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Voyage ATL Trailblazer Interview – October 2019 & September 2019 Perspective Piece

Natural Awakening Atlanta Yoga Luminary Feature – September 2019

Published on Jan. 23, 2012

Article from Chelsea Loves Yoga (from June 21, 2011)

Our Yogi in the Community this week is a dynamic yogi who embodies strength, grace, and freedom. It is so fitting to celebrate Gina on this summer solstice as it marks the 5th anniversary for her as a certified Anusara teacher I have had the pleasure of practicing with and learning from Gina and I am so very grateful for her presence and guidance. Meet Gina Minyard!

City: Atlanta, GA. Lived here since the age of 3.

How long have you practiced yoga?

I have been practicing yoga (asana) for 12 years. I have been meditating for 11. I have been a student of John Friend and Anusara yoga for 10 years, and a year and half ago I learned Neelakantha Meditation with Paul Muller-Ortega. I am currently in his year long study and practice course called ‘Entering the Heart of Shiva.’

“I am steady, patient, and soft because of my practice, and I didn’t start out that way!” -Gina Minyard, Certified Anusara Yoga Teacher

Why do you practice yoga?

Yoga for me is a way to be radically embodied – to dive into the deepest parts of myself and to bring out the best of who I am into my life. It’s a practice of freedom. I meditate to melt into ground of being and be made new there every day.

I am steady, patient, and soft because of my practice, and I didn’t start out that way! I am ever more present and loving and able to flow with life skillfully and gracefully. I also love the ever unfolding freedom and vitality that comes from practice. Each year that goes by it’s like I’ve never felt better, been happier, or been able to do more physically. I see only an upward trajectory of endless possibility.

I teach Anusara yoga, which is a modern school of hatha yoga that unites heart, mind, and body intentionally and powerfully. In 2006 I became the first certified Anusara yoga teacher in Georgia, and have had the honor to lead the growth of this radical practice here in Atlanta. I offer Anusara Immersions every year, and we are about to begin another round in August.

Article from namaste y’all, June 2010

Atlanta native and certified Anusara Yoga instructor Gina Minyard recently gave a workshop at Clearspring Yoga in Chattanooga that outlined the Anusara practice of Attitude, Aligment and Action.

Through an opening to grace, creating space in our bodies, we found the stability to lead to freedom in standing poses, hand balances and backbends. Fluidity and poise led the way through hip openers, forward bends and spinal twists.

According to Gina, Anusara founder John Friend found a common denominator in all of these postures. The principles in Anusara are universal and apply not only to asana practice but also to everything we do in life.

So we turned our shins in to create inner spiral, tucking our tailbones, allowing the balance of inner and outer spiral to create Mulabandha and space, yes, space to expand out organically in each posture. You can really feel that space in something simple like Uttanasana.

Anusara has a way of allowing you to wake your body up through expansion. Clarity of intention took us deeper, and many in the class found a new feeling in familiar postures.

I always take a small twist before Janu Sirsasana, but I didn’t know that Janu Sirsasana is actually an asymmetrical, twisting forward bend.

We talked about the psoas muscle. When the psoas is weakened or tight, it diminishes our vitality. Just another great reason to practice. And by the way, the back body opens us up to the universal Self. Curious now? Visit one of Gina’s classes, seminars or teacher trainings to find out more about this

Gina has been practicing yoga since 1999. She was certified by John Friend, founder of Anusara Yoga, to teach Anusara in 2006—a long and involved process that takes years of dedication, patience, love and study. She teaches regularly at Atlanta Yoga Shala. Visit Gina’s website at www.ginaminyard.com for more information on her inspirational workshops, classes, teacher trainings and private yoga sessions.