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5Q Interview with Sara Martin Thomas from Meditative Vibes

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

I took my first yoga class in 2005 which was Bikram. Then a friend introduced me to Power yoga in 2006. I shortly signed up for me 200hr Power Yoga Training. I’ve been teaching ever since. Yoga is my church, my therapy, my physical, emotional, release, my happy place. Yoga is important to me because it has taught me how important I am to myself and I get to remind people about that for themselves every class!!!

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I began teaching yoga in 2006. I was in the very first Teacher Training at the only Core Power in San Diego at the time, Point Loma. I was one of the only Hot Yoga Instructors there. I was asked to assist in the second or third Teacher Training. I Co-Lead Teacher Trainings for CPY-PL, literally up to the day that I went into Labor with my first child;)

3. What makes your classes unique?

My Classes or not just a class they are experience. They are fun. They are a yoga party! I make a different playlist every class. I make people smile, laugh, feel good from the inside out. I remind people how we are all the same, going through the same struggles w/ different titles. I remind people to be grateful for themselves. I tell my classes all the time, ” I need you all, just as much as you need me.”

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is EVERYTHING in my class!

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

My next event is with my friend DTO, on 1/26 with Meditative Vibes. Please follow me at sarayogahair on Instagram and saramartinthomas on FB

You can purchase tickets for the 1/26 event HERE

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Maria Anderson

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Yoga has brought me deeply into the knowing of my TRUTH. It has guided me through my darkest times of chronic and debilitating pain, sickness and depression. It has taught me to always see the gift in the challenge and struggle. It has shown me how extremely strong I am and how BEAUTIFUL the world is!

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I started teaching in 2007. As i struggled with my own issues, I saw the power of of yoga in my own life which inspires me to help others through their own challenges. I feel so grateful that this is my life’s path 🙂

3. What makes your classes unique?

I’m a big believer that yoga is not a work ‘out’, it’s a work ‘IN’!! I bring in inspirational quotes and weave them throughout class to help remind my students that they are MAGNIFICENT!!! That they are loved!! To find a greater connection to their spirits and heart.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music sets the tone for class. It helps to inspire teacher AND student. It is flow, it is grace. It connects us to something deeper within ourselves.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I am working with Meditative Vibes. We have a great event on January 26th at the Del Mar Plaza from 1-4 with live music by DTO. I am found most on Facebook.

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Kelley Doyle @shantikelley

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Yoga is a pathway of transformation through embodied awareness + awakening. Allowing what shows up on the mat to help inspire or heal or activate balance inside and out for me. Mantra, mudra, movement + meditation for balance and peace. In challenging times yoga sadhana has been my lighthouse, guiding me deeper into access this eternal and internal source of “light” and in times of ease or celebration, it’s a way to express my soul through movement and align with the “universal dance” of sacred movement and devotion in motion. yoga has been a source for me since I was 14 years old in my first year of high school in 1984 and I can’t imagine where I would be without this practice~ the practical tools within the philosophy and embodied practices of both yoga and Ayurveda are invaluable to my life.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I began teaching in 1993 in Mammoth Lakes, California at the age of 23. I didn’t actually pursue this career in my beginnings, I was going to a class that was attended by about 3-5 people on average and the teacher asked me if I would teach the class while he went to study with his teacher. I was taken back by this idea, I had never been to India, I hadn’t been practicing for 20 years, I thought to myself, “how is this possible!?” So, I called my teacher Gayna Uransky who was an intermediate Iyengar teacher who could certify teachers back then and asked her what she thought ~ she said: “teach, that’s how you will learn what you need to know.” And so it began. Realizing I had a TON to learn I signed up for the Yoga Works teacher training in 1999 with Maty Ezraty and Lisa Walford and then a few years later began my journey with Shiva Rea and now teach others to guide Prana Vinyasa yoga classes. It’s truly my passion and my path.

3. What makes your classes unique?

Hmmm… well… first thought that comes to mind is that I’m teaching them! And second thing is that each class has its unique experience also because of the friends that come to flow. I truly vibe with what’s happening at the moment and use the elements to help ground, nourish, activate, circulate or create balance through the lens of the elements. Some personal influences are the moon cycle, season, weather, what’s going on in the “world”, planetary influences, personal statement and of course picking up the flow of the current vibe of the friends and the room and reading their body language. And so, I choose music and movement that is inspired by all of these things. Music is super important to me too! No “background” elevator style music, please! I love to use music to truly inspire the friends in the flow to deeper activation, inspiration, and healing through the music. And honestly every class is unique because of the person offering the class, right? Even if a class is “scripted” (I hear this is a thing??) or the same general sequence like in Ashtanga, the unique quality is the teacher, the students, and choice of music.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music, if used with intention, is an essential tool in the flow of a yoga class for inspiring, activating, releasing, nourishing and expanding the potential of the experience to really bring it all together. If music is used for the background then I say don’t use it all, the breath is more potent than sound whispering in the background without purpose. Live music is, of course, the most amazing if the artist is in that organic connection to the flow of the room ~ it’s like magic! This creates an alchemy that is profoundly transforming as well as an experience that will be held in the cells forever!

