Meet Kerry Temple-Wood: Yoga Educator and Studio Owner
We had the good fortune of connecting with Kerry Temple-Wood and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kerry, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’ve always loved being in and with nature. I am the Canadian kid who snuggled into the earth, grass and climbed any tree she could; listened to spirit in the wind, moon and stars. When I was 14, my mom took me to a Yoga class at the local rec center. That evening my life changed forever. I met this young girl on the mat who was ok, and not full of teenage craziness! Nothing wrong with her. Just me, my body, breath and being ~ moving. No drama. No competition. And the names of the poses were all about shapes and the energies of nature and spirit.
Yoga has been the lamp post lighting my path ever since. Motherhood Yoga was something else! Where the heck did my ‘mat’ go?? It was nursing practice, diaper changing practice, meditation in the moment. There was no cave to retreat to. My Yoga was also this.
Slowly I’ve learned the lessons of listening (and NOT listening!), and the wisdom of life’s lessons. Now meet myself as a seasoned traveler on the road of life. Always a student, I treasure sharing and teaching from the messy brilliance of experience and imperfect action. As an ‘older’ woman, I claim the wisdom of my life, and plan to be sharing and practicing for a long while yet.
Yoga is a wellness practice for a lifetime, informing body, mind and spirit.
Life is dynamic – our Yoga should be also
What should our readers know about your business?
In Sept 2020 I celebrated 50 years on the mat. In my life I don’t really remember not doing yoga in some form or another! In 1981-82 I took my year long teaching training in Toronto. Teaching in Toronto, Boston and later Boulder.
I opened my unique barn studio in 2001 and in March of 2020 pivoted immediately to online classes. We are thriving in this new format, though we hope to open the studio again this spring or summer and will again combine both in-class and online offerings as we did last summer.
Also new since Covid is our YouTube channel Yoga for Life with Kerry Temple-Wood. Lots of free classes and resources there.
My focus in my teaching now is the concept of Yoga as a lifelong wellness practice for body, mind and spirit.
After 50 years on the mat, I find myself passionate about changing our cultures’ approach to aging, wellness and eldership. As we all navigate our aging journey I notice that as a society we are ill-equipped to do this “long-life” thing well. We don’t have a road map.
Maybe you’ve lost touch with parts of who you know you are, and are wondering how to find that being again? Yoga does not save us from ourselves, but it offers teachings in how to help us navigate our life path and life lessons better.
Yoga is my Road Map.
A map for empowered wellness and the deep inner work of mind, emotions and spirit that helps reveal with compassion who we are now and gives us a vehicle to thrive in our aging.
I have deepened my passion for these practices and the belief that for me, first and foremost, Yoga is my connection to the Divine through my breath, body and mind, and I share from there. Yoga for Life.
In Yoga we teach TO the student, and I am so grateful to what my students share and teach me. And to family and mentors past and present, so much love and appreciation. Namaste ~ Kerry
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Paul Temple http://diamondlightnetwork.com/
Mary Geitner http://9-volt.com/
Barb Colombo https://11-11productions.com/
Website: www.kerrytemplewood.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerry_temple_wood/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogaforlifewithkerry
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFV53TacSQGHhHsvulfxOVg
Image Credits
Barb Colombo: 11:11 Photography I was not able to upload the picture – I will send as an attachement to you.
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
This woman walks in beauty! I knew her best when we were young, oh so sweetly and painfully young! We were both following a spiritual path. Kerry had been on it longer than I, and was closer to the “movers and shakers” of the group, but that never effected the way she acted as a fellow traveler on the path. We have both since left that particular path for various reasons, but Kerry never lost her heart or her sweet nurturing spirit. She hosted regularly, in her home, some of our group back in that day with a generous smile. It was on the back of her bathroom door where I first read a poem by Mary Oliver, who has since had a huge influence on my life. Kerry has a similar spirit – filled with a spirit of the natural world and a strong, bright light. It is many, many years later and I haven’t seen or hugged Kerry Temple-Wood since those days, except on social media. But it didn’t surprise me one bit that she responded to a FB status of mine where I spoke of the pain in my legs and my difficulty walking. In true Kerry fashion she offered me the idea that yoga could help and she would love to show me how! This woman walks in beauty!