Steady Groovin: Chris Calarco

"I took a bit of a different approach to this playlist. While I usually like to offer play lists that are intended to be functional as full class soundtracks and mimic the wave of a class from beginning to end, with this one I simply chose a group of versatile songs. I feel they all share a moody, mid-tempo vibe that I think gets yogis in their bodies very well. They have that serene throb of downtempo dub yet are grooving enough to be used for the inner focus of breath by breath Vinyasa. Be creative, use this as a jumping off point for YOUR playlist that makes your classes unique. Drop it."

Chris is certified at the 200 hour level through Yogaworks NYC in an aligned Vinyasa style and credits his teacher there, Jeanmarie Paolillo, with schooling him in the classical yoga tradition. Since beginning Anusara Yoga studies with Annie and Todd at Yoga Union, Chris has been deeply moved by this tradition's combination of therapeutic biomechanics and inspiring Tantric philosophy. In September 2011 Chris completed a 100 hour Anusara Immersion with Sianna Sherman in San Francisco, and he will assist Sianna at domestic and international workshops beginning in 2012. Chris considers himself a yoga geek and has been fueled in his ever-evolving face-to-face and intellectual studies with John Friend, Rolf Gates, Annie Adamson, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Swami Chetananada, Christopher "Hareesh" Wallis, and others.

Chris grew up in New Haven, CT before moving to Oregon in 2000. He has an MA in Counseling Psychology and practiced as a child and family therapist in the Portland community for four years before pursuing yoga full time. Chris views the practices of yoga and music as unified paths deeper into the heart. He hopes to inspire students to use the practice to know themselves with loving awareness and to share this with the world.