Amy Ippoliti is passionate about helping. She has learned that true happiness comes from helping others. As she is quick to acknowledge, “We are each other’s keepers.” Amy is also passionate about living a mindful, conscious, and organic lifestyle, which permeates her expertise as a yoga teacher, as well as her work with environmental conservation.
Amy has studied yoga for over 30 years and has been teaching since 1997. She is the co-founder of 90 Monkeys, an online school that has enhanced the skills of yoga teachers and studios in 44 countries. Her depth of knowledge, versatility, and genuine compassion for her students have made her one of the most sought-after educators in the field of yoga and yoga teacher training.
An avid blogger, she is quick to share her insights on food, yoga, health, and conservation in Yoga Journal, Yoga International, Mantra Magazine, Mind Body Green, prAna {Stories}, and Elephant Journal.
In a fascinating conversation, this pioneer in yoga was eager to share with us her zeal for singing and sound vibration, her marine conservation efforts, which she calls “conservation through interconnection,” and even how humanity can “stay woke.”
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Sasha Frate: Yoga is many things to many people- from a trend to a lifestyle, meditation to fitness, and the list goes on. What is yoga for you, and in all your years of experience studying, practicing, and teaching yoga- what would you say yoga is for most people?
Amy Ippoliti: Yoga is practice and a lifestyle that keeps me true to myself and gives me full permission to “be me”. More importantly, through yoga I remember the bigger picture and recognize that true happiness comes from helping others and being of service – we are each other’s keepers.
SF: You have taught yoga to virtually every ‘type’ of person, from business execs and CEOs to musicians and celebrities and everyone in between. What have you observed in your experience with these students as they ‘flow’ through your practice in the sense of oneness, and the ability to let go of societal titles/roles and identities?
AI: The practice of yoga definitely puts people in touch with the eternal and reminds us that we are all one. That said, a good yoga practice need not cause us to let go of our societal titles/roles/identities just because we’ve tapped into spirit. When we connect to the space of oneness, technically we should return from yoga even more capable of shining our individual lights in our communities – in other words – a good practice will enhance the capacity to be brilliant in all the different roles we play, whether you’re famous or not. When celebrities come to class, like anyone else, it’s a chance for them to be human, to be one with everyone & everything, celebrate their individuality, and then step off their mat and be better at everything they do.
SF: When you began singing vocals for mantra and chant albums, how did your contribution to adding this element of sound influence your practice (or teaching)?
AI: Chanting has been a major part of my practice overall. Singing the divine’s name has been a constant reminder of my own self-worth, and the sounds of the Sanskrit language are physically healing to my body and soul. I know that sounds really woo-woo, but it’s true. Singing in general is just such great therapy! Being able to support my musician friends on their albums is just a natural extension of my zeal for singing and sound vibration.
SF: Your voice echoes beyond music to ‘shout out’ on behalf of this earth and humanity to wake up and “stay woke.” What do you see as the biggest obstacle or challenge people face and how do you suggest we best support one another to ‘stay woke?’
AI: Life is full and we are busier than
ever, thanks to smart phones – that’s quite possibly our biggest obstacle to
staying woke because people are not as focused, and their attention span for
reading and learning is dropping every day. Ironically, smart phones could be
the thing that wakes you up, depending on what you consume, but honestly, there
are times when I feel like I’m surrounded by zombies not humans (and I include
myself in this group!)!
The other challenge is that the suffering on our planet is overwhelming. Whether
you practice yoga or not, it’s tempting to tune out and bury your head in the
sand when the world is falling apart. It’s also safer to be silent about
politics (or even topics like climate change or guns that have become so
negatively politicized), rather than have lively conversation or healthy debate
over dinner.
To stay woke? We need to:
- Unplug from our phones by reading books, having phone-free dinner parties, and getting out into nature.
- Welcome conversation about issues or politics. Healthy debate can help people wake up and take action. It’s our children who might never see the miracle of a living coral reef, be faced with mega storms, fires, floods, and earthquakes, and if we’re not careful, be living in a world led by dictators rather than enjoying freedom and democracy. I think it would be healthy to normalize conversations about politics, activism, and causes that desperately need our attention.
SF: Why do you believe that very few grow up knowing how to be conscious or blissfully alive, but must learn how to live a life on purpose? What factors do you feel are most suppressing what is seemingly innate in all of us?
AI: I think that’s accurate – that very few grow up knowing how to be happy, and yet I believe that if a child is encouraged to trust her intuition, and to honor her “inner knowing,” that her innate ability to be happy is only a breath away.