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I have a 200/300 hour Prana Vinyasa Teacher Training coming up February 2019 in San Clemente, California. My website is http://kelleydoyleyoga.com

And you can find all the details there!

Facebook

Instagram

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Darcy Cantrell

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

I started practicing yoga almost a decade ago as part of an entire lifestyle overhaul. In my journey to lose 70+ pounds, exit an unhealthy relationship, and invest in more positive mental, emotional, and spiritual connections. I enjoyed yoga at first as a fun workout. I loved pushing myself physically, regulating endurance through breath, and feeling part of a warm community. The more often I practiced, the better I felt. Fairly rapidly I found that I absolutely craved yoga on a daily basis. I was feeling the effects of my practice not just physically, but I felt calmer, happier, more stable, more accepting of myself and the world around me. I wasn’t sure why at first, but I knew I had found something very important. One day after class, my instructor suggested that I join the upcoming teacher training. The minute I stepped into that sacred space of YTT I knew- my soul knew- that I was in the right place. It felt like the perfect key effortlessly opening a stubborn lock. In teacher training, I opened myself, discovered myself, allowed myself to look at my beauties, my strengths, my true voice, and my trembling vulnerabilities in a deeper way than any other spiritual path had previously taken me. It has been a whirlwind ever since- I began teaching almost immediately, have completed my 500 hour YTT, and have an insatiable thirst to learn everything I can about yoga- different styles, specialties, anatomy and biomechanics, adjustments and bodywork, Ayurveda, chi/prana/Reiki techniques, you name it! The more I learn about the science of yoga, the more I see it as pure magic. The more I learn about the human body, the more I see it as pure magic. We are such miraculous machines, and connecting movement, breath, and awareness bring us infinitely deeper within, and reflexively, allows us to sense our interconnectedness. I love sharing the gift of yoga with others because I truly believe that through the journey of the self we find one another, and through the journey of connection we find the divine.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I began teaching two years ago, fresh out of teacher training. During my training, I blossomed so much, and my teaching skills were quickly recognized by my peers and facilitators. The practice and my deepening knowledge of yoga made me so passionate about sharing with others what I had found and more. It felt so right to me, it felt like home to me, and I knew that it was my dharma. All I want is for others to be able to know themselves, love themselves, and share their light with the world with this magical tool called yoga.

3. What makes your classes unique?

My classes are very approachable. I teach with authenticity and an honoring of my genuine self. My students love that I keep it real, that I don’t have a phony “teacher voice” and that I am not all rainbows and sunshine. Along with intelligent cueing, a deep understanding of anatomy, a fun energy that makes people enjoy themselves, I also incorporate humor, a no b.s. attitude, and a colorful word or two every now and again. My students feel that they can approach yoga exactly as they are, because I meet them exactly as I am, and accept them without pretense.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is a big part of my classes. I feel that it is so essential to setting the mood, the tone, and shaping the mental and emotional experience of the class. I love using music to ramp up energy, or chill the mood, or to suggest new ideas or feelings that back up and enhance what I am teaching. Also in the larger scheme, as I progress on my journey as a yogi and human, I am discovering new music that resonates with me, weaving it into new playlists, and sharing that in my classes. So there is a musical journey that can be experienced in class, and also as my students travel with me over the weeks, months, and years.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I can be found teaching at Yoga Six in Carlsbad, Solana Beach, and 4S Ranch locations, and at the Soul of Yoga in Encinitas. Also, I am the lead singer in a funk band (Thanks YTT for eradicating my performance anxiety!), so you can catch me at shows all around San Diego. Check out www.upfunk.band for that.

You can also follow me on social media:

Facebook

Instagram

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Ashley LaBier @Rysyn_Phoenix

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Breathing deeply I become present to the moment. In silence, I hear the calling of the wind. In silence, I feel the soft touch of the wind. In silence, I taste the cool breeze of the wind. Like a whisper, the wind comes gently, and in that same moment, floats away.

