Name: Meaghan de Roos
Age: 28
Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
Studios: Om Time (Boulder), Solar Yoga (Longmont), Yoga Elements (Louisville)
Style: Vinyasa Flow
Training background/lineage: Seane Corn‘s Vinyasa style and Ashtanga Vinyasa
Website: onelove-yoga.net

How long have you studied yoga? Eight years.
What is yoga? Yoga is spiritual embodiment. It’s a way of dropping into the body and having direct experience – getting to know ourselves better. Its a practice for real life situations, when we are asked to go into the fire and breathe.
Why do you practice yoga? To keep myself grounded: it brings me back to inner wisdom.
Do you have a regular practice? I alternate between having a home practice and taking classes. My own practice informs my teaching, so its very important to me. It doesn’t always have to be asana, though: sometimes it’s sun salutations, sometimes it involves turning on music and dancing.
Yogini diet? Vegan, baby. My diet is an extension of my spiritual practice, extending my compassion not only to human beings, but to animals as well. It’s part of my path, part of me. Yoga is not just on the mat, it’s what you do off the mat as well.

Meaghan de Roos is a member of Off the Mat Into the World, an organization started by Seanne Corn to inspire and guide yogis to become active in their local or global community in an effective, sustainable and joyful way (offthematintotheworld.com). De Roos is currently under leadership training and raising $20,000 for a trip to Uganda in 2010.

Favorite asana? Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, king pigeon pose.
Strongest asana? Triangle.
Weakest? Anything that involves deep hamstring stretches, like putting my leg behind my head.
Is there a focus in your teaching style? All of my classes are centered around a theme and the theme is interweaved into the asana and meditation. Around valentines day, I used unconditional love as a theme. I pull things from the yoga sutras … tying it into everyday life, making it come alive, even if its an ancient text.
Nude yoga? Depends on who’s in the room(!), just kidding. The right place at the right time.
Any religious affiliations? No, I’m pretty eclectic. I’m of the mindset one truth, many paths.
How does yoga work with the ego? Ego is a funny thing. Some systems say to get rid of it, but I don’t know if we ever get rid of it; we can gain a greater understanding and awareness of it – work with it instead of against it. Any concept has shadow and light, ego is the same.
What else do you do? I went to Naropa for two years and studied somatic psychotherapy. I teach yoga to at-risk youth and adults. I like to go see shows and check out the music scene.
Favorite yogic philosophy? Truthfulness is a big one for me – saying what you mean, meaning what you say. Satya!
What’s the last thing you did to make the world a better place? Everyday, making conscious decisions on where I spend my money, eating a vegan diet, and supporting environmentally-friendly businesses.
Any thank yous? Thank you to all of the teachers that have come before me, to all the teachers that are with me presently, and all the teachers that I have yet to meet.

Meaghan with husband Gil Elhart.