Mary Payton
Mary has been practicing yoga for over 12 years. She has always been involved in sports and physical activities, starting early in life in Gymnastics. Once she became deeply involved in yoga and its’ mind/body connection she realized it was her calling to share this wonderful way of life with everyone she meets.
Mary took the Teacher training under Baron Baptiste of the Baptiste Power Yoga Institute, Cambridge Massachusetts, including an extensive one week boot camp in the Catskill Mountains of New York. She then continued her education for her Yoga Alliance 200 hour certification at the Prana Yoga Center in La Jolla, California. This Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training, with a strong Anusara Yoga emphasis and in depth meditation work, was taught in a non-dogmatic approach by long time teachers Jeanie Carlstead and Gerhard Gessner.
Mary has taken many workshops and will always continue to further her education with the belief that every great teacher will also always be a student. She has taken a strong path in the Anusara Yoga Teachings, studying under John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga, Martin Kirk, Desiree Rumbaugh, Jamie Allison, Betsy Downing, and Douglas Brooks, Professor of religion and world known scholar of Sanskrit. She has also studied Yoga anatomy and Yin Yoga under Paul Grilley.
Mary’s class is a combination of precise alignment instruction in the Anusara tradition with a joyful flow of grace thru breath and movement, as though it’s a moving meditation taught challengingly with a strong emphasis on listening to your own body, to find your edge, to find the balance between over-effort and under-effort. You will leave Mary’s class feeling a sense of peace and grounding.
Testimonials
"As a teacher Mary puts her heart and soul into each class. She is always well prepared and creates a welcoming and beautiful space with her attention for both beginners and more advanced students. I especially appreciate how she encourages each person to "honor their own bodies" and only participate to a personal place of comfort and ease. Mary is enthusiastic, kind and very generous both with her knowledge and joy in the practice of yoga. It is a pleasure to study yoga with Mary and I look forward to her classes."
—Barbara Zelnick
"As a novice student of Yoga I have really appreciated Mary's ability to simplify yoga for me. She is gentle and systematic in her approach. Directions are timely and very clear. She models very well, but also takes time to offer personal attention during class. She is generous with her time before and after class;always open for individual questions. Thank you Mary!"
—Alice Robbins
"Mary has an incredible presence which inspires her students. She starts out her classes with calming excercises and breathing techniques to help open up the the mind and body. Her class then flows from easy stretches to challenging movements and poses. By the end of her class my body feels open flexible and strong. Her classes put my mind at ease, and she furthur inspires me with traditional yoge ritual quotes at the end of her class. I integrate these lessons into my daily life."
—Melanie Mentzel
"Mary has the perfect combination of relaxation, strength and stretching. You leave her class feeling an inch taller and completely at peace."
—Miriam Lettas