Anjali Sunita

We're kicking off with another installment of this series to get to know our teachers better!

Introducing Anjali Sunita (she/her). Anjali is one of our newest teachers on Ompractice, and is offering some great options for our West Coast community. (She's actually coming to us from across the globe in New Zealand!)

Here's her schedule:

• Breathwork (30 min) on Tuesdays at 10:30pm ET / 7:30pm PT
• Gentle Yoga (45 min) on Tuesdays at 11:15pm ET / 8:15pm PT
• Deep Stretch & Deep Relaxation (45 min) on Thursdays at 9:45pm ET / 6:45pm PT

If these class times don't work for you – you can check out Anjali's classes any time in the Video Library: Breathwork, Gentle Yoga, and Deep Stretch & Deep Relaxation.

6 Good Questions: Q+A with Anjali Sunita

Who are your classes for? What kind of vibe can people expect in your class? What is your teaching style like?

My classes with Ompractice are all adaptable, beginner-friendly, but contain some nuance and subtlety for seasoned practitoners too because I'm focused on the psycho-energetic effects of yoga in my personal practice.

People often say classes are really calming and centering and that is part of my aim, because I believe in creating a sense of "home" in the body/mind through the practice. Usually that requires deep relaxation and a non-judgement approach to movement.

I come from a more traditional view of yoga because my teachers are from India mainly, but I have found that over the past 17 years of teaching that the students have taught me more than anyone through their needs and through our open communication. Sharing yoga sessions is a service that opens my heart!

Thus far my Gentle Yoga class has been geared toward exploring gentle ranges of motion, experimentation, adjoining movement with breath, and generally calming sequences with many reclined and seated postures for our West Coast communities to ground from a busy day or settle into a restful night.

Deep Stretch and Deep Relaxation is a class that varies in intensity level. It includes holds as well as movements within the poses, joint rotations, pranayama, and a guided savasana.

Breathwork is a very special space that allows for brand new to experienced practitioners to tune into the power of the breath. We practice various techniques and pause between them to discover their potential benefits.

It is the joy of my week to share classes like Breathwork (pranayama) that goes beyond the physical aspects of yoga and helps us to easily embody the deeper potential of what a traditional yoga practice can offer.

How did you get into yoga? (Rachael mentioned you used to work at a big studio in Baltimore and may have some things to share about your experience there working with the community and teachers!)

My first inkling of yoga was actually through an impactful theater teacher in high school who encouraged us through breathwork and movement to develop our natural voices.

In college, I learned a little North Indian Classical singing which also involved breath regulation and understanding of chakras.

It was at that time that I wondered into a my first asana class, just following a little A frame sign off the street and got a taste of the physical practice. That first class was deeply impactful. I remember thinking it was the first time I had moved my body just for me, no performance aspect to it, and I felt immediately that this was a sacred space. I also knew after this first class that as an biracial/ Indian American woman I wanted to learn in India and so that's what I did post college.

That period changed my life completely and I moved from working in theaters to sharing clases in every setting I could find from schools, to health clinics, private homes, jails, ashrams and retreat centers, and yoga studios.

After a year or so I took over a space and founded Baltimore Yoga Village, a studio that grew from one to two locations and ran for 15 years as a community organization with a great reputation as a homegrown, authentic, space. We had many meaningful events. I led yearlong teacher trainings, founded a non-profit which paid BIPOC teachers to teach for free through the public libraries and other locations around Baltimore, and hosted Tibetan monks for years who blew Baltimore away with their programing, fundraised for community organizations, and brought in some of the most inspiring teachers including the late Tao Porchon Lynch who was teaching past 100 years old! I learned so much from that community of students and teachers from many walks of life and lineages, who inspired me, and expanded the services we could offer.

What's the most valuable lesson you've learned from your own practice? What does yoga mean to you?

Sometimes, yoga is a complete system that provides tools for self inquiry and insights needed to take non-violent, truthful actions in this world.

Sometimes, yoga is like a medicine that soothes an aching body or heart like magic.

Sometimes, yoga practice connects me to awareness of Prana (like chi) and therefore all living things, all of life, and I am so filled up with a kind of grounded elation and gratitude that I want to laugh at how silly my "monkey mind" has been.

Sometimes, yoga is the philosophy and set of ethics that guides/ I have learned to let go and trust my inner most self and to breathe.

Rachael mentioned that you have a pup who joins class sometimes - what's their name? Personality? We love our #petsofompractice❤️

Prince is my fur-baby-almost-human rescue pup. He landed in my lap during Covid when a family couldn't care for him because he was getting into so much mischief. He is smart (too smart!) and talks more with his eyes than most humans. He wants what he wants and knows every trick in the book to try to get it.

He is part Huntaway (a New Zealand breed of dog which is already a mix of Border Collie, Rotweiller, and Lab, bred for sheep herding) and we think the other half is English Staffordshire bull terrier). He is a trip! And he sings! He always comes over at the end of class because he knows that "Om" means it's over and he is going to get some attention. My computer blocks out background noise but sometimes he sings along for the Om.

What is your favorite easy seasonal recipe to share right now?

Well, it is heading into summer for me. For you it is getting cold right now so I'll share with you my favorite warm shake.

• Presoak 5-6 dates in bowl overnight
• Presoak 10-20 almonds in a separate bowl.
• In the morning peel the almonds. The skin comes off easily and discard the water.
• Boil some milk or nut milk. Add the dates (can use the date water) and the almonds. Sprinkle in some cinnamon and/or nutmeg. When it comes to a boil, transfer to a blender. Blend it up and serve warm.

Tell us a bit about your morning routine and what gets you revved up/excited for the day?

When I took my first Ayurvedic consultant course at the Ayurvedic Institute, I got serious about doing the same thing each morning. That is a simple bathroom routine of tongue scraping, brushing teeth, splashing cold water in my eyes, and then drinking a cup of plain hot water or a non-caffeinated herbal tea. These days I then might let my dog out and attend a little to my garden, a little practice, teaching, or someone may have booked an Ayurvedic consultation, and then a walk with my pup.

What brought you to New Zealand? What are your top 3 of favorite things about living there?

My partner is a Kiwi and he has two children. I came on a visit and Covid locked me in! Borders in NZ closed and I would not have been allowed re-entrance. It was actually a very complicated, difficult, and less exotic experience than many may have thought! But I am here now. We have a house together and I'm getting permanent residence (like a greencard).

My top 3 things are:

• I am in nature everyday hiking or walking with my dog.
• Things grow so easily! I love my garden, growing food and herbs.
• This society is slooooooow in comparison to the USA which sometimes I find a bit lonely but on the other hand I notice the difference when I come back to the States and find it all a bit overstimulating.

For fun, we always like to have a few extra credit questions:

• What's one life changing product under $25 you'd recommend?

  • A big ol' bottle of sesame oil or traditional Ayurvedic oils like Mahanarayana or Dhanwantaram forelf massage.

• Most delicious bite of food lately?

  • Veggie Pad Thai

• Best books on your shelf?

  • I am an Ayurveda nerd and I love the classics like the Ashtanga Hrdyayam. I also love poetry collections like that of Audre Lorde. I have so many books that I want to read!

Find Anjali outside of Ompractice at:

Instagram: @villagelifewellness

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/villagelifewellness

https://www.villagelifewellness.com/