The element of Air holds a resounding presence as it playfully circles around us and dances in the desert air. Similar is my devotion to spiritual practice and her fluid nature of “learning from successes”. As a teacher and healer, my medicine is founded on the principles of unconditional love and acceptance, as I strive to instill the same core teachings into my students through asana, pranayama, Bhakti yoga, and different holistic healing modalities.

“The principal ingredient of life is L O V E.”

My forward moving and mindfulness practice has allowed me to become an accomplished practitioner of crystal bowl sound healing, a certified Life Coach, and a 200-hour Certified yoga instructor. I have over five years’ experience in Behavioral Health, a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology and working on a Masters in Science, Human Services. I teach all-level yoga classes and candlelit gentle flow with yoga nidra at Gilbert Yoga in Arizona, on a weekly basis.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

My journey teaching yoga first began in 2014 at Spirit of Yoga in Tempe, Arizona.  Searching vastly for a yoga studio that resonated deeply with my personal practice, I began teaching at Gilbert Yoga, in Gilbert, Arizona in July of 2018.

I also take pride in hosting Women Encouragement and Support Groups each month in order to help empower women and provide a safe place to heal and grow together.  This has allowed me to transition into a leadership position. Women Empowerment and Healing involves empowering and supporting each other to raise our vibrational frequencies in sacred while holding space for one another.  Their mission is to support women in their compassion holding each other sacred.

3. What makes your classes unique?

My yoga classes are designed to gain personal awareness and connect with Source as well as the spirit within.  My path of medicine is to guide others while they unlock the vault of fear and move into their heart space; letting go of fear and allowing personal truth to shine through. It is my highest honor to guide students during their personal practice and to be fully supportive of the process.

Incorporated into Savasana is a shamanic drumming, in hopes to awaken source within.  Each class is an opportunity for a rebirth and renewal of energy.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music helps provide vibration frequency and sound healing into each yoga class.  I’ve discovered DTO’s music earlier this year, at Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, California.  Ever since I’ve been incorporating their chakra vibrational sounds into my classes as a way to evolve students deeper and align them with the resonating frequencies of the universe.

I also incorporate hertz meditation and higher vibration frequencies.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

Currently, I host classes each week at Gilbert Yoga, Fridays, and Sundays at 6 pm.

Friday’s class is an all-levels flow, helping to increase flexibility and strengthen the core.

Sunday’s class is a candlelit gentle flow with Yoga Nidra aimed to provide students with the opportunity to transcend into delta level brain waves, providing the opportunity for deep rest and relaxation.

Upcoming, in January 2019, I am co-creating a 4-day event integrating Native American methodology and wellness at North Mountain Visitors Center.  It will involve workshops, meditation, and hiking. It is currently being designed and programmed. Please stay tuned.

I can be found on Social Media:

Facebook

Instagram: Rysyn_Phoenix

Private account:  _ashley_who_

I also have a Blog

My class schedule

Currently, my private services can be scheduled through wixsite and acuity scheduling:

https://ashleylabier23.wixsite.com/website-2

https://secure.acuityscheduling.com/appointments.php

http://ashleylabier.com (is in transition).

My Contact information:

Email: ashleylabierllc@gmail.com; or info@ashleylabier.com

Cell: 413-262-9276

More information can be found @ https://greatgraduates.com/listing/ashley-labier/

And please visit Mozelle Martin’s Webpage

For publishing information, beginning January 2019, please visit Mozelle Martin’s Webpage http://MozelleMartin.com

I also host an event called “Craft Yoga and Cocktails” at Bitters Bar and Food, in Scottsdale Arizona, happening every other Sunday at 11:00 am.

I’d like to also take the opportunity to support Gilbert Yoga’s Kirtan, The Band of Now,

https://www.facebook.com/thebandofnow/

https://www.thebandofnow.com/

Please check out their website for upcoming Kirtan events across the state of Arizona;

and Arizona Kirtan Community’s event page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArizonaKirtanCommunity/

For Kirtan’s by various artists throughout the valley.

Recent Facebook Live Interview with Ashley!

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

 

5Q Interview with Meesha Sharma @alchemystic_

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

Yoga is important to me because it is my anchor in life.  During my five year practice yoga has seen me fall in and out of love, Yoga has seen me move across the country, Yoga has seen me travel the world, Yoga has seen me in and out of different houses, it has seen friends come and go, it has seen my mentality fluctuate, and every time Yoga brings me back to myself. Within the chaos and beauty of life, Yoga is my safe space to come home to.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I begin inherently teaching yoga and wanting to give energy healing within weeks of taking my first class. I felt this tangible nurturing from my first mentor and I felt how natural it came to me. I found myself at parties wanting to put my hands on my friends and give them different asanas as to help them with their various pains. I really tapped into how empathic I am and how I can feel where people are holding pain in their body and I naturally want to help them. I decided to take more of a leadership position after getting certified in 2015.

