About YOGA
Yoga means UNITY, the union of our physical, mental and spiritual selves. Although many of us gain our first introduction to yoga by going to classes which help to relax and tone our bodies, we soon find that yoga also encourages us to focus our minds and become more aware of the internal flow of energy and to remind us we are more than just physical beings but spiritual beings as well. No matter your belief structure - your shape - your age or your level of fitness - yoga can help. About Emerald Lotus Yoga When I began to teach yoga, a new world opened to me. I was amazed to see people of all ages and physical abilities work the postures and breathing exercises. I came to appreciate that yoga is an individual path for everyone who undertakes it. No two people are the same and no two yoga practices are alike. I am a married mother of five who discovered Pilates in 2000 after the birth of my first child. Following her birth, I was overweight, I had poor posture and I was ½ inch shorter than before the pregnancy. Even though I was strapped for both cash and time, I found a certified Pilates instructor and committed to a package of 10. From the very first lesson I knew that I was meant to teach Pilates to others. I felt like Pilates was something that I had to share with others. Neither an athlete or a dancer, entering and completing the program seemed like an impossible task. Pilates is the only thing I have ever done that I know I will do for the rest of my life, besides paying taxes... Five years after that very first lesson, I started living my dream of teaching Pilates to others. Since completing my Pilates certification in 2005, I have taught at Park Cities Pilates Center (the Premier Pilates Studio in Dallas, located in Highland Park). And now I am expanding my practice by providing private lessons in Murphy and mat group lessons in Wylie at Emerald Lotus.
The studio officially opened hearts and doors in Wylie,Texas on October 27, 2008. Since Day 1 - we have contributed to the local and global community with support for WISD Foundation Donny Worthington Memorial Fund, Wylie Christian Care Center, Samaritan Inn (homeless shelter in McKinney), and YOGA-4-LOVE (food program to feed HIV/AIDS orphans in South Africa).
About Charlotte Rose - owner Yoga teacher
I came to the practice of yoga some 8 years ago when I entered a Bikram yoga class unaware of what awaited. I was trying to cope with a significant family event over which I had no control and even though I was totally spent after yoga class – later in the day I found a calmness that encouraged me to try it again.
I then determined that yoga done in a healthful way as part of a healthy lifestyle was helping me overcome and cope with my rheumatoid arthritis and the stress of the corporate world. Nothing in my life has contributed more to my physical and mental health than yoga, and it has also assisted in expanding my spiritual growth and commitment. I have grown with yoga, and found adventure in exploring its infinite variations and possibilities. It is always exciting to discover something new, to try it and to share it with others, and to have others share with me. Yoga is part of my life journey.
My personal practice of yoga is evolutionary and I continually learn from my teachers, my students and myself. My classes are not pure, traditional yoga with prescribed static postures, although I draw heavily from tradition. I favor movements that improve coordination, open the body to possibilities, and improve balance, strength and concentration.
About Kelly Abdellatif - Pilates instructor