BIO: Angie (Lakshmi) Norwood
I was fortunate to wander into the classroom of Mark Horner in the fall of 2001. Mark created an environment of challenge, humor and deep reflection that left me feeling like a better person than when I went in. He demanded much of his students, and that in turn brought out the best in us. Today, I also work with Shandor and Emma at least annually, but Mark remains my first and most influential teacher. I am confident that he is the reason yoga took root in me.
I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and attended Willamette University, Lewis & Clark College and the University of Puget Sound. Before teaching yoga, I worked in military freight forwarding and waited tables in Portland while working my way through graduate school. I served as a crisis family therapist and substance counselor in Tacoma, WA and Concord, CA. I'm a parent to two daughters-by-birth, two sons-by-marriage, and one slightly neurotic but lovable Golden Retriever. I enjoy early mornings, good people, great coffee, making lists, needless perseveration and exploring the dramatic landscapes of central Oregon. I live in Bend with my husband, Andy, who teaches at University of Oregon.
Shadow yoga lineage
Emma completed her first film, Agniyogana (www.agniyogana.com), in 2019. She and Sundernath teach courses in Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
Mark Horner has been a close student of Sundernath and Emma since 1994 and has been teaching yoga since 1990. In addition to experience as a Certified Rolfer, Mark’s background includes many years of classical piano study, rock climbing, and the study of Ayurveda. I met Mark in 2001 and have studied with him ever since.
It is through the commitment and integrity of these exceptional teachers - and their teachers before - that my path has unfolded.
Shadow Yoga is the modern terminology for the ancient teachings of the Pashupata Tantrika yogins. Its founder, Sundernath (Shandor Remete), has spent over 60 years investigating and understanding the roots of yoga through personal experience. He was initiated into the Kanpatha Hatha Yogins of Nepal, descendants of the earliest known yogins, Goraknath and Matsyendranath. Shandor is the founder of Shadow Yoga with his partner, Emma Balnaves (www.shadowyoga.com).
An internationally recognized teacher and filmmaker, Emma Balnaves co-founded and directs the School of Shadow Yoga. She was exposed to yoga as a young person and studied photography, creative arts, and visual communication before turning to teaching full-time.
PHILOSOPHY
Shadow Yoga is synonymous with Hatha Yoga, which sees the physical body as a microcosm of the universal life force. Forces that influence the universe influence us, and we learn to work in harmony with these energies rather than against them. Power hidden within the individual can thus be unlocked and used to benefit self and others.
Practicing yoga does not mean freedom from fear, thinking only positive thoughts or remaining calm in any situation. Those things may happen over time, but a truly transformative yoga practice helps us face life and ourselves, and choose increasingly supportive pathways toward inner presence. Shadow Yoga gives us tools to navigate this journey, both in the present and for the rest of our lives.
