Love

I first met Johanna about ten years ago or so…
I was working behind the desk at Sonic Yoga, and Jo, a vibrant lady I had only just met had lost her shoes… somehow on my watch a beautiful pair of red leather shoes had walked off. With what I later learned was customary aplomb, Jo said, “Don’t worry about it!” and with a huge smile she danced off wearing the only shoes that happened to be in the lost and found: a pair of strappy, gold, spike heels that looked like something out of Saturday Night Fever.

That is the perfect image of her spirit: undaunted, joyful, and dancing in a pair of rockin’ gold shoes.

 Over the next ten years I got to know Jo both as a teacher and as a dear friend. I first got to know her as a teacher when she assisted one of my favorite mentors, Jonathan Fields. I remember that even as an assistant she was so detail oriented in her teaching while being so kind in the offering. I have never learned so much about alignment as I did from Jo in her assisting and her early teaching. This was her foundation.

 But from the beginning it was clear that Jo had a different and profound sensibility. From the beginning of her teaching career her classes combined rigorous alignment with equally rigorous acceptance; spirit and the arts were seamlessly woven into each one; her classes soon became a huge following: places of learning, of community, and of deep spiritual awakening.

 Jo always has a theme to guide each of her classes, a spine that connects each tenet of her practice together. She begins class with a personal piece of writing that introduces the theme and her thoughts that surround it- she connects herself personally to her asana sequences. In addition, her sequencing is profound: deep, connected, mythic and transcendent, there is something about the way her sequences work that serve to give the greatest possible opening and transformation. My friends and I often say that Jo’s classes are, indeed, a spiritual experience.

 Over the ten years that I’ve known her, Jo’s classes have only deepened. What began as the best classes I’ve ever taken have grown to be something more: when I go to her class I can be assured of new perspective, of true growth and of a body, mind and heart opening that can only be experienced through her unique weave of asana, metaphor and soul. I know for many of us her classes are a healing practice, a way to shift and move the breath through difficulties in the body and the mind. With each passing year she is more and more the guide that all of us seek and the light that all of us follow.

If I were to describe her classes in a few words I would say they are:

• Transcendent
  Effortlessly Flowing
  Healing
  Spiritual
  Deeply Meaningful on a Heart, Mind and Soul Level
  Transformative
  Easy to Connect To
  Profound
  Life Changing

In short: Jo’s classes have opened windows in my soul.

~Gabra Zackman
Actress, Author,Yoga Teacher

“One of a kind
Inspiring
Insightful
Creative
Positive
Giving
Out of the box
Amazing
Legendary”

~ Lisa Lewis
Yoga Teacher/Broadway performer

“Johanna is such a passionate person. And her passion is evident in the way she shares the lessons. Her ability to introduce creativity and themes into sequencing yet still keep the lessons grounded is incredible. She’s a beautiful and generous spirit! “

~Stephanie Battle
Yoga Teacher/Teacher Trainer

Johanna has an understanding of people, yoga, healing…and the universe that is rarely if ever seen. She approaches her classes with openness and creativity, and teaches asana from a place of energetic alignment.   The best part is just how kind and caring she is. I smile every time I see her glowing face.

~ Adam Nashban
Yoga Teacher

Johanna inspires her students to be authentic, thoughtful, creative and original. She has the uncanny ability to see in others what they do not yet see in themselves, and has the intuitive awareness to gently guide them to their fullest potential. Her loving, humble, and gracious spirit is revealed in her own teachings and through her many students who continue on the path to become teachers in their own right. She is a true teacher of teachers, a valued friend and inspired mentor.

~Nick Demos
Producer, Director, Yoga Teacher & Trainer

“From the first time I took Jo’s class, I felt a connection with her spirit, her style, and her method. I knew I wanted to learn from her and one day be able to offer my students the yoga-class-turned-robust-experience that Jo is able to create.

She has an emotional intelligence that is very clear. I think going in to the sequencing weekend, she wanted us all to crack open something inside ourselves, and she did a wonderful job of creating an environment where it was safe for us to be vulnerable. I always got the sense that though she expected us to go on an individual journey, she wouldn’t ever leave us alone while we shared the space together.

Something I’ve always admired about Jo is her ability to take on so much from so many people. Her energy and spirit pours from her, and it seems like everyone just wants to be close to that and steal some of her vibrancy. “

~April Evans
Yoga Teacher/Teacher Trainer

I’ve been fortunate to work with Johanna Bell as a teacher and energetic healer. She is warm, compassionate, genuine, and down-to-earth. I felt like I was in safe hands and well-guided. One thing that really impresses me about Johanna is the undivided attention she gives to her clients and students. She really cares and it shows. Johanna is fully engaged and invested in the relationships she builds with others. I feel fortunate to have worked with Johanna Bell as a energetic healer and am happy to have her as one of my mentors.

~Krishna Dholakia
Yoga/Meditation Teacher, Nutrition Consultant