Q&A with Bob by SolFul Living
In the local yoga world, Bob Lonsdale is an icon. He is like the Pied Piper of Bucks County’s yoga devotees. If you do or have done yoga over the past couple of decades, chances are good that you’ve bumped into Bob. You either took his class, participated in a class with him or took a class he coordinated at Cornerstone Clubs.
Bob is strong and powerful but kind and accessible. He leaps into seemingly impossible poses but encourages any and all clumsy attempts to do the same (yes, I speak from experience).
And, now, he has opened up his own really cool yoga business where you can realize immense power, not Bob’s – yours. He offers classes where you can explore your own inner light in the fun, creative and warm Bob Lonsdale style.
Get to know Bob:
When did you begin doing yoga? I started practicing Yoga in early 2000. I did my first Teacher Training that summer at the encouragement and insistence of my first Yoga teacher. This year, 2020, marks my 20th anniversary of practicing and teaching.
When and why did you decide to make yoga a career? For lack of a better phrase, I had a spiritual experience when I took my first Yoga class. The style was Ashtanga which is fast-paced and challenging, and I found surprisingly that I could do almost every pose. When it came to the end of the class and we went into inversions – headstand and shoulder stand – I felt like my feet were on solid ground and I was being held and supported while I was upside down. It was incredible!
After class, the instructor came up to me and said not many people can walk in off the street and do this class with these poses. She went on to say that I need to pay attention to that and commit to making yoga a regular or daily practice. That class and the conversation with the teacher afterwards changed my life.
I was already looking for a way out of the 9 to 5 corporate job that I had and that I no longer enjoyed. This same teacher encouraged me to take a teacher training course in my first year of practice, and I have been teaching Yoga ever since. It took a few years and several more teacher trainings, among those also being certified in Pilates, but by the end of 2003 I was (and still am) a full-time Yoga & Pilates instructor.
What is your Favorite Pose? Over the years, I’ve taught many Yoga styles from Ashtanga Vinyasa and Power Yoga to Kripalu and Anusara. Within the last several years, I started practicing Yin Yoga, and I completed a Yin Teacher Training. It is my favorite style currently.
Since the pandemic began in February/March of this year, my go-to Yin pose is Legs Up the Wall. It’s a modification for Shoulder Stand in other styles of Yoga where your legs and feet are up a wall but your torso, arms and head are on the floor. More than any other pose for me, it alleviates anxiety and makes me feel grounded and secure. I am able to get out of my head and reconnect with my body, my heart and feel supported by the Earth.
What do you love about yoga? I love that my relationship with Yoga has truly been a journey. Some people find a style and that’s what they stick with for the rest of their lives. That has not been the case for me. I can honestly say that I haven’t met a Yoga style that I do not respect, but on the other hand, my tastes have changed over the years. What I loved to practice and teach 20 years ago is not what I love to practice and teach today. My tastes and preferences have evolved over the years as has my body.
From 2008 until just a few months ago, I was the Yoga Director at Cornerstone (Health) Clubs, and one of the things that I love about Cornerstone is that they fully support and invest in Yoga as a substantial pillar of living a healthy lifestyle. I also love that the clubs offer all different styles of Yoga. There truly is a style for every BODY.
Now, as I embark on being an instructor again and doing more things on my own, I gravitate to the softer, quieter and deeper practices. I am also allowing myself to be more creative and unveil styles of Yoga that truly come from my own background and life experience. I recently began teaching a class that I call YogaSpeak. YogaSpeak takes elements of a Yin Yoga class and combines them with a “check in” at a self help meeting or in a private yoga session. It’s almost like having a private session in the midst of a group Yoga class.
I have been sober from drugs and alcohol for the last 30 years, and I could not have gotten sober and stayed sober without a strong foundation in 12 Step programs and the desire to continue to work on myself, to help others, and to grow. YogaSpeak feels like a true blend of these two very important parts of my life.
YogaSpeak classes are great for anyone – you do not have to have a background in 12 step or therapy. In each class, we start with a grounding Yin pose, then the floor is open for anyone to to take a minute or two to share about how they are feeling physically, emotionally or spiritually. After the share, we do a pose with the entire group to embody the share. Sharing is completely voluntary. Even if you do not care to speak, you still get the benefit of experiencing everyone else’s pose. I am really excited about this new class. I offer it twice a week via Zoom in addition to a weekly Yin class.
Favorite Book – I love to read, especially right before bed. I have too many. I just read City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert and loved that.
Favorite Quote – I love the quotes of Rumi. My current favorite is, “The desire to know your own soul will end all other desires.”
Favorite Song – I listen to music a lot and from years of teaching Yoga and Pilates classes, I create playlists all the time. I just created my “Best of 2020” playlist on Spotify. Music and music videos also helped get me through this crazy year!
Morning or Evening Ritual – I do some quick Qi Gong exercises every day and then a meditation practice for 20 minutes or so. I like do Yin in the late afternoon. I do at least one pose a day.
What “gets you through the day” – all of the above.
Best Vacation you ever went on – my husband and I love Vieques, Puerto Rico. It’s our favorite place. We have not been back since Hurricane Maria, but hope to remedy that soon.