NEWTON CAMPBELL YOGA
I’m an experienced registered yoga teacher at the 200 level (E-RYT 200) with over 25 years of teaching experience. As the Co-Principal of Triad Yoga & Pilates, Inc., my business partner, Mark Devenpeck, and I have created one of the most successful and independent grass roots studios in Southern California. Throughout this time, I’ve developed my own teaching style that is known throughout Orange County as “Fig Yoga.” Fig yoga, a derivative or play-on of my Christian (first) name, was created by my students during my earlier years of teaching. This particular style of yoga incorporates deep breath work and holding the yoga poses for long periods of time to deepen the experience and increase the benefits of each pose. The classes require mental discipline and focus while increasing physical strength, body awareness, alignment, and the plethora of benefits that come from a consistent practice. There are many of the regular hatha yoga poses from the many categories, but typically, arm balances and inversions are inclusive to further develop a fun, interesting and deeper practice. My goal for every student is to leave each practice session learning something new about themselves, about yoga or about a pose. I choose not to only teach, but to educate students so over time they become a better student and teacher to themselves.
From the first day I stepped into a yoga class in my twenties, my yoga teacher took a special interest in me. He had never met me before, yet a unique and deep interest was taken in me and my yoga practice. Eventually, as our connection grew, I was told that I would make a great instructor. I was strongly encouraged to take yoga seriously and to go deeper into my practice. Those words of encouragement and my openness in exploring the vastness of yoga led me to other yoga studios in the Tri-State area (NY, NJ & PA) and to many nurturing teachers. My practice catapulted when I took a yoga class with Nischala Joy Devi at the New York Open Center in New York. I immediately connected with a new passion in life, and it became clearer to me what my new-found purpose was in this lifetime. I made an agreement with myself then to surrender my Corporate Accounting job and to do a life of selfless service in helping others through Yoga.
When I moved to southern California in the early fall of 2000, I moved here to start a new chapter of my life as a yoga teacher. Once I arrived in Orange County, I just sort of exploded onto the scene. What began as one class at 24 Hour Fitness in Huntington Beach, with in a course of weeks turned into classes all over southern Orange county throughout the conglomerate of the fitness giant, including San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Hills, South Coast Plaza and the crown jewel, Lakeshore Towers/Ultra Sport in Irvine. My classes carried huge numbers and my name spread throughout the area. I was called on as a substitute teacher for some of the most advanced and well-seasoned yoga teachers. Then a few months down the road, I was driving and received a call from Randi Beck, owner of Yoga Place (now Yoga Works). I didn’t know how she got my number and did not care, however I was excited and greatly surprised. There were yoga instructors that had waited for years to teach for Randi, and here I was actually being asked to teach for her. But the condition of me being hired there as a teacher came with one condition: I had to pass a very extensive audition. I was required to teach a class at the Costa Mesa location with Randi in that class. On the day of the class, I received one of the biggest surprises of my life. There were about twenty attendees excluding Randi, the managers of the three Yoga Place locations, several of her seasoned teachers, but I stepped up to the plate and taught an amazing class. I was hired on the spot and was offered about five classes between the Costa Mesa and Laguna Beach locations. Again, my classes became some of the most well attended and talked about classes, and I was well received amongst the teachers of southern OC. Usually, I was given all the classes of Geo Moskios - famous yoga teacher in Orange County who was on Oprah Winfrey – while he was on vacation or teaching classes on cruise ships.
My hard work was slowly reaping many dividends as new doors opened such as private classes and several other opportunities including other small yoga studios that relied on my name to build their brand. I was teaching so many classes that I felt I was digging myself in the same rut as being in corporate America. I was driving so much and rushing from one location to the next. After careful, but lengthy mental deliberation, I decided to be in one location – it would have to be my own. By June 2002, the doors of Triad Yoga were opened, and a new chapter begun. I was not only teaching yoga now, I was running my own business – everything under one roof - well, so I thought!
Triad Yoga & Pilates, Inc. has been a great reward. It has certainly moved from the days when I was teaching most of the classes and now with over 15 on-site teachers and 20 off-site teachers teaching throughout southern California with classes ranging from beginner to advanced seven days a week from 6:30 am on some mornings to 9pm at nights. I also act as the CFO meeting all the federal and statutory requirements of the business; working with our banks regarding business or meeting with the CPA to meet a tax deadline. Over the past several years, I have led several successful yoga retreats locally and internationally ranging from Ojai, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Discovery Bay, Jamaica; Ubud, Bali, Indonesia; Turrubares, San José, Costa Rica. I have also taught yoga classes at the Turtle Rock Elementary School in Irvine for their annual Jogathon; the annual New Year's Eve donation based yoga lasses where all proceeds go to CHOC hospital here in Orange County; and other donation based classes to help families in need.
