Lewis Rothlein
Ashtanga Yoga Teacher at Full Circle Yoga
Winter Park, Florida
When did you first start practicing yoga?
In my early 40's. I was a marathon runner and my wife dragged me to a week-long yoga intensive in North Carolina. I went, basically, because I thought there would be terrific hills for training runs. And there were - but I fell in love with the yoga, and after some 15 years of big-time running, I stopped being a serious runner and became a serious yogi.
What is it about Ashtanga that resonates with you?
The movement, the physicality, the energy that courses through it, and most of all, the peace that underlies it. Half the practice is physical, the other half is about getting the mind quiet. Ashtanga is designed to get the mind quiet, and when it succeeds, which can be often, it is an unusually rich experience.
As yogis and yoginis we are always students of yoga. Do you remember the moment you first started thinking of yourself as a teacher as well?
It's been gradual. I think and read about yoga a lot, and I practice it a lot, and over time, I've learned so much about it that I'm able to give tips to students that they often are not aware of. Also, during a class that I am teaching, I can more and more intuitively and directly spot ways that students can change their poses to make them feel better and be more beneficial - and help the students make those changes. During these times, I feel like a teacher, a transmitter of knowledge. That said, I learn very much from my students, that is, they are my teachers too. And one of the things I teach best is a passion for yoga. Students see my passion for it and pick up on it.
What are a few of the things you enjoy the most about teaching?
I love how the yoga brings smiles to the students' faces at the end of a practice. I love seeing students grow in their yoga. I love that I never know who's going to show up - it's different every time.
How did your passion for practicing yoga lead you to open Full Circle Yoga in Winter Park?
My wife and I were both teaching yoga in spaces we rented and knew that we loved teaching yoga, and this pipedream developed about opening a studio. It had to be the perfect place though, and we looked for more than three years before we found it. I actually always wanted it to be on the very street that it's on. One day while on some chore, I saw the sign that said the location was available. I looked through the windows and saw the high ceilings, and saw what looked to be adequate parking, then called Susan and with nervous excitement said, "I don't know, but I think I found the place. You've got to see this!"
As a business owner, what types of negotiations do you routinely enter into?
Sometimes with teachers we bring in to do workshops, figuring out their percentage. That's about it.
You describe the importance of the yamas in many of your classes. What are they and how do you incorporate the yamas into negotiating?
They are ethical prescriptions - Thou Shalls and Thou Shall Nots - and tell us to be truthful and disciplined, and not to steal, be greedy, or be violent. When you follow these, and I do my best to, you'll work an honest and fair deal, and won't be happy unless you do.
What yogic techniques do you utilize when negotiating?
Working from a place of calm and honesty and keeping ego as far away as I can - as I strive to do in my yoga practice.
What is your dealmantra?
"Here and Now." Whenever I think these words, it brings me into the moment and allows me the greatest awareness. It is so effective for me.
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