Since many gyms and studios have had to temporarily shut their doors, it’s left many yogis without a physical place to practice. But that didn’t stop Sedona resident Victoria Ancis from coming up with a solution to fill the void. When Victoria saw that one of her favorite yoga teachers, Linda Whittington, (pictured above) posted on Facebook about how she didn’t feel safe teaching in-person classes during the pandemic, the lightbulb went off. Victoria along with her husband Roberto have been teaching and doing online seminars for decades. Linda and Victoria talked on March 15, and the seeds for the company Yoga Web Classes were planted. The site currently offers virtual vinyasa flow yoga, hatha yoga, sound healing, Qi Gong and Tai Qi classes – all taught by local, certified instructors. Classes are all levels. Although the Ancis aspire to have a global reach, their hearts are here in Sedona.
“We have been here 14 years. We love Sedona,” says Victoria. “We also want to focus on our locals and give back.” Linda’s been a teacher for nine years, and this is her first time teaching virtually. She says she loves how teaching online makes her hyper focused on the safety of her students. After many conversations with Victoria and Roberto, she said teaching via Zoom felt natural.
“It’s not as challenging as I would have anticipated … You have to really project your energy a little bit more than in an on-ground class to get that across,” she says. “This opportunity to teach in this whole different environment is so fun as a yoga teacher. And then to have the stability and capacity to reach so many more people than just live in or come to visit Sedona. We can reach people literally across the world. It’s very, very exciting to think about that.”
Whether she’s teaching in studio or online, she says she hopes her students can find the peace she experiences when practicing yoga. “For all of us right now, we need those things that really ground and center us,” says Linda. “To have this avenue to be able to connect for an hour, to come into our bodies, to come into our breath is so valuable. It’s what we need.” − Teresa K. Traverse
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