Education + Yoga ... What?  Why?  How?

Several years ago I took on the practice of yoga as a way to counterbalance the physical strain on my body as a runner.  My plan was to spend a month learning a set of stretches to integrate into my workout and then cancel my studio membership.  To my surprise I discovered that the physical benefits were only one part of an elegantly layered practice and that there was way more to be learned from the instructors than could be crammed into a short period of time.  As a student of yoga I work to breathe in a mindful manner, clear my mind from distractions, stretch, balance, twist, invert, and expand as opportunities to create space for self-care and reflection.  These tools serve me on and off the mat.   

The instructors who guide my practice are extraordinarily gifted educators - clear, compassionate, personable, confident, and so clearly motivated by a sense of purpose for their own journey as yogis.  I soon realized that these instructors modeled the very skills and attributes that I feel are vital for leaders and educators in any domain.  I grew increasingly curious about how yoga instructors are trained and the pedagogic and leadership principles that guide their work.  What could I learn from the art of yoga instruction that could enhance my work in education leadership?

This curiosity kick-started a wonderfully inspiring journey into a 500-hour yoga teacher training course and the opportunity to design and pilot workshops for educators and leaders on how the principles of yoga instruction could be adapted into other settings of organized learning and communal life.  It is a joy to integrate areas about which I feel so passionate.  -Zach Lasker

Bio 

Dr. Zach Lasker has worked as a leader in several education settings.  Currently he is the executive director of the Pico Union Project, a multi-faith center for spirituality, cultural arts, and community activism in Los Angeles.  Previously he served as director of Melton Research & Education Projects at The Davidson School of Jewish Education at The Jewish Theological Seminary where he supervised a range of in-service programs offered to working professionals in areas of institutional and instructional leadership.  Zach uses yoga instruction as a model framework for education and leadership and has written and facilitated workshops around North America on this topic.  As an adjunct faculty member at JTS, he taught a course in leading and managing non-profits.  Zach was also the camp director at Camp Ramah in California, and served as a clinical faculty member in education at the American Jewish University and a teacher in day and synagogue schools.  Prior to his pursuits as an educator, Zach worked in non-profit marketing at Gary Wexler + Associates: Passion Marketing. 

Zach earned a doctorate in education leadership from UCLA and is a 500-hour registered yoga instructor, trained through YogaWorks.  He holds an M.A. in education from the American Jewish University and studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.  Zach's writing can be found on eJewishPhilanthropy, and in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, San Diego Jewish Journal and Ramah at 60.  He is also a frequent speaker and teacher at various conferences throughout N. America in areas such as leadership, pedagogy, and principles of yoga instruction.  Zach cherishes the time he spends with family, cooking, and running outdoors.