Born to Teach

Shannon Alyse Cluff

Director, Sanga Yoga Studio sangayoga.ca

photo by Jaime Kowal

Shannon launched her teaching career at age 12, when she started giving ballet classes to children. Now 33, Shannon mentors new yoga teachers, and runs classes and her apprenticeship program from her Dunbar studio. “Like all born teachers,” maintains one of her students, “she cares genuinely for all her students and leaves her ego at the door.”

Shannon, what first brought you to the mat? Good old-fashioned injury and neurosis. What’s still funny to me is that I was doing yoga without understanding that it was going to be my personal therapy. I thought I was doing it just to get in shape, but little by little it was balancing my mind, and old, unhealthy habits began to fall away without a lot of suffering.

What keeps you on the mat? Everything. My students, my teachers, my husband, my mother, this crazy life, and my curiosity about the body and mind.
What’s your necessary yogini indulgence? I am a sucker for great music to teach and practise to. If there is anyone out there making great yoga music, call me!

How can we get our partners to go to yoga with us? Just go—become a superhero and live by example. He will see how amazing you are and possibly catch the yoga vibe. Everyone who does yoga comes to it at their own perfect time. And some people just fall in love with people who do yoga. Both are good.

Naked yoga: inspirational, or icky? You know what? There’s a style of yoga out there for everyone and I’m so happy that there is. You can dress it or undress it any way you want. Sometimes risking being a little icky can be very inspirational.