1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?:
I was very much one of these people who started practising yoga thinking it was just a physical practice. I got into yoga because I was in pain–years of gymnastics training as a child had caught up to me and I couldn’t walk without knee, hip, and back pain. I felt like I was a 90-year-old even though I wasn’t yet 30. But like so many other people, even though my intention was just to get healthier physically, I found that yoga magically influences all aspects of life.
As my practice took me deeper and deeper into the whole lifestyle that is yoga, I began to see that every aspect of my life changed. And for the better! And it just keeps getting better, because yoga brings me in tune with who I really am, without external distractions.
2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?:
I began teaching immediately after I finished my teacher training course in India. I wasn’t always sure I wanted to teach, but so many people would ask me to teach them, and I found that even though I didn’t really know what I was doing to begin with (my cueing was pretty awful!), I just loved sharing this practice that’s so meaningful to me.
3. What makes your classes unique?:
Coming to yoga from a gymnastics background means I can’t help but become a little bit of a gymnast when I’m moving on the mat. So this is what I teach as well. A gymnastics influenced vinyasa style which I call yoganastics!
I’m also very strength-based, rather than flexibility. A lot of people think of flexibility when they think of yoga, and yoga will definitely improve your flexibility. But I have hyper-mobile joints and therefore am always more focused on bringing stability to those joints through strength. So I teach in a way that incorporates movements that improve overall mobility, rather than just trying to lengthen the soft tissues to go deeper into an asana. I want people to be able to be more proficient at moving in general, and this requires strength as well as flexibility!
4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?:
I am always on the lookout for good songs that I know will work for my classes and workshops. Music is a powerful tool to influence mood, energy, and movement, so I create all my playlists around what I’ve got planned for the class!
5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online:
I’m currently in New York City and following that will be in the Maldives teaching at a retreat. After that is Singapore, Australia, and Sri Lanka! I put my events up on my website adellbridgesyoga.com/events and I announce everything on my Instagram and Facebook pages.
Facebook: Facebook.com/adellbridgesyoga
Instagram: @adellbridgesyoga
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