The Practioner as an Artist: Greta Kent-Stoll
Greta Kent-Stoll is the Co-Owner of Iyengar Yoga Asheville.
“Yoga is an art. Yoga is my art.” -BKS Iyengar, 1968
“The art of yoga is beauty in observation.” -BKS Iyengar, n.d.
In a world glutted with online yoga offerings it can feel difficult—if not hopeless—to compete. Especially for newer teachers and businesses, the task of being heard and seen amidst the noise can make you want to throw your hands up and ditch all online marketing efforts entirely. However, I think there is a way to be heard and seen through it all—and this can be done with quality and authenticity.
When my husband, Randy Loftis, and I opened Iyengar Yoga Asheville in 2018, I created an Instagram account for us, @iyavl. Especially as a new establishment, having an online presence felt essential.
Yet, what I have found over time is that a marketing obligation can transform into an artistic outlet—a platform to celebrate and share the inherent beauty and depth of Iyengar Yoga. At least that is my experience.
Our Instagram following is modest by social media standards. We have a little under 3K followers. However, even with a rather modest following, we have enjoyed and noticed the value in keeping an online presence and in using social media as a marketing and communications tool.
Virtual connections don’t have to stay in the virtual world. We have seen virtual connections cross over into “real life.” Especially since the pandemic and the advent of widespread live online yoga classes, Instagram and Facebook followers have sought out our classes and have joined us for various offerings. Also, the skillful use of social media can serve as a way to be inspired by, and stay in touch with colleagues.
WHAT TO POST? MY PROCESS
So, when I go to create a post, what am I thinking about? There are many times when I post with the intent of directly promoting a class, workshop, or event at our studio. However, more often than not, my posts emerge naturally from my practice. Maybe there is an asana or action that I have been exploring—say dropping back from standing to Urdhva Dhanurasana. I have been practicing this for several months now and have posted a number of images and videos depicting my process.
I also use video as a way to teach myself. Many of the advanced poses are seldom taught in classes. So, applying my background and training from twenty years or so of yoga study and practice, I work on those deeper poses. And sometimes I take videos to observe, assess, and refine. I may grab a snippet from one of those videos—a clip or an image. From there I usually get a sense, a feeling, of what the image or video conveys for me—beyond the obvious expression of the asana. Perhaps a word, a poem, a phrase, or a pithy sentence comes to mind. I pair these words with images and/or videos to create my posts. It’s like poetry in motion.
So that’s my process. Beyond being a yoga practitioner, I am a writer and was trained as a dancer. So I bring that background into my practice and my posts through images, video, and words. For those of you who watch PBS, you may be familiar with their “Brief But Spectacular” features. In a way, that’s what I aim for—a little slice of life in the practice hall, an homage to the art of yoga, the depiction of a moment where I found wonder, grace, connection.