Honoring My Teachers
My dear second yoga teacher, Bri Damara, taught me never to worship any teacher, but to always respect, honor, and credit them for what I was taught and now passed on to my students.
Early Influences: Lilias Folan
Lilias Folan was one of those teachers who made a significant difference in my life.
Like so many others, I was first briefly exposed to yoga in 1970 through her. Although I was raised in a Christian faith that told us yoga was taboo, my mother still watched Lilias on PBS, and I was mesmerized by her—not only by her physical beauty but also by the softness and kindness she exuded in each of her shows. Although this was a brief encounter, only through TV, with me simply watching her, I never forgot her.
Returning to Yoga
After a long hiatus, yoga re-entered my life in 1995 when I crossed paths with my first yoga teacher, Naomi Judith, who lovingly pestered me for months before I finally attended one of her classes. At the time, I was in an unhealthy marriage with two small children and in constant physical pain. I finally joined a class to prove I could not do yoga, so she would leave me alone. Much to my surprise, I had a spiritual experience in her gentle class and knew right then that this was something I needed to do for the rest of my life.
The Sivananda Lineage
Because Naomi was trained in the Sivananda lineage, my introduction to yoga philosophy and physical practice came from the Sivananda Companion to Yoga.
While she used only a few asanas from the book and modified them for her large-bodied students, I found that most of the other asanas in this book were impossible for me to perform because of my large body, except for some of the poses in the section on Yoga for Pregnancy.
Beginning My Teaching Journey
I studied and practiced as much as possible and was teaching my own classes within a year of my mentorship. While searching for other asana books with doable poses for bodies like mine, I found Lilias Folan’s books—which offered more asanas accessible to me than any others.
Yoga Alliance and Advocacy
One summer, Naomi and I traveled with a group of San Diego teachers to a Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco. We attended a forum led by a group of well-respected yoga teachers who were forming a new organization called Yoga Alliance.
The group told us they were diligently working to standardize yoga training, yet they were challenged by the diversity of yoga lineages and styles.
I don’t know where my courage came from, but my love for the peace and renewed health yoga had given me roused me—the largest woman in the room—to stand up in front of everyone and say,
“Whatever you do, please do not make the physical requirements of yoga so challenging that someone like me cannot become certified. Just because people like me cannot do a Sun Salutation does not mean we cannot be good teachers.”
Meeting Lilias Folan Again
Shortly thereafter, Naomi and I attended a workshop by Lilias. Most of the movements she presented were refreshingly familiar and accessible to me. I was thrilled!
After the workshop, I first introduced myself to Lilias and then introduced Naomi as my first teacher. I thanked Lilias for publicly putting herself out to the world, and told her that she was my first exposure to yoga and that her book had helped me tremendously.
Lilias was one of those highly respected teachers at the Yoga Alliance forum—and she remembered me standing up and making my sincere request. She graciously thanked me, then turned to Naomi and said:
“Do you realize you have unleashed a lion here? The yoga world needs you, Lanita. You will be able to bring people to yoga in your own unique way.”
These are words I will never forget! In fact, they have carried me through some of my hardest days while trying to keep a Gentle Yoga Studio thriving for over thirty years.
Connecting with Judith Hanson Lasater
Another workshop I attended at that conference was my first with Judith Hanson Lasater. I appreciated her teaching and studied with her for many years. When I expressed to her a deep desire to get to know Lilias, she graciously made the introduction for me.
Feathered Pipe Ranch Retreat
My first retreat at Feathered Pipe Ranch was hosted by Lilias, with several of my students and studio teachers attending. It was a fabulous week, yet a funny incident occurred—As loving and kind as Lilias was, I believe I am the only student she ever snapped at. (lol)
During a session in the lodge, practicing the pose Viparita Trikonasana—standing reverse triangle pose—Helen, one of my studio teachers, loudly complained to me about her difficulty with this pose. I whispered back that I did too—so I was using extra yoga blocks.
From across the room, Lilias shouted, “Be quiet, Lanita! Quit teaching!” I was stunned! She marched toward me, all eyes following her, as I explained that I was simply responding to Helen’s frustration.
“Show us your pose,” she demanded. Intimidated, I repeated the pose with the extra blocks while the whole room watched. A long silence followed as her eyes studied my form. “Perfect!” she exclaimed, then walked away.
Later, Lilias approached me privately, apologizing for her outburst. Our relationship deepened from that moment, and I hosted her at my studio before her cancer challenge.
I will forever hold in my heart her motherly energy toward me, her love for our unique studio, and her kindness to all.
A Serendipitous Farewell
The week Lilias left her body, I was in Daytona Beach, Florida, visiting my daughter, who took me to a unique bar called “The Medicine Bar.”
It serves delicious, handcrafted Ayurvedic mocktails, has a yoga room, and draws people to share music and conversation. We had a lovely time, and I shared with her the news of Lilias’ passing and how important she had been in my life.
To close out your bar tab, you are given a small, randomly selected paperback book with the check tucked between the pages. The man next to us received his check in a book of cartoons and laughingly said he needed that lightness.
Our check? It was presented to us in Lilias’ first small paperback!
No accidents.
More than a coincidence.
When a Master Teacher leaves their body, their spirit is still with you always.
With Gratitude
With a grateful heart to one of my dearest teachers, I say:
Namaste
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Lanita Varshell and Diane Ambrosini invite you to join us as we reconnect with the most vital and transformative force in the universe: love. When we move through the world with deep love everything shifts, and we start living from a freer heart space, releasing judgments and prejudices, so we can build thriving communities, June 13 – 20, 2026, “It’s ALL About Love: A Deep Journey Into Embracing Love.”
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ABOUT LANITA VARSHELL:
Lanita Varshell is a soft, kind, mystic earth mother. She emanates love and compassion. Lanita is one of the oldest and most and respected plus-size, gentle and therapeutic yoga teachers in the United States. She has been a pioneer in the world of body positive, accessible and adaptive yoga.
Owner of A Gentle Way Yoga and Joyful Movement, she has taught yoga and trained teachers full time since 1996, and owned a busy yoga studio for over 20 years, all while living with chronic health, weight, and life challenges. She has inspired thousands of students and teachers to look at themselves and others through the eyes of kindness and love. In addition, she is an inspiring writer, public speaker, and yoga life coach.
Learn more about Lanita: agentleway.com