Who-What-When:
Yoga Life with Janet Stone
Contributed by Emily Goligoski

One of my favorite things about San Francisco is the quality of its yoga studios and great instructors. A co-worker of mine recently recommended a teacher named Janet Stone, and after my first class with her, I was hooked. Her classes were challenging yet encouraging, and I wanted to learn more about this young mother and graceful yogi. In talking with her, she shared great advice on finding your own voice, being committed to strengthening your body and spirituality, and having a healthy body image and outlook.

Stone grew up in Colorado in an active family before moving to Los Angeles to work in the film industry. But upon her father's passing, she found herself taking a year and a half adventure around the world.

"I wanted to drink in the world a little bit," said Stone, who took her first yoga class in India 11 years ago, after a fellow passenger on a train in Varasi encouraged her to practice yoga while she was there. "I got it right away—yoga grounded me immediately. I had always been a big thrill-seeker, and writing combined with yoga really helped me live a fluid lifestyle."

Stone started practicing upon her return to Southern California and one of her teachers recognized that she had a lot of potential to become a yoga instructor. "My own instructors taught me to trust in myself and fully believed in my ability to balance," she says.

Her advice for young women on achieving what they're passionate about centers around the importance of expressing their authentic voices. "The most unexpected part of teaching yoga has been finding and celebrating my own voice. You are able to infuse people with teachings only when you embrace your own true voice," Stone said.

Debbie Mobley, a fellow yoga instructor who assists Stone's students by helping them stretch farther and breathe during classes, has been practicing yoga with her for two years. "I first became interested in yoga with Janet after hearing the amazing things people had to say about her generosity and loving kindness," Mobley said. "Her classes are challenging but full of love. I love practicing with her because she's such an incredibly strong, feminine woman."

Stone doesn't just teach yoga; she saturates her whole life with it. Because Stone and her family are often running between school and the yoga studio, they makes it a priority to cook together and prepare organic food that they can take with them throughout the day. She is the mother of two young daughters, India and Lilianna, who she describes as "my yoga." (Their schedules as children under the age of five give her little chance to practice at home on her own, so she wakes up at 4:30 AM many mornings to fit in an Asana practice.) When asked about instilling positive body images in her girls, Stone said, "I hope my girls celebrate the beauty of their bodies and enjoy that loveliness of all shapes and sizes."

One of my favorite parts of being in Janet's positive yoga-world are the regular notes she sends to her students. She emails positive messages to people who practice with her, and I loved this recent one: "They tell me it's almost Thanksgiving Day and yet I have been living this Thanksgiving Life, with all of it's magical and mysterious twists, turns, and flat out breathtaking joys."

To find out more!!
On her website, http://www.janetstoneyoga.com, yogis and visitors can find out about the retreats and intensives Stone leads around the world, including an upcoming yoga trip to Bali. She is also using multimedia as a teaching tool and has produced an audio CD that talks people through one of her yoga classes. Her first DVD, "Mellow Flow," features Stone practicing with friends and will be released soon.