San Diego yoga Archives

5Q Interview: Stacey Ebert

January 28, 2020 by DTO

Australia, DTO, San Diego yoga, Stacey Ebert, yoga

How did you get started in yoga?

I found yoga almost a decade ago. I lived in Long Beach, NY and came upon a beach yoga class. I started attending regular classes of vinyasa yoga in a studio and on the beach and continued with anti-gravity yoga with another instructor who opened my eyes to so many benefits of the practice. Three years later we moved to San Diego. Here I’ve found heaps of instructors who have shared their stories, worked magic with my scoliosis and helped my body, mind and soul develop strength, flexibility and immense gratitude. I now often travel with a yoga mat, have taken classes in some amazing spaces (including a rooftop in Zanzibar & on an atoll in the Maldives) and last summer, seven years after I found yoga in one city by the sea, I became a certified yoga instructor in another on the opposite coast.

What’s your connection to Australia?

I traveled to Australia in 2003 on a 2-week tour and had no idea how deeply connected to the land and the people I would later become. Two years later I met my husband (an Aussie from Melbourne) on a trip in New Zealand. After a 4-year international relationship, we got married, chased the sun around the globe on a 10-month honeymoon and lived in Melbourne for sometime. Since then, we visit Australia regularly and have spent many memorable moments in various parts of the beautiful country. Australian products grace our cupboards, Aussie dishes are part of our regular meals and Aussie slang is built into our conversations. Many of our friends and family members live in Australia. It is quite literally our 2nd home.

What’s going on in Australia?

Australia has been hit by devastating bushfires since September of last year. The long-lasting drought, climate change, arson, limited controlled burns, lightning, difficult to reach areas and a whole host of issues have cause disastrous destruction for land, people, property, livestock, habitats and native Australian animals. Animal hospitals and wildlife rescue organizations are overrun with animals that need care. People are out searching for wild animals that have been displaced from their habitat, lost their families or have been injured in the fires. Help has come from all over the world. While the wreckage is heartbreaking to witness, the global community aid is heartwarming.

When is your next event?

We have launched an Australian Bushfire Relief Fundraiser – YOGA FOR BUSHFIRE RELIEF. The 100% donation-based event is Thursday, the 30th of January at The Prado at Balboa Park. We have set up fundraising pages with WIRES Wildlife Rescue and Wildlife Victoria. These are Australian charities (one in New South Wales and the other in Victoria) who provide care and rehabilitation of animals and when possible, release back into the wild. Anyone can donate to these pages. Those who would like to join the class can donate and show their digital donation receipt at registration. Join Amy Caldwell (owner and lead instructor at Yoga One), DTO of Buddha Music Group and heaps of yogis at The Prado at Balboa Park for a fundraiser to help the Australian wildlife recover from these horrific fires. Click here to to RSVP to this free event, Jan.30, 2020.

How can people continue to help?

There are many ways to help Australia. Find reputable charities and give directly to them. Looking to do so immediately, please use the fundraising pages we’ve set up for WIRES Wildlife Rescue and Wildlife Victoria. Donate to organizations that are local, on the ground and will continue the work when this disaster emergency has ebbed. You can even ‘adopt’ a koala and find out how your donation can help him/her get back to their joyful life of eating eucalyptus and hanging out in gum trees. When the time is right and safe, if you can, visit Australia. Go to communities and volunteer with on the ground organizations or solely go visit and chat with locals and spend money. Spend some time at native animal sanctuaries and meet native Australian wildlife face to face. In San Diego and want to learn more about some of those native animals – head to the Australian Outback at the San Diego Zoo or Walkabout Australia at the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.

More about Stacey Ebert & Social Media

is an event planner, writer, organizer, and educator who has traveled to over 50 of the world’s countries. She met her Australian-born husband while on a trip in New Zealand, had an international courtship and later took a 10-month honeymoon to follow the sun around the world. Writing about adventure, journey and perspective–changing life shifts, she encourages travelers to take the leap, use the world as their classroom and get outside their comfort zones. She is a former high school teacher and advisor with a love of travel, hiking, yoga, dark chocolate and all things beach-related. Check out her blog at thegiftoftravel.wordpress.com.

