Instructors
About The Founder—Carol Stahl
Carol Stahl is a native of Anniston who has pursued yoga as a way of life and as a career for the past thirty-four years. She has trained in the Iyengar method of Hatha Yoga, Classical Yoga, and Somatic Yoga.
Always pursuing deeper levels of knowledge of the evolving yoga scene, Carol has studied with many of today’s best known teachers from Ganga White and Tracey Rich who founded the White Lotus Foundation, Kali Rae, Eleanor Criswell of the Somatic Foundation, Richard Miller Ph.D., Donna Farhi, John Friend, Judith Lasater Ph.D., P.T. and many other internationally known teachers.
After beginning to teach yoga in the Washington D.C. area, Carol realized that many students were not fit enough to practice asana (postures) correctly and without fear of injury. This led to her search into therapeutic yoga, beginning with Mr. Iyengar and eventually leading her to study with Gary Kraftsow and Joseph Le Page. Carol graduated from Integrative Yoga Therapy with both certification and a Masters in yoga therapy.
Further study led Carol to Ayurveda, the science of life. Ayurveda is the oldest natural health science in the world. She has been blessed to study personally with Maya Tiwari, world-renowned scholar, healer, author, and founder of the first Ayurvedic school in the United States, the Wise Earth School. She is certified to teach several levels of this work, with workshops offered throughout the year.
Living with illness herself since childhood has led Carol to pursue the healing arts and all the means available to help us to live our best life and to find our own greatest purpose. This is what she teaches in classes, private sessions, and workshops throughout the year.
Additionally, Carol has been a Reiki Master since 1990, offering first, second, and third degree programs. When there are interested participants Carol offers free Reiki Shares, so that all may receive free sessions. Reiki has become well known throughout the U.S. and is offered by many hospitals and doctors, including UAB.
Schooled in all aspects of yoga and Ayurveda, it is always Carol’s goal to help students individually with their personal goals and needs. From identifying and providing the most appropriate type of asana practice, individualized diet, and personalized meditation techniques to best suit the individual (if interested).
Toni McCord
Having had a keen interest in Yoga for many years, it wasn’t until her chiropractor introduced Toni to his Yoga teacher at the Center for Yoga and Ayurveda that she became a serious practitioner. As her back pain disappeared, she began to experience the healing power of Yoga on many levels.
This put Toni on the path to a three year apprenticeship with Carol Stahl, and receiving the time-tested method of creating a Yoga teacher. The vast and diverse training with Carol continues to increase and intensify Toni’s interest in all aspects of Yoga and has led her on to study with some of her teacher’s masters and her completion, last year, of the White Lotus Yoga Teacher Training Certification from renowned Yoga Instructors Ganga White and Tracey Rich, founders of the White Lotus Institute in Santa Barbara, CA.
Observing the amazing results of both Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda, Toni has been inspired to study both intently. This led Toni, last year, to the International Yoga and Ayurveda Conference in Rishikesh, India where she was overwhelmed by presentations of world-renowned leaders in both Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda, including Maya Tiwari, one of her mentor’s most extraordinary teachers.
Early in her training with Carol, Toni received her third degree training to become a Reiki Master. Around this time, she was also introduced to Thai Massage, a totally new experience that led to a relaxed yet revitalized feeling that lasted for days. She was immediately led to study this at the practitioner level in order to share this sensational experience with others. In 2010, Toni received her certification as a Thai Yoga Therapist at the White Lotus Foundation and earlier this year, completed the Advanced Thai Yoga Therapist Training.
Toni holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from UAB and from this developed a true appreciation of how things move relative to one another. This has contributed to her study and fascination with human anatomy. Most recently, studying with Thomas Meyers and learning to integrate his Anatomy Trains™ concept of myofascial movement with the movement of Yoga and Thai Massage has opened new strategies for treating postural and movement distortions.
Through personal challenges, both physical and emotional, Toni has relied on Yoga as a constant, leading her to become healthy and healed on many levels-changing her life in many ways. With much gratitude for the opportunity and after teaching for more than a year now, Toni is dedicated to deepening her knowledge of Yoga and its effects on every system of the body and sharing the gift of Yoga with others so they may reap the same benefits.