3. What makes your classes unique?

I think what makes my classes unique is that there’s no one else that can be me but me. Every single teacher brings their own unique flavor because no two people are the same. My journey through yoga and what I hope to give people in my classes is unique to my experience, personality, and wisdom.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

When I teach in a studio I find music to be a beautiful way for people to tune out of their thoughts and come back to breathe and movement. When I teach outside I usually allow nature’s sounds to guide them.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

You can find my business Facebook page at Yoga with Meesha. There you can find the various places that I teach and also book private appointments with me.

Instagram

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

 

5Q Interview with Maggie LaCosta @fairyvibes

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

I started yoga when I was 18 and it began my awakening journey. I wanted to do yoga instead of going out to parties. I had to do it everyday and was obsessed. It make my body feel a way I have never felt before. Then I tried Aerial Yoga and it totally filled my world upside down. It was a great spine release and could stretch you even deeper while hanging.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I began teaching yoga one year ago. I have taken so many classes, it was time for me to share what I learned.

3. What makes your classes unique?

My class is unique because no one(that I know of) is doing what I am offering. I am offering yoga, in a flowy and airy way. It is a way to get people who can not focus in yoga to be able to focus because we are moving your body in a way you do not normally. It is a total balance of masculine and feminine energies. We have ridged and circular movement.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is very important as I am a sound healer so I know the healing frequencies music carries.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

Trilogy Sanctuary Event Page

My next event is on November 1st and I will be combining Aerial Yoga and Dance. Combining athleticism and creative expression, aerial dance yoga provides a fun and full body workout. This class will specialize in merging dance and aerial yoga, making it an amazing way to get into your body. This will be an all level class. We will focus on incorporating elements of yoga and dance into our art in the air and on the ground.

Instagram

Facebook

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

5Q Interview with Claire Alexander @clairebearsd

1. Tell me about your personal journey with yoga. Why is it important to you?

I dipped my toe into yoga as a teen, but I truly stepped into the space with all my heart 6 years ago, after I shifted from a path of self-destruction and addiction to a path of healing and recovery. I found solace in the yoga room and found that the more I moved my body and tapped into my breath, the quieter my thoughts became, and the more I was able to sink into the present moment. This practice led me down a path of healing and self-discovery that I believe truly saved my life. The physical body is a vehicle through which we can transcend the trappings of the ego-mind and elevate to our highest self. Yoga practice, in all its forms, is VITAL to my well being and happiness.

2. When did you first begin teaching yoga? What made you transition into a leadership position?

I felt the calling to dive deeper into the practice in 2015 when I found myself at a place in my life where I was seeking more purpose. I enrolled in Teacher Training at Corepower Yoga in Encinitas, CA, and was TERRIFIED. My ego was trying to trick me into thinking that everyone else in the program would be better, more flexible, stronger, more spiritual… I could go on. What a gift it was to meet everyone on the first evening and realize that we were all feeling the exact same way. This is how a community is built. Yoga is a connection, yoga is love, and yoga is freedom from the illusion that we are all alone. This is why I choose to teach, and to lead others through their own path to becoming yoga teachers. The connections made, the trust built, and the feeling of community and family are what life is all about.

3. What makes your classes unique?

What I hope to offer to my students is a safe space to truly let the armor go. So often, we walk around all day long feeling like we need to shield ourselves from judgment, to put up a wall and protect our truest selves. We often push down emotions in order to function in our society, which is why I believe it is so important to provide a space where my students can release the tension, the emotion, and the stored up energy that we collect throughout our lives. Through music and movement, along with words of encouragement, inspiration, and sharing my own story, I hope to allow my students to fully be themselves in the studio, free from judgment. I teach challenging physical postures in layers to allow every level of student to feel successful and leave uplifted rather than depleted.

4. How does music benefit your guidance in a yoga class?

Music is my partner in this teaching journey. The power of sound to create an experience is incredible. I look for music that will let my students drop into the present moment, feeling the rhythm in their bodies through the pairing of sequence and sound.

5. Tell me about your next event and where we can follow you online.

I just moved to Oahu, Hawai’i, and am currently teaching at all three Corepower Yoga studios on the island! Come to take the class!

You can follow me on Instagram at @clairebearsd. Follow me and stay tuned for upcoming events on Oahu!

Attention Yogis and Yoginis: Are you interested in doing a 5Q Interview?  Fill out your unique responses here.

Below is the Facebook Live Interview Featuring Claire Alexander, check it out!