Yoga & Meditation
Vive Studio
Vive Studio
My story:
I learned physical yoga (asanas) when I was living as an active dancer in New York City. Many of my friends were already involved in some way or another with a style of yoga, “a thing” that I was not attracted to yet; many of the people I knew suffered from a modern neurosis, and I couldn’t understand why if they were taking yoga they were so nervous or unkind in moments of distress to other people; I always thought a yoga class supposed to help your mind so that you could see the paradise within yourself. Of course the benefits of practicing physical yoga are many,I certainly appreciate a bit more the subtle bodies that yoga unlock during my asanas!
Many years later, I realized my first formal teacher in Yoga was my friend and dance artistic director Janet Wong. She taught the dancers a vinyasa flow during our dance training with her. Janet is the only person who, to this day, seems more closely to a zen state than most people I know. She used to talk about grounding ourselves before rehearsal. You must understand that for a dancer to feel grounded, it is very difficult to do due to many factors in the activity of dancing. However, the idea and the example by Janet will always fit into my perception of how yoga can help you settle the body in relationship to the mind. I couldn't pass that level of wisdom then. It took over a decade, due to some brutal life adjustments in my path,for realizing that yoga was beyond thigh clothing and fancy studios. For me, yoga has became a key-holder for healing and rejuvenation that couldn’t work at all if it was not put to service for others.
Something beautiful to me while learning and finding inner love is something that my dear teacher, Dr. Rose Erin Vaughan, the director of SOS Yoga in New York, reminds us at the end of each asana practice in preparation for Samadhi (deep concentration): “Now, bring a sensation of gratitude for the ability of practice and imagine that possibility for every sentient being of practicing yoga and finding the ultimate enlightenment.”
When I heard these words for the first time (even writing this text now, I got bumps in my skin), I realized that yoga and service were my jam. I remember crying in many practices for the benefit of cleansing my thoughts.
In my experience as a student and as a teacher, people who come to practice asanas are attached to material cleansing, including bodily-related cleansing. For me, cleansing the mind is also an important core and invaluable goal to get closer to that enlightenment my teacher talks about.
As I mentioned before, when I started deepening my studies in the philosophy behind this ancestral system we call yoga. I became more understanding of others and fascinated by how close we are to one another in our pathways. Of course, with the physicality and the many forms of yoga, you can do amazing things and heal your body. Little did you know that yoga is a system that sustains your mind!
This reminded me that the best way to practice yoga is always outside of the mat. Yoga means the union or unification of the mind and the body. For me, this means the heart is in union with the brain. Every time we engage in a yoga pose and a breath exercise, we have more chances to glimpse the true self. This seemingly basic teaching, when you pay attention, is profound. For the same reason, it is one of the hardest teachings you will encounter in any practice and is the teaching I am most interested in because the true self is divine and the only. It has taken me years of inner-self digging and courage to break my own patterns to get little insights I would love to share with you.
“The sunrise of supreme bliss shimmers in every particle of the universe, so why not drink a fresh cup of joy every day and become inspired with new perception? Remember, love and respect must be renewed with each dawn.”
Swami Muktananda, Light on the Path, 1972
If you feel compelled by my story and are in a place where you need to experience liberation from habits, resonate with people, and need a long-lasting fusion of energy for rejuvenation in the pathway to make your life a journey of sustainability and compassion, come and take a class with me in person or remotely.
We can always explore together to find the right practice for you to start taking care of yourself in meaningful ways, regardless your level of knowledge and physicality!
Suggestions:
Your options for Vinyasa flow are open from 45 minutes to 2 hours:
45 minutes for beginners, recommended
60 minutes for intermediate and curious beginners
Two hours for intermediate advance.
The poses encourage are designed for deepenning into the subtle body via muscle relaxation in relation to gravity and the ground. This class’s technique fosters using props such as blocks, straps, blankets, and cushions to protect and support the body’s alignment as the nervous system reinvigorates and rehabilitates, promoting a general rejuvenation in body and mind.
Conscious breath
One of my favorite practices to share, pranayama, has also helped me improve my relationship with myself, my moods, and the tension built up through my 24-hour routines. Come and practice this millenary technique with me to restore energy and maintain concentration on what matters, which starts with self-care through something so ordinary yet magical as inhaling and exhaling.