"Out beyond all ideas of right doing and wrong doing
there is a field. I'll meet you there."
- Rumi

Certified professional-level yoga teacher from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health and former dancer/choreographer with a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Maryland, USA, Dana creatively shares the richness of experiencial learning and the power of expression through movement, stillness, and breath - the primordial rythms of life. Dana transmits the ageless teachings of yoga based on the universal principles for human and spritual growth, self-observation and conscious living. Dana’s teaching methods create a pleasurable and safe environment for progressive learning, sharing and integration.

As owner of Studio Avigal, Dana takes the teachings of yoga for physical and mental well-being to her community. Dana facilitates people of all ages and in many situations- weekly classes for individuals and groups, seminars and workshops, in day camps, and retreat centers. Through the YogaEd program, Dana’s newfound adventure is to bring the benifits of yoga and healthy living to both students and teachers in the public school environment. Dana also specialises in prenatal yoga.

Dana’s movement backround and 20 years of teaching experience have enabled her to develop a keen sense of the learning process and of group dynamics. Her approach is sincere and friendly yet respectuous of the individuals’ needs. Dana is most comfortable conversing in both French and English.

"My path : Just days after college graduation, I followed my heart to Switzerland. While dancing and choreographing, I also landed into various teaching situations. For over 10 years at the Centre de Prévention in Lausanne, I innovated wellness classes combining gentle stretching and toning techniques, breathing, relaxation and health awareness. I taught English as a foreign language and conversation groups for over 8 years.

I became a mom in 1994 and started practicing yoga as a transition from professional dance to a more "family friendly" and noncompetitive physical activity. A deep sense of letting go of judgement and expectations came upon me as I relaxed into movement according to my personal needs…no competition, no performance required. This mind-shift came to be fundamental thread in my yoga practice and teaching.

In 2000, having taught movement to all kinds of bodies, and practiced yoga on my own for several years, I felt it was time to go deeper into my yoga studies. The Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, in Lenox Massachusets, insprired me instantly. That summer I completed the basic level teaching certification. In october of 2000, I opened my first yoga classes in Vevey and in 2002 created my teaching space in La Tour-de-Peilz, later to be named Studio Avigal.

In August 2007, after 7 years of teaching and personal exploration of yoga, I completed Kripalu's Professional Level Yoga Teachers Certification.

My personal practice is gentle and meditative, exploring the intimately profound implications of (stirra sukha asana) ease and steadiness of mind and body, spaciousness through breath and tactile awareness.

My ongoing training has included:

• Practical Anatomy of the diaphragm and of the hip joint - Blandine Calais-Germain
• Teaching the Deeper Practices - Kripalu Yoga Center
• Yoga on the Egde, Anusara principles of yoga and alignment -Todd Norian
• Buddhist Mind Training Practices and Healing Mantra Initiation - Lama Lobsang
• Prenatal Yoga Teacher Certification - Janice Clairfield
• Exploring the Meaning of the "Bhagavad Gita" - Yogananda at Kripalu
• The Yoga Sutras, & Tantra Yoga, and several immersion weekends exploring the "Prana of Yoga" ParaYoga Master Trainings - Rod Stryker.
• YogaEd Certification, teaching yoga to children and tools for teachers in the public school system - Leah Kalish, cofounder of YogaEd.
• Teaching pranayama and advanced asana, deep immersion training – Premshakti at Kripalu

I have been influenced by the teachings of Sri Venudas, yogi and singer of classical Indian music from Kerala India, now living in Paris. Venudas, a friend and guest teacher at Studio Avigal, shares the profound message of yoga, passed on through the ages from student to disciple, transmitting an ancient therapeutic style of hatha yoga and ayurveda for longlasting physical, mental and spritual wellbeing.

I also study with Rod Stryker, founder of ParaYoga, an enthusiastic master and teacher of the power of hatha yoga, mantra and kriya according to the tantra lineage.

More recently, I have been blessed by meeting Eric Baret who shares the practice and teachings of Cashmerian Tantra yoga, as transmitted by Jean Klein. The simplicity and depth of his teachings resonate with my personal expression of yoga practice on and off the mat.

For more information on these trainings and teachers, look them up on the web or feel free to contact me.

As the human experience is my passion, I continue to explore and learn through readings, workshops and seminars, in other domains of interest such as nutrition, ayurveda, energetic healing, massage, interpersonal communication, and family psychology. All which support my personal and professional interests and growth.

Of course, a special thanks to my mom, Hillary Blackton, yoga teacher for over 25 years at her home studio, Divine Life Yoga. Mom most certainly paved the way for me as a spiritual seeker (and finder) in the divine quest for unconditional love."

-Dana