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5Q Interview with Lauren Villa @thecreativityhouse

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

Yoga saved my life in many ways. It helped me discover who I truly am, what I’m capable of, and connect to my authentic self. I traveled to India and spent over a year living in India and Bangladesh in my early 20s. That’s when I was first introduced to yoga and Eastern philosophy but I didn’t start pursuing it seriously until about 3 years ago. As I began going deeper into my yoga practice as a student and teacher, I began noticing the physical changes happening in my own body. I shed weight that I was carrying around physically and emotionally. It felt like sandbags of anxiety and depression were cut off of me. I stopped eating meat and eventually gave up all dairy and meat products and transitioned to a vegan lifestyle. I started meditating daily and reading more about Buddhism and spirituality. This journey of healing helped me unleash an entirely new life inside of me.

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

I started teaching yoga last year. At first it was a scary step for me. I doubted my abilities and whether I could lead a group in a practice that I found so sacred. Doing it over and over helped ease my anxiety and also… I started seeing it as a time to just BE! And have fun. I laugh in my classes, I play with the moves and the flow. I used to feel intimidated by yoga and I always keep this in mind when I’m teaching a class. Beginner’s mind is a huge theme for me in life and in teaching and practicing. I learn something new about myself and my practice in every class.

3. What makes your classes unique?

I love incorporating spiritual elements into my class like chakra healing, breathing, and chanting. My goal is to make everyone smile at least once during their practice and to leave feeling SEEN. We live so much of our lives without being seen so in my class, my goal is to have students leave feeling like they’ve connected. Either to themselves, the energy of the person practicing beside them, or with the universe. My classes tend to touch on positive psychology as I was trained in yoga + positive psychology during my 200 hour training.

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

I love grooving to a playlist that allows your mind to go even deeper into the practice and connect with the mind and soul.

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

I can be found on Instagram and Facebook @spanglishyogi

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5Q Interview with Benjamin Hicks @benhicksyoga

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

Yoga is important to me because it keeps me in balance. My personal journey with yoga started with a back injury and physical therapy. I needed core strength and had chronic pain, I joined a yoga class at the gym and was astonished to walk out of the first class feeling relief. That was my doorway I walked in 2006 and the yoga has been evolving and changing my life ever since.

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

I began teaching Yoga in 2009,What transitioned me into a leadership position was first creating a lifestyle program centered around my personal practice then sharing it with others as a Yoga Studio owner.

3. What makes your classes unique?

My classes are unique because I never prep for them and feel guided by my students. I never feel the need to do the same class but try to create variation by exploring spiral diagonal movement as well as pose sequences.

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

Music is definitely an integral part of my life and is often the driving force behind my classes. I enjoy all music styles and experiment with musical genres often. I get inspiration from music and feel that influence allow me to better guide my students.

<a href=”http://download.dtomusic.com/album/infinite-energy”>Infinite Energy by DTO</a>

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

My next event is the “2nd annual No Bad Days all free Yoga Retreat” in Lake Havasu City, AZ on November 29th, 30th & December 1st. All the info can be found at www.benhicksyoga.com, or call 928-680-6392.

Ben Hicks will be featured in a Facebook Live with DTO next week. Stay tuned!

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5Q Interview with Dana Strang @findyoursunshine

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

Growing up, I was aimless, making decisions which didn’t serve me or anybody else. Which is not to say that I wasn’t happy or ebullient. I was. I have always loved people, but it was without direction. I worked, I went to university, I traveled the world. I ended up in an ashram with West Bengal yogis in Hawaii and there I began to find purpose, substance, love. I studied Ashtanga with prodigies of Patabi Jois, Flow with Shiva Rea… it’s been an amazing adventure!!!! Importance? It is my mission: Someone once told me that my biggest weakness was that I saw the best in people, and that’s when I realized that was my mission…. to help people see the best in themselves.

