Ada Hawkins
Instructor
Ada was one of those people that was reluctant to try yoga (ever heard of the response “I’m not flexible”? yes, she said that too). And the thought of going into a “heated” room to try her first yoga was just not happening but somehow her daughter convinced her that she needed this…badly. So, she did. The next 75 minutes of that first class took her through a journey that she would never forget to this day. She walked out with tears in her eyes from that very first experience and feeling an overwhelming closeness to God. It was a moment that helped her find release, acceptance, humility, peace and surrender. It was a moment of immense gratitude.
After 3 years of dedicated practice, Ada had the opportunity to take the 200-hour Yoga Alliance Teacher Training at Hot Yoga Haven. Over the years, she continued her yoga journey taking advantage of the online classes and drawing inspiration from numerous amazing teachers and the different styles of yoga, Vinyasa being her favorite.
Ada has only been practicing a little over a decade (she still considers herself a newbie and attends classes always with that beginner’s mind). She’ll admit that she loves taking yoga more than teaching it but when she teaches, she’s all in, taking her students through a flow that is created basically on the spot (meaning, she draws from the different levels of students in the class). No matter what the class is named, she welcomes everyone to their “happy hour” because that’s what it should feel like before, during and after class.
Note: The pictures above were taken when she was “much” younger. She’s a little more wrinkled now. Fortunately, she can still hide the greys. And these days, her best pose is Savasana