Amy Basnight

Registered Yoga Teacher

Owner, Oyster Bay Yoga

Founder, Practice at Om

Describe yourself in 3 words: Kind, easy-going, warm

How would your family and friends describe you? Nice, dorky, thoughtful

How would your students describe you? Relaxed, occasionally funny, reasonable

How do you want your students to feel after your classes? Better than when they started. We are all going to have good days and bad days, and I want these online programs to help you come back to center from the highs and lows of the outside world. When you finish each lesson, I want you to feel proud of yourself, more at ease, and more integrated. I hope you will feel that you’ve learned a little something new each time, too.

How did you become an instructor? I first discovered yoga when I was in college at the prompting of my mom. I enjoyed the challenge and I loved the way it made me feel, I practiced on and off for years, and in 2011, I graduated from my dietetic internship, and I enrolled in a yoga teacher training program at Yoga Works in Manhattan under the instruction of Chrissy Carter. I’ve been teaching ever since. I think I was initially drawn to yoga because it was a challenge for body and mind, and I got to practice handstands and backbends like when I was a kid!

What's your favorite food? Cookies and cream ice cream, my mom’s veggie lasagna, and Eataly pizza.

What's your #1 favorite song of all time? “This is how we do it” by Montell Jordan for the fun times and “Cath” by Deathcab for Cutie for the not-so-fun times.

If you weren't a teacher, what would be your dream job? If I couldn’t teach yoga anymore, I’d like to be a travel writer (never mind the fact that my writing skills are mediocre at best).

What's your guilty pleasure? American Idol & The Voice. 

What do you miss most about being a kid? I miss summer sleep away camp. I went for a few years growing up and it was the best! 

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had? My husband and I went to St.Francis Winery in Sonoma a few years ago and treated ourselves to a wine pairing. The food, the wine, and the scenery were all amazing.

What did you do growing up that got you into trouble? Clinging to my brother’s side. I wanted to do everything he was doing all the time. He did not love that. Now we’re older and he likes me better thank goodness.

What’s your favorite asana and why? Tree pose has been a longtime favorite of mine. I remember when I first started doing yoga how my feet would burn from weakness. My balance is one of many things that’s improved with the help of yoga and I love the feeling of stability I get in tree pose now.

Describe your teaching style: Thoughtful, and clear. Precise, but fun. I enjoy introducing people to yoga and helping them practice safely, and in a way that suits their body and their goals. I love to give a nice, long, guided savasana at the end of all of my classes.

Tell us about your first yoga class (or a memorable experience from your early yoga days): I remember taking my first yoga class at YogaRocks! in Oyster Bay when I was home for the summer during college. I can’t remember the teacher’s name, but I remember feeling surprised about how challenging some of the poses were. I remember specifically trying to hold high lunge, feeling my quad burn, and feeling disappointed in myself that I couldn’t hold it. I liked the challenge and wanted to come back for more. As it turns out, yoga ended up meaning a lot more to me than just a physical challenge, but at the time I fell in love with the way it made my body feel.