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Experiences that will change your life.
Terry Kiely
Terry Kiely
Years Teaching
25
Style
Practical, irreverent, organic, collaborative, experimental
Inspiration
Connection, transformation, resilience
FAQ
What inspired you to teach yoga?
Somewhere around 1992, I experienced a back injury playing volleyball. Someone suggested yoga as a way to feel better and luckily for me, I did. I was really curious about how yoga made me feel better. Then I got even more curious about what “better” felt like. Before I knew it, I was down this incredibly satisfying rabbit-hole of yoga. Teaching helps me give voice to what I’ve encountered on the journey.
Who are your most influential teachers?
Paul Toliuszis and I were fraternity brothers in college. He took me to my first yoga class and we’ve been yoga brothers for more than 40 years. He went on to be one of the most sought after teachers in Miami Beach and continues to inspire me to this day. My wife Beth is my main collaborator in all things yoga and beyond. I’m blessed to have her creativity, spontaneity, and dedication inform my practice and teaching.
How would you describe your classes?
I gotta say my classes are pretty fun. We don’t take ourselves too seriously and are willing to try new things and look at our practice from a few different perspectives. I’m convinced that if we can learn to feel different qualities like space, ground, transformation in our physical bodies, then we have the tools to create those qualities in our minds, our relationships, and all the facets of our being. The yoga mat is our place where we learn first from the physical.
Why do you feel retreats are transformational?
I can’t begin to count the many retreats I’ve led or participated in. Every experience has been so personal, I’m not sure I can generalize. The combination of leaving our daily routine, participating in a group with shared purpose, thoughtful facilitation, and the space to process it all. These ingredients inevitably lead to some type of transformation or insight. Generously sharing your journey with a group helps creates an “inspiration loop” where everyone is feeding off the process. It’s incredible to be part of that process.
What is your favorite pose to teach?
I love to teach a pose that’s really accessible everyone. Something that everyone may have done 10,000 times like a forward fold or a hip opener. It’s so fun to spend a little time with it and see if we can come up with a new way of feeling the pose or a new application of how we might use this movement in our lives.
What is your favorite pose to practice?
I’m 63 now and love to play golf, ride my bike, play pickleball and I have a pretty physical part time job. Mobility and injury prevention are really important to me so I love hip openers, shoulder turns, lunges and squats. With any luck i’ll still be able to do them at 83!
Where are your favorite places to travel?
I love to spend time outdoors and I’m lucky to have a very broad perspective of what constitutes natural beauty. We try to get to a couple of new national parks every year! I also really like to learn the history of the places we visit, so I’m forever grateful to all the guides I’ve encountered on all our travels.