“The It's Yoga philosophy is to share the love
of the practice.” (Larry Schultz) It's Yoga Puerto Rico strive to create and provide a
space for each individual practitioner to express and grow in their practice
It’s Yoga International is a community of It’s Yogi’s that have come together since the passing of Larry Schultz, the founder of It’s Yoga in the purpose of keeping the Legacy and Love of It’s Yoga pure and authentic. We have created a board of directors, various departments of our organization and a clear and open dialogue among our teachers.
San Francisco was the birth place of It’s Yoga over 20 years ago. Many graduates of our programs have gone on to manifest their own dream of starting an It’s Yoga community. We are a growing worldwide family, and look forward to sharing the practice with you. Find an It’s Yoga affiliate near you!
Open an It’s Yoga studio in your neighborhood. It’s the perfect way to be sure you have a place to practice and friends to practice with. Easy, lucrative and rewarding, It’s Yoga studios represent an oasis in their communities for conscious movement and lifestyles. Be a part of the silent revolution and do your part so that “all beings are happy and free.”
David Kyle, It's Yoga Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico - David and his students demonstrate the traditional Ashtanga yoga practice opening invocation.
Larry Schultz studied for 7 years with luminary Shri K Pattabhi Jois and established It’s Yoga in 1989. He is known as one of the foremost Yoga enthusiasts, in the West. As the third yoga studio in San Francisco, It’s Yoga served to raise the torch by creating a vibrant hub for the yoga movement in the Bay Area. Larry taught tens of thousands of classes at It’s Yoga SF, across the U.S. and abroad and shepherded more than 5,000 Ashtanga Vinyasa students through his life-affirming 200-hour It’s Yoga Teacher Training Course.
Born of his time teaching yoga to the band, “The Grateful Dead”, Larry developed his much beloved ”Rocket” routines which are a variation of the classical first, second and third series of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. He was one of first to step out of the box by stretching the boundaries of the classical Ashtanga System with modifications of the advanced poses. When looking for a name for the new routines, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, dubbed them the “Rocket” because, “it gets you there faster.”
Over the years, yoga students of all kinds flocked to his studios. He facilitated the opening of over 15 It’s Yoga studios and affiliates that teach the “Rocket Routines” and the “It’s Yoga Teacher Training Program.” Advanced students came to practice on their own, while new students that included Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, artists, students, and entertainers came to explore this mysterious practice. It’s Yoga San Francisco served the community for 20 years.
In an open letter on the It’s Yoga website, Larry shared his vision for teaching:
There is nothing more satisfying to me as a teacher than to watch the glow with which people arise from Savasana. Often people walk into It’s Yoga with worry, stress and tiredness written all over their faces but when they leave, they show the effects of Ashtanga Yoga: they feel better and look better, lighter, freer, more relaxed and energized. This is why to me, teaching Ashtanga Yoga is a kind of self-realization; every time I lead class I, as a teacher, grow and express the insights of my own yoga. I see people take in the practice from various different angles and develop, change and transcend their limitations, realize their possibilities.
“Larry was a warm and generous person,” remembers Yoga Journal Senior Associate Editor Jennifer Rodrigue, who took his teacher training. “One of his greatest contributions to the yoga community was giving people the courage to own their personal practice, encouraging people to honor the past and to live in the present.”
David Kyle of It’s Yoga Puerto Rico, remembers his teacher: “His passing has taken many by surprise,” he says. “His life has influenced thousands to search within themselves for their inner teacher. He is an inspiration to us all.”
Combining his signature mix of humor and discipline, generosity and firmness–and above all, kindness–Larry delighted in introducing his students to the practice, traveling around the globe, and spreading his gospel of yoga’s healing and restorative powers.
San Francisco based Stephanie Snyder, who also completed his training says, “He was an entryway for anyone to come into yoga. He made it accessible to all.” Snyder says that Schultz referred to yoga as a party, to which all were invited. “He was an institution.”
Larry’s wife Marie Hajjar Schultz, states that ”Larry is a timeless teacher whose love of the practice transcended everything he did. His dedication to a daily practice reminds us all to share what we love by practicing what we teach, and teaching what we practice. I am honored to pay it forward.” She, with the global It’s Yoga family, are committed to sharing his legacy by continuing to spread the It’s Yoga vision. May His memory be eternal.
A celebration in Larry’s honor is being planned for April 3, 2011 in San Francisco. Details will be forthcoming.
Namaste
Rene says a few words to honor Larry Schultz teachings
The basics of ashtanga yoga cannot be learned enough. Because yoga practice is progressive it is important to go through this manual, Ashtanga Yoga As Taught By Shri K Pattabhi Jois, in the order it is presented. However, if you are having difficulty with any of the postures go back to the beginning. Keep in mind that the true source of understanding is in the basic principals underlying the asanas. Take your time and learn the fundamentals of the practice. Go slowly. Never force or push yourself into a posture, be patient, and all will come in time.What’s the rush?
Flickr Photo album of creator of the Rocket, Larry Schultz, helping students understand the workings of the Rocket Yoga practice during a rocket training at AstaYoga.