Sandi Angotti
How did the rose ever open its heart and give to this world all its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being. Otherwise, we all remain too frightened. --Hafiz, Sufi Poet
Basic Level Teacher Training - Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville
Intermediate Level Teacher Training - Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville
Doula Training - Doulas of N. America - DONA
Whole Birth Yoga Teacher Training - Whole Birth Yoga with Robin Sale
Thai Massage Training - Lotus Palm School of Thai Massage with Rishi Dion
Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training - Shiva Rae
Sandi's Yoga Teaching
She began her practice of Yoga in 1999 at the Center for Holistic Health in Decatur, GA, where she studied under Deana Guadagno, who is also a Yoga teacher and Network Spinal Analysis Practitioner. In 2000, Sandi completed the Integral Yoga Basic Hatha teacher training at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia, and in 2002, she completed her Intermediate Hatha teacher training, also at Yogaville. In 2004, Sandi felt called to the service of pregnant and laboring women, and attended a DONA certified Doula training in the Atlanta area, as well as Whole Birth Yoga teacher training with Robin Sale in Santa Cruz, California. When she is not assisting a birth or teaching Yoga in gyms, studios, and schools in Atlanta area, Sandi also likes to travel, run, swim, sing, play guitar, write songs, and practice Yoga.
Sandi's Doula Practice
In addition to teaching Yoga, I am now offering my services as a birth assistant, more commonly known as a Labor Doula. In the spring of 2004, I began the process of certification through an organization called DONA (Doulas of North America). You can learn more about DONA and how a doula might be helpful during labor and birth by visiting their website: www.dona.org.
A doula offers physical and emotional support to a woman and her partner during labor and delivery. While the doctors, midwives and nurses provide clinical care for a woman and her baby, a doula provides information, emotional guidance and physical support so that a woman feels empowered, seen, and supported during the rite of passage of birth. Rather than replacing the woman's partner, as many might fear, a doula helps both the woman and her partner to manage the anticipated challenges as well as the unexpected twists and turns of labor.
Ideally, the doula serves the parents and baby by being the calm and objective person who is experienced with labor and can stay steady throughout the entire journey--starting whenever the woman feels that she needs a doula's help all the way until after the baby is born. I believe that my experience with Yoga combined with Doula training and training in Whole Birth Yoga (Yoga and Mindfulness for Pregnancy and Birth) has provided me with the skills to be very helpful for women and their families during labor.
Sandi's Thoughts on Yoga
For me, Yoga is the light that continually encourages me to open my heart and give to the world my beauty. Yoga unwraps me from the layers of fear, judgement, and distrust that we all wear on this human path. Yoga warms me and allows me to unwind from my protective posture. Yoga squeezes through my tightly closed eyelids (and mindlids) and encourages me to open, to look and to see with clarity. Yoga introduces me to the arms of a loving global family, waiting eagerly to both hug and be hugged. Yoga parents me: empowering, educating, soothing, and strengthening. Yoga initiates me into upper case "R" Reality. Yoga helps me to love others and by doing so, to love myself. Yoga plays with me like a childhood friend and reminds me that life is too important to be taken seriously. Yoga uplifts me to great heights of great Love. Yoga gives me the opportunity to know my higher Self and to unconditionally love my lower Self. Yoga sings to me songs of devotion that help me to remember the Divine, deep and infinite. Yoga heals me. Yoga stirs me. Yoga encourages me to walk my path with courage. Otherwise, I might remain too frightened.
My first Yoga class was in a gym. During the class, I was too focused on following the directions of the teacher to really notice how I was feeling. It wasn't until I was walking home that I noticed the feeling that I now call "the buzz" or "the healing vitality" that is created with a Hatha Yoga practice. I felt grounded and strong, yet light and easy. Colors were brighter, sounds crisper. For the first time in a long time, I felt calm.
Months later I experienced a healing crisis, which lead me to seek out a chiropractor, who happened to be the same person who taught the Yoga class at the gym. To make a long story short, I received Network Chiropractic care and took Yoga classes from Deana Guadagno at the Center for Holistic Health for the next year, a year that can only be classified as transformational. The year ended with me substitute teaching a class for Deana, which was also the beginning of my path as a Yoga teacher. It was clearly meant to be.
Since then, I have attended two trainings in Integral Hatha Yoga at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia. In 2000, I completed Basic Teacher Training and in 2002 I completed Intermediate Teacher Training. Since that very first class, I have taught in many locations and situations-gyms, studios, health centers, senior centers, a brownie troop meeting, two high schools, an art school, a gallery, a hostel, and more. I LOVE teaching Yoga. When I am not teaching Yoga, I also love to read about it, talk about it, and attend classes in other styles of Yoga. I have studied with teachers from many traditions including Kripalu, Ashtanga (Power), Iyengar, Kundalini, Vini, Sivananda, and even Bikram. I believe that there is something valuable and powerful in each of the many, many styles of Yoga. As an Integral Yoga teacher, my training is grounded in the principle that "Truth is One, Paths are Many".
My classes, as well as my personal practice, are built around a primary structure of asanas (postures), yoga nidra (deep relaxation), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation and chanting. An Integral Yoga class takes us on a journey from the grossest aspects of our being to the more subtle aspects of our being. Though the specific postures and the approach taken may vary according to the needs of the class, the function is the same. By purifying the body and the mind, we can experience peace, the nature of the true Self. When we know ourselves in this way, we become bearers of light in the world. We experience lasting happiness ourselves and serve others in a way that encourages them to do the same.
