Profiles

David Curtis

Co-Director of Training

David began a disciplined daily practice of yoga in the mid-90s when living in San Francisco. as a personal trainer and health club manager. As an athlete he was attracted to the dynamic practice of Ashtanga Vinyasa and was inspired by the discipline it takes to practice this method effectively. He began his formal studies under the guidance of Tim Thompson of Monkey Yoga Shala and Larry Schultz of Its Yoga between 1998-2002.

David’s main Ashtanga influences thereafter were the founders of Yogaworks in LA, Senior Ashtanga teachers Chuck Miller and Maty Ezraty under whom he studied with between 2003 – 2011. They taught him how to practice dynamically yet with humility and with an emphasis on safety.

Between 2002 -2012 he also studied in India, Australia and the U.S under various Senior teachers in both the Ashtanga and Iyengar Methods through retreats or intensive courses.

From 2010-2017 David studied directly under Shandor Remete, the founder of Shadow Yoga and Nrtta Sadhana; attending intensive courses twice yearly during this time. It is thanks to his guidance and instruction that David’s knowledge of the subtle anatomy and energetic system was awakened.

His current studies include both the Chinese and Indian systems of healing through the Marma system of Ayurveda and the Chi Kung, Ba Gua systems of Chinese Medicine.

His teaching is therefore influenced by many styles and methods of Hatha Yoga yet is rooted in activities that free the physical and energetic bodies from their obstructions and harness the potential of the lifeforce safely and effectively with joy, humility and gratitude.

He has been teaching fulltime since 2002 ( with over 12,000 hours of teaching experience) and is E-RYT 200 and E-RYT 500, YACEP registered with Yoga Alliance (over 1,500 hours of training since 2001)

David is also a certified Somatic Movement Educator (SME) through the International Institute of Somatic Movement Education based in Tamil Nadu, South India. SME is a neuromuscular re-education system that facilitates sensory- motor learning to gain greater voluntary control of the physiological process resulting in freedom of ease and agility of movement.

David prostrates in gratitude to all his teachers, past and present. Any true knowledge he is able to pass on comes directly from their guidance, any mistakes he makes are purely his own. Om Namah Shiva

Ruth Curtis

Co-Director of Training

Ruth came to yoga in 1998. Its immediate impact was profound & quickly led to a sincere and dedicated practice. Ruth studied in the Iyengar tradition for over 10 years and is a qualified Iyengar teacher. Between 2005 and 2010 she travelled annually to her Iyengar teachers, Rajiv and Swati Chanchani at the beautiful foothills of the Himalayas. She spent extended periods of study, exploration and immersion in all aspects of the subject there and assisted Rajiv in the medical and local classes. She has studied at the Iyengar Institute in Pune.

Ruth continues to travel to India and recently spent a month in Varanasi experiencing this amazing city while being exposed to some of its musicians who keep alive the ancient art and practice of devotional sound through the classical Indian music system. She has been studying Sound Sadhana with Natasha Nandini since 2012 www.gandharvayoga.com

In 2008 Ruth was introduced to the practice of Shadow Yoga and from 2010 studied both Shadow Yoga and Nrtta Sadhana with Shandor Remete and Emma Balnaves.

She has been teaching since 2003 and was a co-teacher with her husband David Curtis on the Vinyasa yoga teacher trainings www.vinyasayoga.ie in Ireland from 2006-2011.

In her spare time Ruth loves to read and is particularly captivated by the mythology and expression of yoga through the Indian texts including the Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas, Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads and some of the great Sufi poets. She has a keen interest in both Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology as helpful guides in her daily life and acknowledges Dr Robert Svoboda as a positive and informative influence.

Ruth is deeply grateful for the knowledge and guidance her teachers have shared. She is a student first and foremost and continues to enjoy learning, exploring and experiencing the twists and turns of all she has been exposed to in this life.