Meet Cal Lutheran’s incredible and inspiring yoga teacher, Lisa Wildermuth. Lisa not only teaches her students how to get into poses, but also teaches them to find peace within themselves.
Her Campus Cal Lutheran: How did you decide to become a yoga teacher and how long have you been practicing/teaching?
Lisa Wildermuth: I’ve been teaching for five and a half years and practicing for seventeen. I was attending classes and I just thought teaching would be a nice way to incorporate yoga into my life. I wanted to learn more about advanced poses and techniques, but also to learn about breathing, philosophy and chakras. It’s also really interesting to me how you teach different people very differently. Everyone has different skills and abilities. To me, if I can make money doing something I really love doing and also have time to spend with my kids, then that is a really great career option.
HC: What’s your favorite yoga pose and why?
LW: I really love Ardha Matsyendrāsana, or Half Lord of the Fishes pose. I like it because I need it for my body. It helps open up my hips and glutes. Also, a really beneficial pose is Downward Facing Dog because it strengthens and helps with flexibility in so many areas. I also like arm balances. They’re hard, but fun. I love Side Crow, but I can’t always get into those! Some days, it’s just not in the cards for me.
HC: How is teaching college students, specifically Cal Lu students, different than teaching anyone else?
LW: When I teach college, I love the energy. It’s very vibrant and invigorating. Especially at CLU, students are so appreciative and friendly. They are really nice people here, and always come up to me after class to chat or tell me their names. In general, you guys can get deeper into poses more quickly and are willing to try everything.
HC: What do you think is the most important thing for a student to take from their practice?
LW: What I try and stress is being balanced. Your body and mind should work together and be in unity. If you go forth in equilibrium, it will enhance your life and your relationships, whatever they may be. It’s important to be feeling good in your body and mind because then you can feel good about everything you’re doing in your daily life.
HC: How can one practice yoga outside of class?
LW: They can always do it on their own! There’s so many yoga apps, and they’re free so I would suggest that. There’s also tons of YouTube videos. It’s just whatever works for you, and whatever you like. In my opinion, being in a class is still better. Your teacher can help you make safe adjustments.
HC: What do you love most about yoga?
LW: Oh, that’s a hard one. I like the feeling I get afterwards. I feel expanded and lightened- the internal feeling is lighter. Yoga really brightens my mood in a natural way and makes me calmly happy. As far as teaching, interacting and connecting with students puts me in a really good mood, too. Seeing everyone’s changes and progression is exciting.