Wild Mountain Yoga Director Jo Kirsch, RYT started Wild Mountain Yoga LLC in February 2004. Jo is certified to teach Astanga Yoga by Beryl Bender Birch, author of the best selling book Power Yoga, Beyond Power Yoga and the recently released Boomer Yoga. Jo has been practicing yoga since 1994 and teaching since 2001. Coming from an athletic background as a certified ski instructor, hiker, runner and gardener, Jo has found yoga essential to her well-being on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. Jo has taught yoga to many skiers and athletes, including ski professionals, ski academy students, women’s groups and college athletes, as well as to private schools, corporations, and local community classes. Jo has a unique ability to understand the challenges of athletes and individuals to be flexible and to break through physical and psychological barriers.

In the past few years, Jo's yoga practice has evolved to a mellower, vinyasa (flow) of asanas (postures) linked together with focused breathing and a yin (inward) focus.

Jo lives in Manchester, with her husband, Bob Speck, and her two children, Alex and Natalie. Alex is a senior at the University of Vermont in Burlington and Natalie is a freshman at Boston University.

In addition to teaching yoga in Manchester, Jo teaches skiing at Snowbird, Utah and trains ski instructors at the Adaptive Sports Foundation in Windham, New York.

Bob Speck has been practicing Astanga yoga with Jo since 2001 as part of his personal conditioning program. He has completed 150 hours of yoga teacher training with Beryl Bender Birch and has attended workshops with David Swenson and Kathy McNames. Bob is a former member of the PSIA Eastern Division Educational Staff, a NOLS graduate, and an avid student of fitness and nutrition. A former school teacher and coach, endurance athlete and ski school director, Bob now balances his time between designing environmentally-friendly timber buildings, ski teaching, and leading outdoor trips with Jo.

For private Ski lesson reservations with Jo and Bob during March 2010 at Snowbird Mountain School – Snowbird, Utah, call 801.933.2170.