About A Gentle Way

A Gentle Way (AGW) - Are We The Yoga Community For You?

Our Founder, Lanita Varshell, is a large body woman who is known for her unique ability to de-construct, or modify yoga asanas to fit your personal body’s ability, and current needs. AGW has been teaching Somatic, Gentle-Soft Yoga, and Trauma - Body Sensitive Yoga since 1996.

If you feel like you have never 'fit into' the traditional yoga or exercise world, or if you are larger, less flexible, in chronic pain, fighting disease or depression, we can help!

Or…Maybe you have been fit most of your life, but are now in your Silver or Golden years of your life, in need of learning how to keep moving safely and aging with joy, beauty, and ease. Then we are the online Studio for you!

At AGW (A Gentle Way) We do not believe that one style of yoga, or one way of teaching an asana (yoga pose) fits all. Our classes are physically doable and highly effective. They are small, friendly, and customized based on who attends. We teach based on the needs of our students - not just asanas routines. We want to get to know YOU.

All AGW certified teachers are known for customizing classes for the students who practice with them on a regular schedule. They do not just show up and teach yoga routines. They want to get to know YOU and customize their classes for YOU.

We focus on safer, slower moving classes, and specialize in softer, stress reducing therapeutic asanas and healing techniques with deep breath focus.

This helps balance the entire central nervous system, bringing overall improved health and wellbeing into your body and mind, which will greatly enhance your entire life experience.

Lanita began teaching yoga full-time in 1996. She was one of the first plus-size teachers in the United States. She first advertised only to those like her, with weight and chronic pain challenges; in Retail Clothing Stores, Diet Centers, Gyms, and Karate Studios. She was able to bring students into yoga who never dreamed they could practice yoga, or had lost all hope of ever becoming healthy or pain free. Even fit, experienced yoga students loved her gentle, joyful approach to exercise, and her physical focus on the back, hips and joints. Soon she had developed a faithful clientele of over 100 students just in the East County San Diego area. Certified teachers began asking her to teach them modifications for plus-size students, and sending students to her who they could not help, or simply did not want to work with.

"A Gentle Way Yoga Center in La Mesa, California ” first opened its doors in 2000, adding more classes and different teachers and styles so that students could have a well rounded yoga practice. Since then we have offered a sanctuary for people from all walks of life to practice safe, personalized yoga. Our physical Studio closed due to Covid-19 in 2020. We now teach weekly classes LIVE on Zoom, and mentor both students and yoga teachers in person and on Zoom.