About AJ Wolf

 

AJ Wolf (Allen Joseph Wolf, II) was born in South Jersey and it has always been his home base, despite living in Allentown PA, Nashville TN, Arnold MD, Towson MD. He received Bachelor Degrees from Towson State University in Philosophy and Religion and Psychology. He later received his Master's Degree in Counseling and Human Services from Rider University. AJ has been surfing since the age of three in a half, skateboarding since age four, snowboarding for twenty-five years, playing guitar on and off in punk rock bands (currently JUMPSHIP) the past twenty-two years, all influencing travels up and down the East Coast, cross country, California, Mexico, Montreal Canada and British Columbia, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Peru, Singapore, and Indonesia. The thirst to travel seems deep rooted in wanderlust, often thinking of  adorning a pack-pack and a travel bag filled with 3 surfboards setting out for unseen lands, oceans, and cultures. Then the other inner voice emerges, reminding him that he's worked for the same company for 17 years, works  three days a week, takes at least six weeks vacation per year and generally speaking enjoy his roots in South Jersey, though at his best when on the move.

 

So what does any of this have to do with yoga? Perhaps everything and nothing. AJ had his first yogic experience at approximately age five. His parents have a friend who became involved with yoga and Kripalu in the early 1970's. He at one point was teaching a yoga class in the basement of a church in Ventnor New Jersey, AJ's earliest recollection, in relaxation listening to the cars go by on Ventnor Ave.  It took twenty-eight years for yoga to re-enter his life, this time life changing. He has been practicing yoga since 2000. The gym and weights were no longer helping his low back and hip pain, so yoga became his new exercise. In the beginning it was only a means of physical exercise, He wasn't all that receptive to OMing, breath work and meditation, he wanted it to be physical and to sweat! It is true, if you continue to roll out a yoga mat your life will transform. Not only were the physical benefits apparent within the first six weeks, but the mental and emotional. Months turned into years of practice, at times very disciplined, other times just two days a week but the transformation continued. His entire life he had struggled with spirituality, or really organized religion, and now yoga was beginning to impact this area of resistance as well. At this point, the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits from yoga was and is profound. For a few years he had considered getting certified to teach yoga, but realized he would need to give up four weeks vacation and one to two surf trips, he wasn't ready to give up two surf trips. In 2005 he made the decision that he would apply to Kripalu and if accepted, would make any necessary sacrifices to attend and complete the program. AJ was accepted and completed his training at Kripalu in December of 2006. The graduation ceremony was so incredibly special, words fail to capture the essence of the entire experience.  In my pursuit of advancing my kripalu offerings: In July 2007 I completed level 1 Life Force yoga practitioner training for depression and anxiety.

 

AJ has been working in the mental health field for seventeen years. He's a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of New Jersey, a National Board Certified Counselor, and now a Kripalu Certified Yoga Teacher. The timing couldn't be better, having stumbled upon the short comings of counseling, yoga is experiential and has already been proven to be effective in helping individuals with depression, anxiety and other mood related concerns, which research supports. Without abandoning his experience and knowledge in the mental health field, serving as a conceptual framework and foundation, yoga becomes a viable treatment for depression, anxiety and other mood related concerns. Teaching yoga to individuals struggling with problems effecting their moods will be incredibly rewarding. He has planted the seeds and needs to be be patient as these thoughts and plans come to fruition. In addition, he would enjoy teaching yoga for boarders, surfers, skateboarders, snowboarders, kiteboarders etc. In the meantime, he's teaching classes and individuals in South Jersey and has begun to grow his business, SeaWolf Yoga: Synergy of Mind, Body & Spirit, giving back what yoga has given to him!!!