Hannah Singer grew up as a competitive dancer. She began dancing at the age of 2, and started dancing competitively when she was 7. Up until the age of 20, she dedicated her entire life to the sport. Day in and day out, she worked her body to reach her goal of becoming a professional dancer. She loved it, but it came with consequences.
Singer suffered from chronic back pain from ages 13 to ages 20. She said that she would wake up with her entire day revolving around the pain she felt. This caused her to be confused and angry with the world. The thing she loved most was causing her the most pain. She did not believe in anything anymore, and felt as though there was no hope for happiness or light in her life.
After a year of dancing at IU, Hannah finally decided to give up the sport. Her body could not handle the pain any longer, and she needed to find something new. She began a 200 hour teacher training through Vibe Yoga in Bloomington, Indiana.
Starting yoga was life changing for Singer. She felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and she could begin anew. She was able to let go of the negative feelings she had been harboring inside for so long. She felt like she had new space in her life to fill with positivity and love.
Although her childhood was hard for her, Singer reflects on the fact that it was something she needed to go through to get to the wonderful place she is in today.
Hannah Singer speaks on her journey through dance, mental health, and how she found yoga.
Laura Patterson trained Hannah through her 200 hour teacher training. Laura explains that there are actually 8 Limbs of yoga, the physical workout being just one aspect of the whole recipe. Each limb touches on a different area of life that the practice of yoga allows someone to connect with.
The limbs involve:
YAMA, NIYAMA, ASANA, PRANAYAMA, PRATYAHARA, DHARANA, DHYANA, and SAMADHI.
Laura explains that each limb is equally important. They all connect to guide one in becoming the happiest and most loving version of themselves.
Laura Patterson explains the 8 limbs of yoga.
The effect Yoga had on Singer’s life inspired her to become a full time instructor. Each class she teaches is a new opportunity for her to bring her students to the same revelations and happiness.
Creating a yoga sequence takes a lot of time. Singer said she sometimes spends 3 hours creating just one class. For motivation and inspiration, she takes what she learned with Laura during her 200 hour teacher training as well as her own personal experiences.
Singer makes sure that her classes are different each time. She draws from what is going on in her life or in the world around us and connects it with breath and body movements that make sense with the subject.
Singer loves teaching yoga just as much as she loves practicing it. She believes being a part of people’s yoga journey is extremely rewarding, and wants to have teaching in her life for as long as possible.
To sign up for one of Hannah’s classes, you can go to the Vibe Yoga website!
Hannah Singer outlines how she teaches her classes and what teaching means to her.