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

Teaching yoga for the better part of 15 years, but really stepped into a leadership role within the last few years. Why? Because I started to realize the positive effect that could be had one person at a time. Moreover, one breath at a time.

3. What makes your classes unique?

They are a journey. Each week is a theme that builds upon itself, this year‘s theme has been about being fit in the mind. The first week‘s word was #gratitude, looking back at the year with gratitude. The second weeks word #positive thought, the third weeks word was #believe leading into MLK bday, and this week is #Strength. Not about being the strongest person in the room or person who does the pose perfectly, but honoring, being vulnerable, doing what is intuitively best even and especially when everyone else is doing something different.

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

Music is just as important as the moving meditation itself. It is everything!!! Notes resonate in different places in our body, we are vibrational beings. It’s part of the visceral experience.

&lt;a href=”http://download.dtomusic.com/album/infinite-energy”&gt;Infinite Energy by DTO&lt;/a&gt;

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

I am the Yoga Director at TruFusion Scottsdale so I am there teaching at least 6 classes a week and then at events as they arise. I am on IG @findyoursunshine ☀️🧘🏻‍♀️📿

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5Q Interview with Fiona from the Yoga Sisters

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

Yoga helps me to enjoy my life to the fullest. Yoga helps me to reconnect with myself and to trust my intuition. Everytime when I step on the mat, I know how I feel in that moment. It reflects the past days and shows me how connected I am or not. It is also a very good excuse to take time for yourself and to unplug from the hectic Western Society.

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

I did my TTC in may 2017 at Sampoorna Yoga in Goa/India. It was a gift for and from me because I wanted to learn more about yoga and it’s philosophy. I had no intention to teach yoga. Back home friends asked me if they can get a yoga class from me and I discovered the magic of teaching yoga. Since august 2017 I am teaching Ashtanga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa en Yin Yoga at different places in The Netherlands.

3. What makes your classes unique?

My classes are Ashtanga/Power Yoga strong. But I always look at the body of my students and I always try to adjust my class to the public as much as possible. Moreover, I am focussing on the body and how it feels at the moment besides the focus on the breath. What are you feeling? How does your body feel? Do you know this feeling besides the yoga mat? What does it do to you? What are your patterns with this feeling? I always remind my people to focus on the breath. What does your breath do if it is getting tough? Try to bring your breath down.

With YogaSisters. we want to make yoga accessible for everyone. We believe in a world that is lead by you and in a society that gives you the freedom to take control over your own life. To find this freedom in your life you have to start with yourself and that is why we strongly believe that yoga is the key to a healthier and more lovable world.Thats why we are organizing Pop-up Yoga in special places. Our goal with that is to de-stress people from their hectic lives. We like to teach people the benefits of yoga with the possibility to connect with others by (for example) having a breakfast or lunch together afterwards.

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

Music is like the key to the soul. With music you can connect better and deeper to your emotions. It’s easier to let them go with the right music. I believe that music determines the energy of a yoga class and makes it more special. So my dream is to teach a Yoga Concert one day, preferably at a church. The energy of a church is amazing.

<a href=”http://download.dtomusic.com/album/infinite-energy”>Infinite Energy by DTO</a>

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

We have a lots of events this year with YogaSisters. At the moment just in The Netherlands but we want to expand one day. You can follow us on social media, such as on Facebook and Instagram. But we also have a website: www.yogasisters.nl (just in Dutch. Sorry guys!)

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5Q Interview with Andrew Schultz @awschultz14

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

Yoga saved my life. Back in 2015, I literally had lost everything and rebuilt my life from the yoga mat up. Prior to 2015, I was in the corporate world and got caught up in accumulating stuff, external things I thought would bring me happiness and defined success, and my ego was running the show. I didn’t have the resources or tools to deal with adversity and handle life’s challenges when things got difficult and I resorted to alcohol and drugs. My downward spiral started around 2012 and by 2015 I had lost everything – The house, car, wife, corporate job, etc. So my family did an intervention and, by the Grace of God, and thanks to the love of family, they saved my life and got me the help I needed.

