Libby Volckening
Libby draws inspiration for her yoga teaching and practice from many sources, including Patty Townsend, Gary Kraftsow, Donna Farhi, Tom Myers, and Shiva Rea.
Libby is a graduate of the 200- and 500-hour Embodyoga® teacher trainings with Patty Townsend at Yoga Center Amherst. Embodyoga® is an innovative and exciting approach to the practice of yoga informed by cutting-edge study in the field of body-awareness. Through the process of "embodied inquiry" — questioning, sensing, and witnessing every aspect of consciousness as it expresses through the body-mind — intimate self-knowledge and self-transformation arise.
Currently, Libby enrolled in the American Viniyoga Institute's Foundations Program for Teaching & Yoga Therapy course with Gary Kraftsow, and both her practice and teaching have been profoundly influenced by these studies. Viniyoga™ is a comprehensive and authentic transmission of the teachings of yoga including asana, pranayama, bandha, sound, chanting, meditation, personal ritual and study of texts. Viniyoga™ (prefixes vi and ni plus yoga) is an ancient Sanskrit term that implies differentiation, adaptation, and appropriate application.
Libby's personal practice also includes The Work of Byron Katie, a simple yet powerful approach to questioning stressful thoughts, a process which has resulted in a radical and ongoing transformation for her. In October 2007, Libby attended The School for the Work, a 10-day immersion in this liberating process.
Libby teaches a breath-centered style of Hatha yoga that focuses on developing healthier movement patterns and reintegrating the body, mind and spirit. In all her classes, she teaches how to adapt postures, breathing, and relaxation techniques so that they can be most effective for each individual student. Each month has a particular theme, so students have time to deeply explore and evolve in their yoga practice.
Libby has been leading group movement classes since 1988 and has held certifications from the American Council on Exercise and YogaFit. She also directs Green River Yoga & Movement in Greenfield, MA.