Professeurs

 

My Path 

I literally fell on the path of yoga. It was early morning when I stepped onto the pavement for my habitual jog around the block. The sun had not yet peeked beyond the horizon, so the streets were still lit by the Clair de la Lune. Lost in thought, I stumbled on the pavement. I heard a voice, what are you running from? And then another, me. Dazed by what had just happened, I got up, wiped the dirt off my leggings, raised my gaze to the sky and saw for the first time, a lighted sign, YOGA. It was 5h25 am when my life came to screeching halt. Something big was about to happen. I knew it. I walked into a candlelit room, bodies of all shapes and sizes moved to the sound of a collectively synchronized breath. The air was filled with a mixture of grace and sharp focus that was mesmerizing to the senses. Ninety minutes later I saw myself laying in deep relaxation in a pool of tears. I was tingling with sensation, radially alive and it felt so familiar and yet so distant. I knew, at that moment I had arrived home, home to me.

That was 30 years ago and there hasn’t been a day since that I haven’t spent time on my mat. My practice, a practice because we can’t do yoga, is what connects me to my inner voice, the core of my heart and my soul. My home practice gifts me with moments of deep stillness that guides me inward with fascination and kindness. It is an invitation to show up and be me, whatever that may look like. I never really know how my day will unfold but I do no know that if it begins with my practice I live that day with aliveness, curiosity and a quiet inner strength. It has become my daily dose of cultivating a deep relationship with myself and filling the space that I am with presence. When my cup is filled then I am openly ready to fill the cup of others.

What inspires me to practice?

The ecstatic feeling of being alive! Getting on the mat can be difficult when it is cold and dark outside and my bed is inviting me to stay put but that moment of temptation is an open invitation to clarify my intentions and ask myself, what would be more empowering and aligned with what I truly want to manifest?  Having the choice is a gift and it opens the door to conscience responsibility where I become a co-participator in my happiness.

Curiosity and the desire to cultivate a profound relationship with myself, others and life is a huge part of it. Transformational work was my first love and yoga became its soulmate. I fell onto the path without knowing that it would become the perfect vehicle to communicate the integration of body, mind, heart, soul and breath. The practice fills my yearning to truly experience my inner world of thought, sensation, emotion, energy and intuition. They say that there are 8’400’000 yoga postures and I believe that there are 8’400’000 opportunities to experience life as a playground for growth. The asanas, or postures, are just pretexts for any life experience- the daily ups and downs, the spilled coffee on our keyboard or the missed planes. It all happens on the mat which becomes a mirror reflecting our attitude, our thoughts and our reactivity toward what we are experiencing. It’s on the mat where we get to practice for real life. This lends itself to transformative ah-ha moments for reflection. Life is the greatest of inspirations and the practice transforms them into visceral experiences for understanding.

I never know what will transpire during my morning practice. Each time I step onto my mat there is a sense of curiosity and discovery. The movement of my body precedes all thought and shoulds. There is a deep humble trust in the moment, in my body and in the experience. The breath breaks down the walls of protection and invites me to feel from the inside. The asanas (postures) reflect the marriage between my inner and outer world, the energy of the universe and my connection to it. The language of my body speaks through the expression of the asanas and guides me to understand who I truly am. From here, there is an open invitation and motivation to connect with others authentically.

It is hard to put words to what I experience during my practice and yet I have come to realize that yoga is experiential. We can read and learn all about yoga but until we step onto the mat and experience it for ourselves yoga remains an enigma.

What inspires me to teach?

The true desire to share one of the most profound discoveries that have shifted my life 360°. It is synonymous to tasting the best guacamole on the planet and wanting others to rejoice in the pleasure so they can feel the same. What really inspires me is seeing my students come alive, filling the space that they are and have always been and therefore, naturally shine. I love to see how yoga noticeably transforms my students off the mat as they seize their lives with joy and responsibility and began manifesting their greatest dreams. I am constantly blown away by our capacity to make radical changes in our lives with just a shift in perception and embrace self-love in its greatest sense. If I can, in any way, be that light that points them in the direction of self-love and transformation then I am serving my dharma.

Offerings

Theme oriented group classes
Emotional coaching
Private mentoring
Workshops
Retreats
Festivals
Conferences
Intensives
Mentoring teens through their development
In-depth teachings on the energetic chakra system
Study of the Self through transformation