Teacher's Survey: April Frazier

Meet April Frazier

How long have you been practicing yoga? I have been practicing yoga for five years. My mother has been a yoga instructor since I was ten but in my teenage rebellion I never heeded her advice to do yoga... Moms are always right I guess :)

Current happy pose? Cat and cow

Current nemesis pose? Handstand

What is your favorite food? I genuinely love salads and I eat raw almonds every day. I've also formed this recent love for cherry tomatoes.

Why do you teach yoga? I teach yoga as an invitation to students to come back home to find refuge within their bodies and to remember the light within them. I also believe in yoga for social justice and to promote world peace and healing.

Elvis Presley or Frank Sinatra? Frank Sinatra... My grandpa's go-to guy.

One thing you do every day? Every day I do a 30 minute mindfulness based stress reduction body scan. Every day I laugh a lot... I mean a lot.

Brown Rice or Quinoa? Quinoa, especially after a trip I took to Peru.

What is your favorite bad habit?  My favorite bad habit is coffee, I guess... I feel being a past teacher has made me an avid coffee drinker.

Good book recommendation? Definitely "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts.

What is your best asana tip? The asanas are an invitation to drop back into the body - to listen to the body in the poses as a way to provide information to yourself about where you store tension and where you store peace.

What is your favorite yama/niyama? Ahimsa (compassion) is definitely my favorite because it encompasses love for others and yourself (which is an important balance to find).

Anything else you would like to share with us? I am currently studying mindfulness and love having conversations with folks on the topic as well as how to bring yoga and mindfulness to under-served populations. I feel truly blessed to teach at BYS. I am also always open to laughing so if you have new jokes or stories you want to try out, I will laugh at anything!