Otherwise, we all remain too frightened…
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How did the rose ever open its heart and give to this world all its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being. Otherwise, we all remain too frightened. --Hafiz, Sufi Poet
Basic Level Teacher Training - Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville
Intermediate Level Teacher Training - Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville
Doula Training - Doulas of N. America - DONA
Whole Birth Yoga Teacher Training - Whole Birth Yoga with Robin Sale
Thai Massage Training - Lotus Palm School of Thai Massage with Rishi Dion
Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training - Shiva Rae
Sandi's Yoga Teaching
She began her practice of Yoga in 1999 at the Center for Holistic Health in Decatur, GA, where she studied under Deana Guadagno, who is also a Yoga teacher and Network Spinal Analysis Practitioner. In 2000, Sandi completed the Integral Yoga Basic Hatha teacher training at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia, and in 2002, she completed her Intermediate Hatha teacher training, also at Yogaville. In 2004, Sandi felt called to the service of pregnant and laboring women, and attended a DONA certified Doula training in the Atlanta area, as well as Whole Birth Yoga teacher training with Robin Sale in Santa Cruz, California. When she is not assisting a birth or teaching Yoga in gyms, studios, and schools in Atlanta area, Sandi also likes to travel, run, swim, sing, play guitar, write songs, and practice Yoga.
Sandi's Doula Practice
In addition to teaching Yoga, I am now offering my services as a birth assistant, more commonly known as a Labor Doula. In the spring of 2004, I began the process of certification through an organization called DONA (Doulas of North America). You can learn more about DONA and how a doula might be helpful during labor and birth by visiting their website: www.dona.org.
A doula offers physical and emotional support to a woman and her partner during labor and delivery. While the doctors, midwives and nurses provide clinical care for a woman and her baby, a doula provides information, emotional guidance and physical support so that a woman feels empowered, seen, and supported during the rite of passage of birth. Rather than replacing the woman's partner, as many might fear, a doula helps both the woman and her partner to manage the anticipated challenges as well as the unexpected twists and turns of labor.
Ideally, the doula serves the parents and baby by being the calm and objective person who is experienced with labor and can stay steady throughout the entire journey--starting whenever the woman feels that she needs a doula's help all the way until after the baby is born. I believe that my experience with Yoga combined with Doula training and training in Whole Birth Yoga (Yoga and Mindfulness for Pregnancy and Birth) has provided me with the skills to be very helpful for women and their families during labor.
Sandi's Thoughts on Yoga
For me, Yoga is the light that continually encourages me to open my heart and give to the world my beauty. Yoga unwraps me from the layers of fear, judgement, and distrust that we all wear on this human path. Yoga warms me and allows me to unwind from my protective posture. Yoga squeezes through my tightly closed eyelids (and mindlids) and encourages me to open, to look and to see with clarity. Yoga introduces me to the arms of a loving global family, waiting eagerly to both hug and be hugged. Yoga parents me: empowering, educating, soothing, and strengthening. Yoga initiates me into upper case "R" Reality. Yoga helps me to love others and by doing so, to love myself. Yoga plays with me like a childhood friend and reminds me that life is too important to be taken seriously. Yoga uplifts me to great heights of great Love. Yoga gives me the opportunity to know my higher Self and to unconditionally love my lower Self. Yoga sings to me songs of devotion that help me to remember the Divine, deep and infinite. Yoga heals me. Yoga stirs me. Yoga encourages me to walk my path with courage. Otherwise, I might remain too frightened.
My first Yoga class was in a gym. During the class, I was too focused on following the directions of the teacher to really notice how I was feeling. It wasn't until I was walking home that I noticed the feeling that I now call "the buzz" or "the healing vitality" that is created with a Hatha Yoga practice. I felt grounded and strong, yet light and easy. Colors were brighter, sounds crisper. For the first time in a long time, I felt calm.
Months later I experienced a healing crisis, which lead me to seek out a chiropractor, who happened to be the same person who taught the Yoga class at the gym. To make a long story short, I received Network Chiropractic care and took Yoga classes from Deana Guadagno at the Center for Holistic Health for the next year, a year that can only be classified as transformational. The year ended with me substitute teaching a class for Deana, which was also the beginning of my path as a Yoga teacher. It was clearly meant to be.
Since then, I have attended two trainings in Integral Hatha Yoga at Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville in Buckingham, Virginia. In 2000, I completed Basic Teacher Training and in 2002 I completed Intermediate Teacher Training. Since that very first class, I have taught in many locations and situations-gyms, studios, health centers, senior centers, a brownie troop meeting, two high schools, an art school, a gallery, a hostel, and more. I LOVE teaching Yoga. When I am not teaching Yoga, I also love to read about it, talk about it, and attend classes in other styles of Yoga. I have studied with teachers from many traditions including Kripalu, Ashtanga (Power), Iyengar, Kundalini, Vini, Sivananda, and even Bikram. I believe that there is something valuable and powerful in each of the many, many styles of Yoga. As an Integral Yoga teacher, my training is grounded in the principle that "Truth is One, Paths are Many".
My classes, as well as my personal practice, are built around a primary structure of asanas (postures), yoga nidra (deep relaxation), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation and chanting. An Integral Yoga class takes us on a journey from the grossest aspects of our being to the more subtle aspects of our being. Though the specific postures and the approach taken may vary according to the needs of the class, the function is the same. By purifying the body and the mind, we can experience peace, the nature of the true Self. When we know ourselves in this way, we become bearers of light in the world. We experience lasting happiness ourselves and serve others in a way that encourages them to do the same.
Otherwise, we all remain too frightened…
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