Rocket Yoga and the History with Cincinnati
San Fransisco wanted to keep me and I wanted to keep San Francisco, falling in love with the rocket, the city and my new found teacher, Larry Schultz. The universe had other plans for me, a second It’s Yoga location was opened up in Cincinnati by my first yoga teacher Indu Bala, and I specifically went to San Francisco to learn how to instruct with the intentions of working at the new It’s Yoga in my hometown.
The year was 2000 and Cincinnati only had 3 yoga studios, the studio was humming as classes filled up with little advertising, teacher training was full and I had a playground to start practicing everything Larry has taught me. In 2001 I flew out to San Fransisco again to take the Rocket 2 training, which was a lot like my first training but instead of teaching Modified Primary Series I got to instruct rocket classes at It’s Yoga SF. At this same time, Larry Schultz began flying to Cincinnati regularly to check on the It’s Yoga Cincinnati and another one popped up in Columbus. There are a lot of great memories about this time and all the special time I spent with Larry and all the amazing classes I got to take with the rocket man. If Instagram was around we would have been viral. We were also rocketing in VanCouver at Larry’s first international studio.
There was always such an excitement being around Larry, I remember my heart sinking as I would have to pack my bag and head home or he would be leaving to go back to San Francisco.
Eden Parks water tower in the presidents grove.
This went on for 7 years, then a funny thing happened, I outgrew the space and It’s Yoga Cincinnati as they began to lessen their rocket program. This drove me to open Yoga ah in 2008, with Larry’s blessing I started my own rocket school, in Cincinnati, not called It’s Yoga but Yoga ah. Yoga ah basically is how Canadians say Yoga AA, or in spanish Yoga Hey, but my studio was Yoga ah, its all It’s Yoga.
Slowly over the next 14 years I poured my heart and soul into Yoga ah. Hosting 3, 200 hour teacher trainings per year and slowly integrating rocket training. Every 200 hour training yogis would learn to teach modified primary series and bottle rockets, however during their whole training experience they would be practicing rocket daily.
Yoga ah was a hub for rocket yoga in Cincinnati for a long time and thanks to all my good work with Yoga ah, the rocket can be found around town.
This July 2022, I am inviting yogis from all over the world to Cincinnati for a 5 day rocket training experience, where it all started. It's like the rocket leaves footprints where it traveled and yogis want to place their feet in the holy cincy of all places. Stay WOKE!!! Educate yourself on the history of the rocket, peace and love everyone xx Amber Jean Machine