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

I began in February of 2016. I saw first-hand the impact yoga had on transforming my life and I felt called to share my love and passion for yoga with others. And I wanted to leverage the opportunity to share my story and try to inspire hope for others who are battling their own challenges to show it’s possible to go from the darkness into the light. And show there is a better way and people who can help.

3. What makes your classes unique?

I am vulnerable and give ALL of myself. I share my truth. My students know all about my personal journey and I create the space for others to do the same. I create a safe environment for people of all walks of life to come together and let down their walls and be themselves. We laugh, we cry, and I make sure everyone knows they’re not alone and we’re all in this together. One Love. One Community.

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

It turns a good class into a great class.

&lt;a href=”http://download.dtomusic.com/album/infinite-energy”&gt;Infinite Energy by DTO&lt;/a&gt;

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

Please subscribe to my podcast, “Positive Impact with Andrew Schultz,” and listen on Apple, Spotify, or any other podcast platform.

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5Q Interview with Alisha Smith

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

My yoga journey started nearly 20 years ago after I was given a DVD called “Geri Body Yoga” by Geri Halliwell. It wasn’t Sadhguru or Mooji who introduced me to yoga, nope, it was all thanks to a Spice Girl! Since then I’ve been lucky to be mentored by some of the most wonderful, knowledgeable yoga teachers around the world.

I love how many different lineages and styles there are, and my practice is ever-changing; Flow practices help to light that fire and inspire, while yin is my go-to for when I need to be still and listen. I see yoga as a complete system for living, one that helps me to lead a more vibrant, conscious life.

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

Around 4 years ago I travelled to India to take yoga teacher training with no intention of becoming a teacher, but just to deepen my personal practice. After teaching my final class, several students had tears running down their face, and I’ll never forget the calm, peaceful energy that was generated during that class. The feedback was just beyond anything I could have imagined, and my group encouraged me to become a teacher and share my gift. So that’s what I did!

3. What makes your classes unique?

In a world full of doing, I offer classes that promote being. I hold space to allow students to come exactly as they are, to heal, to move and to simply be. My favourite thing to teach is a sweet and soft hip-opening yin class with a guided meditation journey and a heavenly savasana. I sprinkle a huge blend of offerings and traditions into my creatively sequenced classes. Depending on the class or workshop I may incorporate journalling, breathwork, meditation, visualisation, aromatherapy, and reiki.

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

Music adds a whole new dimension to my classes. I carefully craft playlists to uplift, energise and encourage flow. I play music in all classes, but at the same time I also value the power of silence, and use it as an invitation for students to journey inward.

<a href=”http://download.dtomusic.com/album/infinite-energy”>Infinite Energy by DTO</a>

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

I’ve long dreamed of leading an African yoga retreat, and this year that dream is coming true! This November I’m hosting a Yoga Safari in Namibia. It’s set in a beautiful tented lodge, and I’ll be teaching morning flow sessions and sunset yin classes out on the decking as wild elephants and buffalos roam below! The Yoga Safari includes nourishing plant-based foods, superfood elixirs, safari drives, boat trips and bush walks. It’s going to be magical – head over to my website for more details www.alishayoga.com

You can also take my free classes and meditations on YouTube: Alisha Yoga, and connect with me over on Instagram @alishayoga. Namaste 🙂

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5Q Interview with Star Rickard

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

I first discovered yoga while attending a gym in Palm Desert in my mid teens. I was a runner completing many half and a full marathon at 20. My first two teachers were wonderful women who I really admired (and are still good friends), both went on to open successful yoga studios. I was homeschooled and very shy. Yoga helped me feel comfortable enough to begin to open up and connect with friends. Yoga always helps me to check in. I’m a very driven person and sometimes I forget how to just enjoy life. I first heard about and connected with Hemalayaa and Dave at Bhakti Fest a few years ago where I took one of their classes.

