Ben W. Tettlebaum
Founder, Into the Green
Professional Outdoor Educator with the National Outdoor Leadership School, the Wilderness Medicine Institute, Second Nature Therapeutic Wilderness Program, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the National Park Service; Yoga Teacher; Wilderness EMT; World Traveler
Now I know the secret of making the best persons; It is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the earth.
-Walt Whitman
Ben is a compassionate teacher who can teach yoga to beginners as well as experienced practitioners and an experienced outdoor leader who is adept at many different types of yoga practice. Ben's grace, humor, and commitment made learning a pleasure.
-Linda Gray, Ph.D., Professor of History
I learned from a young age that the land is a powerful teacher. My connection to the wilderness goes back to childhood on a small farm in mid-Missouri. These strong roots guided me on a path in the backcountry. They also led me on many adventures around the world from sharing fresh yak's milk with Tibetan herders to traipsing through three-foot snow drifts in the Khangaii mountains of central Mongoli. I've also journeyed many times in America's beautiful, wild outdoors, traversing every state and burrowing deep into the heart of much of its wilderness, from Alaska and Hawaii to California and Idaho, Wyoming and Utah to Colorado and New Mexico, Texas and Missouri to New Hampshire and Maine. I am constantly exploring. And while it's true that the journey of a thousand miles starts beneath one's feet, the journey truly begins within one's heart.
You have helped me in so many ways. Whomever you work with will be fortunate and lucky to have such a dedicated and compassionate person.
-Betty, thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail
This personal journey combined with working professionally in outdoor education, yoga teaching, and a daily practice brought me to a place where I wanted to share with others what I have gained. As a teacher, I integrate yoga and the outdoors. The two are intimately connected. Yoga means union. It is a state of awareness for which we are striving. The union attained is both with oneself and with the land. I teach yoga as the medium through which we develop a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
Ben is an extraordinary person with a passion for living and teaching. His endless empathy, wisdom, and positive spirit are inspirational to the student. Whether he is teaching wilderness survival skills or a difficult yoga posture, Ben leads with knowledge, kindness, and acceptance of all. His life experiences have given him incredible insight and ability to connect with all people. I feel very fortunate to have had Ben as my teacher, both in the backcountry and on the yoga mats! Thank you, Ben!
-Joy
Before we can foster a personal connection with the outdoors, we must establish a deeper connection with the body and mind, something often overlooked and misunderstood in today's fast-paced, high-stress world. Money can provide comfort and security (certainly important), but money alone cannot bring fulfillment. Our world today may provide us with many material comforts but at what cost? Where is the nourishment for the soul? With so much emphasis in our society on material wealth, so much information streaming at us every moment, we need a time and a place to rejuvenate, to step back from the daily grind and put our lives in perspective. These ideas led me to found Into the Green.
Yoga provides many things to many people. Much of what you receive depends on your intentions. The outdoors is no different. It is a powerful teacher. You will gain only so much as you are willing to give. Indeed, the true teacher in yoga and in the wilderness is you.
I spent two weeks with Ben on a glorious trip into the Wind River Range of Wyoming. . . . During this time I found the communication of his expertise second to none I have experienced to date. He went out of his way to insure all members of our group received guidance in a patient, articulate, knowledgeable manner. He got along well with all and is just an interesting person to boot. He also volunteered his personal time thereafter to follow up with any who sought additional expertise. I would not hesitate to attend any event with him involved.
-Matthew
Yoga has given me many great teachers and taken me half way around the globe. While my experience with yoga began in a Bikram studio, most of my time has been spent studying Ashtanga Vinyasa, classical Hatha, Shambhava Yoga, Sivananda Pranayama, and meditation. My teachers include Peter Francyk, Erin Geesaman, B.N.S Iyengar, Shishadri, Swami Devananda, Doug Swenson, Richard Freeman, and Swami Shambhavananda. I studied in Mysor , India, at Shoshoni Ashram in Colorado, and at numerous locations around the U.S.
I consider myself first and foremost an educator. Yes, I love backpacking, climbing, snowboarding, and practicing yoga. However, my true fulfillment stems from sharing these adventures with others, opening their hearts and minds to new experiences and a deeper appreciation of themselves and the earth.
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
-T.S. Eliot
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Leigh Ann Stratakos
Yoga Teacher and Owner, Three Moons Yoga Studio; Freelance Writer; Cat Lover
The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
-Anna Quindlen
I discovered yoga during my last semester at university. After graduation, I practiced Iyengar Yoga for two years until I was given a Kripalu catalog. In January 2001, I dove in, not knowing the seriousness of their words "Volunteer to Change Your Life". I did a lot of work, physically, cleaning toilets and making beds, and emotionally, peeling through layer upon layer of old patterns and buried pain. I learned everything from asana and pranayama, to non-violent communication (with myself and others), to the difference between tofu and tempeh! Many things became clear during that time, one of which was my desire to share yoga with others.
"It's been two years now. Thanks to the talent, energy, and imagination of a great teacher, I've got a life back. I'm not choosing canes, I'm not living in pain, I'm doing yoga. Can't tell you how important it's been to me that we've met. Glad you're in the world.
-Bill
I left Kripalu with my mind spinning. Before I started teaching, I wanted to get grounded. What better way than backpacking part of the Appalachian Trail? I went home, cleared out most of what I owned and boxed up the rest. Just like Kripalu, I dove in (feet first this time!) and loved every minute of it, carrying what I needed on my back and learning to live with the land. I faced fears I didn't know I had and found an inner strength that taught me I can do anything with enough focus. Soon, I was convinced I could hike forever. I'd discovered that same blissful yoga feeling off of my sticky mat.
"Thank you for all that you do for the local community. Your unstoppable determination and sincere efforts make you a true pillar (or shall I say 'guru'?)!
-Sunya
After a month I dropped the pack, fell in love with a house in Delaware Water Gap, PA, and began offering classes in my studio, 3 Moons. A few months later, Easton Yoga invited me to teach at their studio and my body was introduced to a whole new world of yoga practice, including Ashtanga and Vinyasa. In 2003, I completed a Yoga Synthesis™ Teacher Training and the following year Level 1 & 2 of the Radiant Child Yoga Program.
In January 2005, I decided to dive again, this time into a Vipassana meditation course and the inner workings of my mind. Before I left for the course, I asked a friend, "What if I lose my mind?"
"Maybe you'll find a better one," he said.
There are many things that I am thankful for...one of them being finally discovering the many benefits of yoga! Your classes have helped me, not only physically, but emotionally as well. Thank you for doing what you do...I know I can speak for everyone who participates in your classes when I say you have really helped enrich my life!
-Maggie
Luckily, both happened! It helped turn my knowledge into wisdom. For the first time I experienced the many subtleties of how my mind works. Almost a year later the teaching clicked in a classic lightbulb moment, and a simple yet powerful understanding unfolded.
Today, I continue to own and operate 3 Moons, teaching in the studio and out on the trails. As much as I enjoy leading a strong vinyasa class, I still love introducing beginners to the practice. I view the student-teacher relationship as a two-way street with knowledge and energy flowing in both directions. My students have taught me so much over the years, and I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to share with them all aspects of yoga, including pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation, diet, and philosophy. I teach from my experience and see yoga as a life-long journey that works best with consistency, perseverance, non-judgment, fearlessness, and honesty with oneself.
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
-Victor Frankl
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