Alissa Shaneson
In 2002, I was working in the chemical industry and lifting weights for exercise. Initially, I took yoga classes to alleviate the tightness in my back due to all the body building and long days of sitting in an office chair. I soon found that yoga not only helped alleviate the back stress and tightness in my body, but calm my overactive mind. After a few months of yoga, I stumbled into Ashtanga. Thinking I was fit, I jumped into a full primary class. Boy was I surprised. By the end of the class I was covered in sweat and completely confused by what had just happened. However, as I lay in rest totally humbled I found a relaxing and soothing sensation wash over me. I decided I needed this to happen more and thus began my journey with the practice. While it was very challenging, and I was not very flexible the moving meditation helped me find a calming center and learn to let go of what was not serving me.
In September of 2003, I went to my first workshop in Ashtanga. It was a week long retreat in Utah with teacher David Swenson. I was terrified. Thoughts began racing through my head, “I’m not good enough to do a workshop. I can’t do anything right. People will make fun of me”. I pushed the thoughts in my mind aside and did it anyway. The week of intensive practice was amazing and was a great start on my journey to fully embrace the practice. I began to realize it wasn’t about just getting into poses, but how to use those poses to heal the body and the soul.
By 2004, after 2 years of yoga practice, and after working in the chemical industry for 7 years, I made a decision to start on a new path. I did something crazy. I left the chemical industry and began relying on my yoga practice for guidance. Again, fear and anxiety crept up, just like when I went to my first yoga workshop. “Are you crazy? What are you doing? You have a good job with good pay and you’re going to give it up and practice yoga? You’re nuts!” Once again, I was able to push the thoughts in my mind aside and did it anyway.
In 2005 I attended my first of what was to be many teacher trainings. It was David Swenson's 40hr teacher training. I didn’t attend it with the intention of becoming a teacher, I was just hoping to deepen my own personal practice. The training brought many changes to my perspectives. By the time the training was completed, whether I realized it or not, I was on the path to becoming a yoga teacher, something I never would have expected. Since 2006 I have been a student of Nancy Gilgoff and have completed many Primary and Intermediate and Advanced series adjustment clinics with her, Christine Hoar and Manju Jois.
I’ve been teaching Ashtanga Yoga since 2005, and from 2010 to 2020, I had the joy of holding space for community practice at my studio in Highland Park, NJ. Today, I work full-time with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC as a Logistics and Planning Specialist while pursuing my MBA in Supply Chain Management at Rutgers. Since 2006, I’ve traveled extensively to study with my teacher, Nancy Gilgoff, one of the first Westerners to learn from Sri Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. My annual pilgrimages to Maui from 2010 to 2020 were rooted in dedicated practice and study with her, and from 2020 until her passing in 2024, I continued learning from her online.
When I’m asked how I teach, I return to the heart of what Nancy offered: it’s not about the postures—it’s about presence. Let go of what no longer serves you. Forget the external noise. Just be here now and breathe. The rest will unfold.
For more information about online classes feel free to contact me at [email protected]
In 2002, I was working in the chemical industry and lifting weights for exercise. Initially, I took yoga classes to alleviate the tightness in my back due to all the body building and long days of sitting in an office chair. I soon found that yoga not only helped alleviate the back stress and tightness in my body, but calm my overactive mind. After a few months of yoga, I stumbled into Ashtanga. Thinking I was fit, I jumped into a full primary class. Boy was I surprised. By the end of the class I was covered in sweat and completely confused by what had just happened. However, as I lay in rest totally humbled I found a relaxing and soothing sensation wash over me. I decided I needed this to happen more and thus began my journey with the practice. While it was very challenging, and I was not very flexible the moving meditation helped me find a calming center and learn to let go of what was not serving me.
In September of 2003, I went to my first workshop in Ashtanga. It was a week long retreat in Utah with teacher David Swenson. I was terrified. Thoughts began racing through my head, “I’m not good enough to do a workshop. I can’t do anything right. People will make fun of me”. I pushed the thoughts in my mind aside and did it anyway. The week of intensive practice was amazing and was a great start on my journey to fully embrace the practice. I began to realize it wasn’t about just getting into poses, but how to use those poses to heal the body and the soul.
By 2004, after 2 years of yoga practice, and after working in the chemical industry for 7 years, I made a decision to start on a new path. I did something crazy. I left the chemical industry and began relying on my yoga practice for guidance. Again, fear and anxiety crept up, just like when I went to my first yoga workshop. “Are you crazy? What are you doing? You have a good job with good pay and you’re going to give it up and practice yoga? You’re nuts!” Once again, I was able to push the thoughts in my mind aside and did it anyway.
In 2005 I attended my first of what was to be many teacher trainings. It was David Swenson's 40hr teacher training. I didn’t attend it with the intention of becoming a teacher, I was just hoping to deepen my own personal practice. The training brought many changes to my perspectives. By the time the training was completed, whether I realized it or not, I was on the path to becoming a yoga teacher, something I never would have expected. Since 2006 I have been a student of Nancy Gilgoff and have completed many Primary and Intermediate and Advanced series adjustment clinics with her, Christine Hoar and Manju Jois.
I’ve been teaching Ashtanga Yoga since 2005, and from 2010 to 2020, I had the joy of holding space for community practice at my studio in Highland Park, NJ. Today, I work full-time with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC as a Logistics and Planning Specialist while pursuing my MBA in Supply Chain Management at Rutgers. Since 2006, I’ve traveled extensively to study with my teacher, Nancy Gilgoff, one of the first Westerners to learn from Sri Pattabhi Jois in Mysore, India. My annual pilgrimages to Maui from 2010 to 2020 were rooted in dedicated practice and study with her, and from 2020 until her passing in 2024, I continued learning from her online.
When I’m asked how I teach, I return to the heart of what Nancy offered: it’s not about the postures—it’s about presence. Let go of what no longer serves you. Forget the external noise. Just be here now and breathe. The rest will unfold.
For more information about online classes feel free to contact me at [email protected]