Yoga on the Square - Yoga Teachers & Subs

Sawatcharat Apple Knisley

Hometown: Pittsburgh , PA and Bangkok , Thailand . I was born and raised in Bangkok , Thailand ; however, I have lived in Pittsburgh for about 16 years. I considered myself lucky having both places as my hometowns.

Nickname: Apple, Ple (among my Thai family and friends), A, and Wat (among my middle school Thai friends). Apple is my real nickname, and my first name is Sawatcharat. (To learn more about these names’ origins, please visit my website: www.applethaistudio.com)

Favorite Word: Be kind

I wish for…everyone to be the best that he/she can be and consider as being perfect or 100% in his/her own way.

I am thankful for....the unconditional love and support that my parents continuously give me throughout my life and that I discovered the light of Yoga that helps sustain me and becomes a very important part of my life.

Sun Sign: Sagittarian

What gives you peace? Prayer and Meditation

Why Yoga? First, Yoga helps reduce my anxiety and stress in life through body awareness and breath. Yoga has helped me heal slowly from the inside out after my late hubby Frank passed away more than 2 years ago. In addition, Yoga helps me to focus on doing the best I can in the present moment, to let go of the past, and to do not worry about the future. Through Yoga, I have regained my inner strength, peace of mind, and a sense of self-fulfillment.

3 words to describe you: Kind, Enthusiastic, Inspiring

What / who inspires you? Wonderful Poems; Good Thoughts & Quotes; Beautiful Quilts and Handmade Artwork (like pottery mugs); Challenging Situations; Good Movies (like Invictus); my Yoga students and teachers; my Mom & Dad and my late hubby Frank; Sports; the morning Sunrise; and the full Moon.

What you can’t live without? Laugher, Love, Hope, Friendship, Classical Music, Quilts, Flowers & Plants, and Food (Eggs, Rice, Fruits and Vegetable).

Favorite yoga pose and why? Balancing Half Moon and Headstand because I feel comfortable and have fun while in these two poses. Both are also challenging but fun and giving me different perspectives from the side angle and the upside down. They rock!

Favorite Food? Eggs, Mixed Thai Jasmine Rice, Rice Noodles, Fresh Fruits and all kinds of Vegetable, Fresh Herbs, Sweets (candies, chocolate, most pies, macaroon cookies, lemon bars, coconut, almond torte, Boston cream pie, hot chocolate (esp. on a cold day), orange blossom honey, coke & 7 ups w/ lemons, hot herbal tea, to name a few.

Words to live by (or your favorite quote): Life is a gift, and everyday is a gift…appreciating a simple thing in life like watching the Sunrise … – Olivia Newton John.

Best advice you’ve ever received (from who?): I received this advice from Frank Knisley, my late hubby, when I was President of the North Hills Toastmasters club years ago. He handed me a piece of paper with a beam on his face. The paper was stated “A Short Course in Human Relations by an unknown author.” Here goes…The six most important words: “I admit I made a mistake.” The five most important words: “You did a good job.” The four most important words: “What is your opinion?” The three most important words: “If you please.” The two most important words: “Thank You.” The one most important word: “We,” and the least important word: “I.”

Words to describe your teaching style? Friendly, Innovative, Inspiring

What do you love to do for FUN? Cooking; Quilting; Reading funny books and/or comic strips; Watching a movie w/ a good friend (s) of mine & eating popcorn at the same time; Walking; Exercising; and Shopping

When/where/with who was your first yoga class? It was in summer of June, 2006 with Karen Conley, in a Basic Power Yoga class at the Amazing Yoga studio in Wexford , PA.

Local escape: My deck, where I spend time gardening and being with my flowers and where I sometimes do my own Yoga practice, esp. on a beautiful day with a nice blue sky & cool breeze. Homewood Cemetery , where I sometimes take a walk to clear my head, to get fresh air, and to be with nature.
Other Teachers & Subs:
Joanne Spence, Renee Aukeman, Aleta Howard, Amy Burleson, Katrina Woodworth, Leslie Wright, Jennifer Chaparro, Mariangela Mancuso, Jennifer Sylves, Anne Brownlee, Cathie Sunderman, Maga Sanchez-Dahl, Heidi Zellie, Michaelene Stanko, Greg Karas, Jayna, Leanne

As I was growing up in Bangkok, Thailand, people wanted to know what my first name “Sawatcharat” meant, and when people in the US knew about my nickname “Apple,” they wanted to know why.

Sawatcharat (partially Sanskrit, Bali, and Thai) means a kind person. Apple is actually my real nickname and is a very common nickname for many Thai girls, like Susan in the US. After my sister was born, my dad said that since we already had Apple, we had to have Cherry to pair with. Thailand is a tropical country, and we cannot grow either apples or cherries and have to import them, so many Thais name their girls after the fruits.

I originally came from a multi-cultural family in Bangkok, Thailand. About fifteen years ago, I came to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to pursue my education dream, Master’s Degree in Human Resources, which I achieved in 1997. I worked as a technical recruiter and later on set up home-based recruiting business. After my late husband Frank was diagnosed of throat cancer, I put my business and other dreams on hold to take care of him for almost four years until he passed away peacefully at home.

I discovered yoga while taking care of my late husband. I first just wanted a new outlet to help me cope with stress and anxiety. I later found that yoga is more than an exercise and that I do not need to perspire profusely to feel good after each practice and still have energy all day. Through regular Hatha yoga practices based upon the teaching of the late Sri Swami Satchidananda, my Gurudev, I have regained a sense of well-being and have been healing slowly from the inside out.