ABOUT LAUREN

Lauren Toolin, E-RYT, is a nationally recognized yoga instructor and a senior student and teaching assistant of Yogarupa Rod Stryker. She has completed his Para Yoga Master Training, which is one of the most intensive and advanced trainings in the country. She also studied closely with and was a lead teaching assistant to Rodney Yee for many years. Lauren conceptualized and associate produced "The Practical Power of Yoga," a public television special starring Rodney Yee, to air nationwide in December 2008.

Lauren has been teaching for 15 years and is an initiated practitioner in the tradition of Swami Rama of the Himalayas. Her instruction is an engaging synthesis of the clarity and precision of the Iyengar system and the joyful, energetic inquiry of Tantra. Always insightful, inspirational, and infused with humor, Lauren's teaching conveys her passionate belief in Yoga's boundless potential for creating a healthy, successful and loving existence. Lauren's classes often include instruction in kriya, mantra, bandha, pranayama and meditation—profound techniques which are rarely taught in group yoga classes today.

She teaches public classes in the Spencer, Mass. area and is a respected mentor to other yoga teachers. She directs teacher training and leads workshops and retreats regionally and in Belize and Puerto Rico.

"Lauren is an amazing asset to the yoga community. Her command of the classroom is daunting. She is both strong and compassionate, articulate and fluid. People like her manner and find her a charming teacher. She has initiated and sustained the entire yoga scene in her own home town, which is no small feat. I recommend her as a teacher…" -Rodney Yee

"Under Lauren's careful guidance, yoga has given me the tools to achieve the clarity of thought and wisdom needed for me to leave a stressful job, start up a business and pursue my dream of writing a book. Yoga has also given me the strength to overcome a lifetime of anxieties, as well as heal a longstanding back problem. I recommend Lauren's classes for anybody who wants to improve their life, physically, emotionally and spiritually." -Ellen S.

Lauren on the cover of Yoga + Joyful Living magazine, November-December 2006