Host: Professor Christian Ace Stettler, MSW
Cohost: Nico, BSW Student & U.S Army Veteran
Guest: David, Service Based Yoga Instructor
Listen on: YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Podbean
The guest this week was David, who is a trauma informed yoga instructor servicing the Anchorage area. David presents a different yoga philosophy compared to the mainstream ideals. The practice of yoga does not need to be spiritual and you definitely do not need to look a certain way or be able to reach certain poses in order to reap the benefits of yoga. He is extremely passionate about yoga being accessible to everyone… including those that are currently incarcerated. This is how Turiya of Alaska was born. Turiya is a LLC that provides both yoga and meditation to people from all walks of life outside of the fancy, cliche yoga studios. A few of the locations that David cares for are the Anchorage Correctional Facility, McLaughlin Youth Center, and North Star Hospital. Turiya of Alaska recently joined forces with Prison Yoga Project.
“The studio is in themselves.”
David, Turiya of Alaska
David and the hosts also discussed conscious breathing. The question of “Are you aware of the experience?” might seem silly, but as future Social Workers, I believe it is a critical tool to have. After having difficult conversations and caring for others, we must turn down the noise and focus on our breath. This leads to a positive response vs a negative reaction.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to this conversation on the Critical Social Worker podcast. I’m excited to hear more stories from the other guests that Professor has lined up throughout this semester!
Below I have added the links to Turiya of Alaska’s social media pages for those wishing to learn more.
Regan Gray
Hi Tesha, I agree that being conscious of one’s breathing can be critical when pursuing a career as a social worker. Social workers handle many situations with people of various backgrounds and problems, and this can be difficult for them. Learning how to use breathing to stay calm in moments one begins to feel overwhelmed in the field can make or break a situation. It’s important to try your best to remain professional as a social worker, and being able to take a deep breath to ground yourself when trying times arrive is crucial.