Hartofelis met her first yoga teacher in an unexpected way. “I was going to the gym for Pilates and had a preconception that yoga was just about relaxation and nothing more,” recalls Hartofelis. “I found that as I struggled through my warrior pose and found the sweetness in a yoga twist, that I needed more yoga in my life. This unexpected crossing of paths between she and I fused a lifelong love for yoga within me. My current teacher—one of many—the world renowned Cindy Lee, continues to be an inspiration that fuels my practice. I also acknowledge my students as teachers, as they encourage me to grow, learn, share and remain on the path.”
Of course, says Hartofelis, there are also the teachers that are not alive in their physical shell but whose teachings live on through sacred texts. “I have also been influenced by teachings as old as 2,500 years from the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and most recently, Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar. Through lessons of presence, focus and perseverance, I’ve learned to find the bliss within that warrior pose, which stems from the natural bliss within me.”