That said, we are human and we’re almost programmed to forget our greatness and focus on what’s wrong with us rather than what’s beautiful about us. This is also exacerbated by the gender norms perpetuated by the media, teachers, and family that can really mess with kid’s heads. Children come into the world so unfinished – it takes mentors, teachers, leaders and good family to guide a child toward a purposeful life. And we need that same guidance in all stages of life.
SF: Can you share a bit about your online professional development school 90Monkeys and how this has been serving the global yoga community?
AI: Sure! 90 Monkeys is an online and in person educational resource I co-founded to help yoga professionals refine their teaching skills, build their business acumen, and grow as a person and leader. We do this through a library of online courses, articles, speaking engagements, and our 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training program. The online courses in particular have been a great way for yoga teachers internationally to get access to information that can help them serve their yoga students more fully. We also have a growing global community of teachers who have trained with us.
SF: Together with your partner, Taro Smith, you have created a stunning collection of inspirational images to captivate people for an environmental ‘call to action.’ How did you come up with this idea initially, and how has it impacted marine conservation awareness since you first began this project in 2013?
AI: Most of us associate activism with being forced to look at horrible images of injustice and cruelty in order to raise our awareness so we’ll do something. Unfortunately, while this is a noble cause, it does not move the needle because people tend to turn away from what’s ugly or painful in the world (as I was saying above!).
We’ve discovered that people only care about the things to which they feel connected. Seeing marine animals dead and bloody just makes people sad. On the other hand, awe, beauty, and connection inspires people to share and causes images to go viral.
To that end, we’ve been working on this new and different way to reach a more widespread, mainstream audience and inspire them to care about marine wildlife. We call it “conservation through interconnection.”
It began in the Philippines with Taro, who was invited to film behind-the-scenes imagery of two athlete/models posing with whale sharks. The images were so astonishing that people assumed the women were photo-shopped. More importantly, the images got people thinking that these animals were not strange aliens, but part of the fabric of our planet.
The photos motivated me to do my part to catalyze the yoga community (and beyond). I am an avid swimmer, so I committed to training in order to pose in the water with these animals too.
A trip was scheduled and I began 8 long months of intense training. Those first images of whale sharks and manta rays went viral, were on the front page of Yahoo and Reddit, and I mobilized a lot of people to speak up, donate to marine causes, and do their part in keeping the oceans clean.
Since that first trip we have done yoga shoots with green and loggerhead turtles, 3 different species of dolphins, sea lions, and living coral reefs. We hope to work with humpback whales next!
SF: What all goes into landing some of these incredible captures of you doing yoga poses alongside marine life, and what is one of your most memorable interactions?
AI: It takes many days on the water to get the really magical images. It also requires us to be in tip-top physical shape because long hours on the open ocean and free diving is super demanding.
Every interaction has been memorable and meaningful – I don’t think there is a way to narrow it down! There was the bottlenose dolphin who came right up between me and Taro’s camera, swimming right between two sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef, the manta trains twirling in a line and flying out of the water, whale sharks with their gentle, grounded presence, and so much more.
SF: You’ve created a 30 Day Yoga Challenge that has the added component of an Eco Challenge. How does this work and what are your top 5 suggestions for eco-consciousness habits to adopt?
AI: Yes, our monthly challenge on Facebook has been at it for 7 years! Actually our most recent eco challenge was to commit to a short list of 5 actions to combat climate change so I’ll share those suggestions:
- Unplug things you’re not using!! Toasters, your phone chargers, kitchen appliances, etc.
- Reduce or eliminate animal product consumption.
- Ride your bike instead of taking the car.
- Don’t over cool or heat your home or hotel room! Be conscious.
- Turn off lights in rooms you are not using and when you leave for the day in your home or hotel.
We also recently watched the movie, “Blue”. I recommend it highly. You will never want to purchase products with plastic again!
SF: What does ‘prAna culture’ mean to you, and why did you decide to join the ‘movement’ to represent the brand as an Ambassador?
AI: prAna culture is living life with consciousness, a love and respect for nature and keeping fine company. We all need more of that and so joining the brand as an ambassador was a no-brainer for me!
SF: What has your work with environmentalism, yoga, and your travels around the world taught you about our connection to nature?
AI: My work has continued to teach me about the depth, importance, and reality of our interconnectedness with each other and nature.
SF: Having had the role of a teacher for many years- to students, other teachers, and even the simple inquisitive mind that visits your platforms online, you really can’t have any real grasp on how far reaching your positive influence is spread. Where do you envision the impact leading us in the future?
AI: That is true – I really have no idea, but I do know it’s important that I keep trying to make an impact and to say I did my best to leave a better world behind for our children and the earth’s inhabitants. Nature is far too precious.
More Info:
Instagram: @amyippoliti | Facebook: @AmyIppolitiPage | Twitter: @amyippoliti