series of divine interruptions (don’t you love those?!) she was lead to her teacher Rusty Wells, in San Francisco. Soon she completed first teacher training. It was clear at that point that this was her path, and with that, She dove all in and has never looked back.

Stacy’s journey to embracing the yogic lifestyle lead her to Mahendra Briksha who quickly became one of her teachers. As she studied under Briksha they eventually became friends and collaborated co-creating a yogic catering and conscious eating education venture in San Francisco called Bhakti Kitchen.

During this time Stacy’s sister was diagnosed with cancer. Stacy took this diagnosis as an opportunity to grab hold of her passion and convictions and dive in deeper, learning more about how to heal the body with food. As she supported her sister through this battle she saw the fruits of the yogic diet manifest in her sisters healing. The valley of pain and struggle became a gateway for hope as Stacy’s sister went into remission and has been cancer free for the past five years. Stacy experienced first hand and in a powerful way the potential food has to heal the body, if we allow it.

Stacy lives Yoga. If you know her to any extent, you know this. She believes yoga is not just something we practice on the mat, but that as we step off the mat we are to step into the world and “walk like a yogi.” Every January she herself goes to San Francisco to join a community of between 100-200 yogis who practice an annual detox flow with her teacher Stephanie Snyder .

Stacy has been leading cleanse workshops at Leap for the past four years. She also Leads workshops and has clients in San Francisco as well and around the Sacramento area. Though she works with individual clients, what she loves is walking through the experience of cleansing in community. There is strength and support in that.

When I asked her what she loves the most about watching people go through her detox/cleanse workshops, she had a hard time sharing just one thing. What she did say is that “It changes their lives” and having gone through her teacher training, I can attest to the gift Stacy has to influence and change lives!

It’s a new year Yogis! Its time to breakup with the craving cycle, the unhealthy habits and rise up to a new level of wholeness, to take yoga off our mats and into our kitchens. To really experience the power of yoga, the power of loving ourselves, even with the food we eat. I know I personally have struggle in this area for most of my life. I’ve struggle with body shaming myself, and putting limitations on myself and I know how good and freeing it feels when we let go of what’s no longer serving us emotionally, spiritually, relationally and physically. I know I’m going to make the most of this gift we have in our community found in Stacy and glean from her all she has to offer. I invite you to join me, I hope you will! It’s time my friends to choose the best for our lives.

Stacy is starting off her workshop with a DETOX FLOW on Jan 16th and you do not want to miss this vital part to the process. This is the space where we pair movement and breath to prepare the body to release and receive everything else that’s coming in the 7 DAY CLEANSE. You know how its wise to build a house on a solid foundation, consider this detox flow your foundation for the cleanse workshop. Starting on the 17th, the week to follow we will be educated, equipped, inspired and supported by Stacy (and each other) as she walks us through what she has shared with so many others and little by little, step by step, we will become the healthiest versions of ourselves! Lets do this friends!!

I’m excited! Are you?! Hope to see you there!

namaste!

Tanya

Today we are fortunate to share Janna’s birth story on the Leap blog. Thank you, Janna, for your honesty and courage in sharing your story. We are so grateful to have you back at the studio!

Hello Dear Leap Family,

First of all, I am so sorry its taken me so long to write this letter to you. I’ve missed you!!! You have all been on my mind so much the last 2 months. Cathy and Corey sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers when we came home from the hospital with baby Kingston and I was immediately flooded with a feeling of so much love and support from all of YOU!

I wanted to share a couple things that came up for me recently. First of all, having Kingston has been a huge reminder that things don’t always go according to our plan. Sometimes not at all according to our plan. However, this doesn’t mean its not part of the plan that is being divinely orchestrated for us. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I switched my insurance to deliver at Sutter Davis, I knew I wanted a water birth. I hired my Doula, read all the right books, watched all the right movies, did my prenatal yoga, took a million natural childbirth classes and workshops (all with my amazing husband, God bless him) and I had no fear going into labor. I felt so prepared and was so excited.

Everything started off as expected; my water broke on his due date. What I didn’t know is that my son had a different plan and my labor went nothing like I planned. I labored for two days and eventually had to have an emergency c-section. Just about everything that could go wrong from moments before the c-section through the next couple weeks happened. It was a very dark and stressful time.

What was so beautiful however, was that even during this most challenging time, I kept getting signs from God and my angels that we were not alone, that we were okay, that we would never get more than we could handle. These reminders were not small either, and they would come at exactly the right moment when we were at our breaking points. All of this taught me a huge lesson in surrender.

It was never about me and my plan. There was another plan. I now know with all of my heart that my son chose me, because he knew how strong I was, he knew I could handle it and he knew it would make me stronger. it did. What an honor and blessing that he chose me.

The second thing that came up for me in the last week is that there is always…ALWAYS light after the dark. Transformation happens when you stay, when you go through the tough times, when you walk into the fire and come out on the other side. I know for me, I came out so much stronger, and with so much clarity.

Please remember my dear friends, if you are going through something really challenging, do not lose faith. Hang on and trust. You may not understand and know why events are happening right now. It doesn’t matter. Breathe and take it one moment at a time and I promise there will be light after the dark.

One last thing. I was able to practice yoga for the first time last week. I had wanted to for so long but I was still in too much pain. Each practice, I would struggle and cry and cry, and for the most part, I loved it. I’m doing my fourth yoga teacher training and I know well enough now that clearing during these trainings leads to the greatest transformations. It may sound weird but I really love a good cry! I knew it was my body clearing out all the birth trauma that happened and I was being healed, so I could make room for new.

Teachers

Stacy’s Story

Janna’s Birth Story – A Love Letter to the Leap Community