In 2005, I was chosen as Lululemon Athletica’s Ambassador for the Newport Beach store for one year promoting yoga and teaching at many venues including “Yoga on the beach” in Laguna Beach, CA during the summer and fall months. The following year, I was on the on their billboard in downtown Toronto and then on the Lululemon reusable shopping bag.
In May 2010, I was featured in one of Orange County’s most upscale magazine, The Riviera magazine as a representative of Triad Yoga speaking about the studio and its contribution to the citizens of Orange County and a yoga retreat I was offering in Ojai, CA at the time. Around the same time that year, Geo Moskios, the famed instructor in Orange County was giving up the few classes he had at Sports Club LA Irvine location. Ten years had passed since I last taught for him, but some of Geo’s students still remembered me subbing his classes at Yoga Place.
With no audition, no interview, I was called by Equionox (then Sports Club LA) to take over Geo’s position due to his retirement. At the brief meeting I had before I was to take over his class, I was told by the person hiring me on, that this was the first in their history of hiring, in which they were hiring someone on and had never taken the instructors class. They were simply going by what people in the yoga community of Orange Countywas saying about me and my classes. I was offered and taught five classes.
In June 2011, I traveled to Moscow, Russia where I taught three master’s classes at Мета-центр Sidera in Moscow titled, “Do yoga – learn English.” This was an amazing life experience to be in a country that is so foreign in many ways than I am used to and to be so warmly received. The classes were fully attended and I have been invited to return to
In 2012, I was one of thousands selected nationwide for the book called “Green Card Stories,” featuring inspirational accounts of immigrants to the United States. The book was released November 2010. Just a few weeks ago, my picture (in Natarajasana) was amongst the nine selected for Huffington Post. My picture was voted number one on the post for the week. Green Card Stories were completely sold out on Amazon that said week.
In 2013, my teaching career catapulted when the opportunity arose to lead classes at the Bhakti and Shakti events in Joshua Tree, CA. Thanks to Felicia Tomasko, Editor In Chief of LA YOGA Magazine who graciously called me aside and introduced me to Sridhar
Sibersfein at the National Yoga Alliance Conference in Indian Wells, CA. Sridhar is the Founder of the two well attended annual yoga events, Bhakti and Shakti Fests, where all the seasoned teachers gather in sharing their knowledge and love of yoga with attendees from all over the world. I am truly honored to have taught at the events the last three years with my business partner, Mark. This same year, we launched the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) and which has been going successfully since. We have had several graduates who are now yoga teachers and who we were able to offer wonderful job opportunities.
In January 2015, I made my first trip to India and the experience cannot be truly coveyed in words hence the journey is somehow reduced from its potency. It's only something to be experienced! When I arrived in the Trivandrum in the south, I was able to teach yoga and I was happy to share my understanding of yoga with people who were traveling from all over the world through the Motherland - the birthplace of the art & science of what I truly love; am passionate about.; and have built the last fifteen years of my life on and around. In September, I also made my first trip to Southeast Asia traveling through Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. It was in Bali, Indonesia, where once again, I re-connected with the yoga community on a global scale on a much deeper and Spiritual way. I visited several Temples and practiced yoga, but the people and the natural, tropical beauty took me to a higher level of awareness and Spiritual empowerment. This same year, Triad Yoga & Pilates was awarded Orange Counts Best Yoga Studio by The OC Weekly - another of many accolades sealing the depth and quality of service we inherently share with unwavering and deep commitment to the residence of the county.
In my daily life, I strive to bring a full physical, emotional, and spiritual balance to my experiences and my teachings; as I meet each student on the yoga mat, the transformational process for both teacher and student begins to unfold. Yoga is not just a physical practice on the mat – it is a lifestyle! And a lifestyle that I am still learning which comes with greater awareness and responsibilty - in everything!! It extends off the mat into my daily life again applying Patañjali Sutras to all aspects of life. Each day brings growth through all my experiences – successes and failures; achievements and setbacks; new or old. I embody yoga and I continually work towards a healthy Spiritual and emotional balance as a Yogi.
You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
Swami Vivekananda