Emma Silverman

Author of The Joy of Yoga

Emma is a Bikram, Ashtanga, Kundalini, and Vinyasa Flow yoga instructor. In the past, she also taught chair yoga, Vinyasa yoga, yoga for kids, and yoga for health care professionals.

How can you describe your lifestyle?

I am constantly on the move: between visiting friends and family, teaching workshops, and leading more than a dozen yoga classes a week, I put in some serious mileage. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Is there an individual experience you'd like to share with others?

I believe in having a "bucket list," but with a twist. I like to have one thing on my bucket list at a time and keep a strong and steady focus on that goal. For years, that one goal was to publish a book of yoga sequences - and two years ago I did! Since then, The Joy of Yoga has been translated into five languages, sold out of its initial print run, and is being published in January 2016 in paperback. Look out for the follow up book, More Joy!, in the fall of 2016.

What was your best learning experience in life?

We all do the thought experiment where we talk to our previous selves at different stages of our life (for example, "Emma - don't date Ben in 2010. It won't end well". As they say, hindsight is 20/20. Sometimes, though, I like to imagine what my future self would say to current me. I think I would remind myself that the only person who is responsible for my health, well-being, and happiness is me. I love to spoil the people in my life - sometimes it's hard to remember to be that sweet to myself!

Interesting! What do you think about Ambronite – how does it fit your yoga practice?

There are two things I prioritize very highly: a well-rounded, healthy diet and sleep. Sometimes, those things don't go well together: when I sleep in as late as possible, I then have to run off immediately to work, and don't get around to breakfast until my stomach is rumbling with hunger. Ambronite is magic because I get my sleep (without which I'm not nearly as nice) and an amazing breakfast. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it, too?

I wouldn't recommend eating a regular sized meal before a yoga class-- at least an hour, maybe even two hours of digestion time is recommended. After Ambronite, though, I feel good to go after about 30 minutes. It's also great after a class to rehydrate and energize!

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