Edgar – Yoga District Teacher

Meet Edgar one of our lovely teachers at Yoga District as he shares his journey of learning, practicing, and instructing yoga over decades and across continents.

“The most important yoga practice is not on your mat, but in the way you live.”

Check out Edgar’s class schedule below and keep reading to learn more about him:

• Wednesday 10:00 AM, Yoga for Stress Relief (All Levels) @ H Street
• Wednesday 12:30 PM, Flow Yoga 1-1.5 @ H Street
• Wednesday 7:45 PM, All Levels Core Focused Flow @ 14th Street
• Thursday 5:30 PM, Gentle Hatha Yoga for Abs, Back, & Legs @ I Street
• Friday 12:15 PM, Gentle Yoga for All Levels @ Dupont

Teaching and Practicing Yoga

I don’t have a specific style of teaching Yoga. In the early morning I prefer strong core work to really move the energy and start my day in a more dynamic way. After that, I like to switch to a gentle flow or Restorative Yoga.

My first steps in Yoga were in Traditional Hatha Yoga under the guidance of my spiritual Master Guru Gil in Venezuela. After that, I have continued to study the Iyengar method and the anatomy of yoga. In my classes I teach the alignment and the anatomical benefits of each posture. In this way, the students can better understand the reason and benefits of each asana during the practice.

3 Lessons Learned from Yoga

1. The most important Yoga practice is not on your mat, but in the way you live. Nobody can make us happy. Nobody can make us feel peace. Happiness and peacefulness are already within us. We just have to look inward to find inner peace, and share it with others. In doing so, we will be happier and loving to all forms of life.

2. Life is beautiful. It’s important to practice contentment and smile from the heart. This means working to maintain an inner, positive attitude–even through difficult times. Enjoy the simplest things of life like walking, reading a good book or drinking a cup of coffee.

3. I have learned that helping others is the best way to develop our own potential. Karma Yoga (serving others) is an important part of my life.

Life Changing Moment

The most inspiring Yoga moment that I have had was my first encounter with my spiritual Master Guru Gil in his Ashram in Venezuela. Even though it happened a long time ago, when I was 22 years old, that unforgettable moment still remains alive in my mind and in my heart. Some experiences can’t be translated into words because nobody else would understand them. There are transcendental encounters that generate radical changes in our life.

Advice For New Yogis

I would say: “Yoga is for everybody, there are no limitations of age, gender or physical capabilities. The main objective of yoga is not about doing acrobatics. It is about learning how to breath well and release tension while feeling physically and mentally better.

There is no need to worry much about how flexible we are at the beginning of our practice. The main flexibility should be in our mind and then, our body will also become flexible.

Life in a Form of a Yoga Pose

I would choose Savasana (corpse pose) to describe my life. Savasana is a pose for total relaxation. Each day, at least for 10 minutes, It is necessary to release tensions, to cut the threads that bind us to the external world and be in touch with your own self. I don’t want to live in a hurry but in a relaxed way. For me, Savasana has a symbolic meaning because while our body is grounded, our mind can become free and enjoy inner piece.