INSTRUCTORS

Kurt Johnsen

My introduction to yoga training was in 1981 at the age of 16 while studying with Dr. Spencer, a PhD in both Theology and Philosophy, an ordained Minister, an English professor, a magician and a life long practitioner of yoga. Over the next two years I trained with him first in deep meditation, then moving into dream yoga and then out of body travel. In retrospect, I now know that this is some of the most advanced forms of yoga and though it is odd for one to start with such advanced techniques it is also what gave me a life long passion to pursue the possibilities of self exploration and yoga.

During that time I also began training in Tai Chi Chuan. Although it is not a traditional school of yoga, it teaches one to use breath and movement to build internal energy, chi or prana, to clear energetic blockages from the body as well as to clear and focus the mind.

In 1994, I began my training with Roger Stainbrook, in the Lightning Fire Mountain System of Tibetan Kung Fu and still train with him to this day.

The traditional yoga practices found within the Lightning Fire Mountain System arose from the Vajrayana teachings of Tibetan Buddhism called the Diamond Vehicle. Most of the physical training comes from llama yoga which has been used for centuries by Tibetan monks to maintain health and flexibility after long hours of seated yoga meditation and prayer.

In late 1997, I began to explore and discuss the powerful practice and principles of yoga with my younger sister Jen. We did not know how much we would use it in the not too distant future.

In January 1998 my mother had a heart attack and drifted into a coma while in my arms. That was a “pose” and it was the first time my sister and I recognized what a "pose" was. After the heart attack our Mom laid in the coma for a short time. Jennifer, my sister needed to see her and say goodbye. She had never been comfortable in hospitals and wasn’t sure she could make it as we walked hand in hand down the stark hospital corridor. Jen was sheet white and looking faint with tear filled eyes, when she told me she wasn’t sure she could make it. We stopped and faced each other. She had recently began her yoga practice and there in the hallway of the hospital we discussed how to view this event as a pose and to use the breath work so she would be capable to deal with the situation. She did and it made it possible for the two of us to say goodbye to our Mom.

Later that year, Roger suggested I begin teaching yoga classes. The only reason I choose to teach is because he thought I could do it. The same year, I studied at the Cooper Fitness Center in Dallas, Texas and became a Certified Personal Trainer.

So I developed what I called “A State of Mind” Power Yoga and taught by donation in an extra room in a Therapeutic Center for two years. It was great.

In 2000, I stopped teaching and spent a lot of time in working in California. While living there, I had the opportunity to practice yoga with one of my favorite instructors, Bryan Kest, in Santa Monica. I also found a new way to practice yoga - ju jitsu. It is a martial art, however to excel in it I believe you must use the elements of yoga practice. I trained with some of the best in the world; Brazilian Black Belt Anderson Conclaves and Fabio Iha and for a short time former UFC World Champion, Tito Ortiz.

After September 11th 2001, my sister and I longed to find something more meaningful to do with our lives. Sharing all the powerful tools we had found seemed to be the best thing we could do. So with credit cards and a prayer we opened The Whole Life Health Center to offer what we then called A State of Mind Power Yoga to as many people as possible.

As I blended all that I had learned from so many amazing instructors and experiences with the philosophy and atmosphere my sister and I created, American Power Yoga was formally founded.

I continue to learn and train. I have had the pleasure of studying with some of the most well recognized yoga masters in the world today including Manju Jois, Beryl Bender Birch, Bryan Kest, Rod Stryker, David Swenson, Tias Little, Sean Corn and continue to train with my friend and mentor, Roger Stainbrook.

Kurt's Class Schedule