Rocket Yoga Italy

You may know, recently I had an opportunity to take a trip to Rome, Italy. In Rome everything is big, ancient and has an undertone of reverence with beautiful Basilicas adorned in art. I was fortunate enough to be hosted at a Yoga studio in Rome called Yoga Lab to offer my Bottle Rocket yoga classes. I lead Bottle Rocket 1 followed by Bottle Rocket 2. These classes were groundbreaking and the first time they were offered in Italy. Bottle Rockets are 1 hour classes that I got to refine over the course of the past 5 years. Each Bottle Rocket similar to Rocket focuses on different aspects of the practice. Bottle Rocket 1 focuses on foundations and Bottle Rocket 2 focuses on building arm strength and detoxing the body with more twists and oblique work.

Everyday in Rome I started my day with reading Meditations of Marcus Aurelius who was a Roman emperor and philosopher. What stayed with me is when he talked about how important it is to be in society and how to live a stoic life, he noted how the age of our mind is going against us so it's best to take action now in the direction you want to go. He also discussed the idea of retreating into the territory of yourself and watching everything around us keep changing.

I find this all relevant with the rocket as I have so much to share with the yoga community. The Rocket has almost died in the United States due to trademark claims. I am stating that I do not work for the “™” for Rocket Yoga and this is Rocket without dogma. We do not have set rules of progression, we just share and facialte different Rocket routines and yoga practices. All of our Rocket programs are considered Continuing Education in Rocket Yoga. I was one of the first Rocket Yoga instructors in the United States after completing my training with Larry Schultz in 2000 and I have continued to instruct Rocket, never wavering from a practice I believe in wholeheartedly.

I have to reflect back to Marcus Aurelius and he would handle such issues. I have to take the higher road and retreat to my inner territory and find the good that surrounds me everyday or the trademark issues will eat me alive. I know that Larry is turning in his spirit of how rocket school is being handled. I was one of the few people in the world that were granted by Larry Schultz to lead Rocket Trainings. So if I do the yoga, let the yoga teach me that this is my strength not my weakness.

I have set up lots of Rocket programs here in Cincinnati as well as will be traveling to Kentucky soon to offer Rocket training! More details coming, just keep doing your practice and I’ll take care of the legal stuff for everyone! I will always protect my students who have trained with me to offer Rocket yoga freely.

Namaste,
Amber Jean

Often people walk into It’s Yoga with worry, stress and tiredness written all over their faces but when they leave, they show the effects of Ashtanga Yoga: they feel better and look better, lighter, freer, more relaxed and energized. This is why to me, teaching Ashtanga Yoga is a kind of self-realization; every time I lead class I, as a teacher, grow and express the insights of my own yoga. I see people take in the practice from various angles and develop, change and transcend their limitations, realize their possibilities.

In Memoriam: Larry Schultz, YogaDragonden (1950-2011)