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

I began teaching yoga in 2006 at age 21. I was always very dedicated to my practice and in love with my teachers. My teachers began convincing me I should teach. I was invited into my first teacher training in Encinitas, CA. I traded cleaning the studio for a 200hr hot style yoga training.

3. What makes your classes unique?

I think i’m very intuitive and know how to feel and connect with people to bring them to a balanced state of awareness.

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

Music can be very evoking, bringing up feelings for us to interpret and hopefully bring us to a unified state of consciousness.

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

Currently I am teaching five days a week at High Altitude Fitness, an elite gym in Incline Village NV. The best way to follow me is through Facebook.

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

5Q Interview with Nicki Taylor @showgirlyoga111

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

Before starting yoga, I was dancing professionally. I began my yoga journey in 2004 when I was recovering from a dance injury and could not perform. My mom suggested I try a yoga class with her. Looking back I can see it was for her own sanity as well as mine(haha). I was not a joy to live with being injured as I had grown accustomed to using movement as my therapy. Yoga instantly became my rehabilitation and I have never looked back. I fell in love with the effects of the practice and noticed the positive benefits not only physically, but mentally. Yogic philosophy became my lifestyle. The yoga worked wonders, I am still dancing using my yoga to maintain a balanced body and mind.

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

My Yoga journey continued when I completed my first 200 RYT with the added bonus of attending with my mom and brother. My yoga background now includes traditional Hatha, Vinyasa Flow, Yin, Smart Flow and more. I now have 500 RYT hours, and I am lucky enough to have assisted Rachael Sellars in her 200 RYT Smart Flow teacher training twice in the past 2 years. Becoming a yoga teacher changed my life. I don’t really look at it as a leadership position. I feel like the class is a safe space for not only my students but for myself as well. As a teacher, I believe it’s important to be present for your students and not phone it in. When I teach it forces me to go there inside myself. Yoga has opened me up to a very spiritual lifestyle. I now meditate daily. I go to a Silent Vipassana retreat yearly. I’ve changed my diet, and I’ve learned to live in the present moment. Or maybe I should say, I’m working on living in the present moment. It’s an ongoing practice for sure.

3. What makes your classes unique?

The feedback I have received about my class and what makes it unique is definitely the music, which I will elaborate in the next question =). Also, I like to keep everything light-hearted and not too serious, of course, while keeping the students safe and offering guidance. Life is serious enough. In class, I try to keep it fun by telling bad jokes and reminding everyone that we are just making shapes with our body. I try to theme the class around what I’m going through so it feels very authentic. I’ve noticed that it almost always resonates with my students as well. We are all connected.

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

I am very passionate about music. Having a dance background I love to create playlists that take the students on a journey. I chose music that flows dynamically and is full of emotion. I encourage my students to feel the emotions that arise through shapes and music. I understand that a lot of students and methods don’t believe in music in yoga. That is the beauty of the practice these days. There is so much individuality in teaching styles and studios. A student can always find what works for them. If you love music, come to my class lol

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

You can find me teaching in Las Vegas at Yoga Sanctuary, Body Heat yoga and pilates, Vegas Yoga and for a fun diversion Goat Yoga! Check out my Social Media for current schedule. IG: Showgirlyoga111 FB: facebook.com/nickiataylor

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

5Q Interview with Jennifer Iversen @jenniferiversen.yoga

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

I’m sort of a gym rat, so when I was first introduced to yoga I thought it was lame- and not for me. I had some friends who kept dragging me along to their classes despite my eye rolls. One day I was lying in savasana and sort of feeling frustrated with myself. I hadn’t been able to nail the sequence like I felt I should have. I don’t always share this, but what happened next changed my life forever. I heard a little voice say “hey! We tried!” I knew this voice was coming from me. It was my body. Suddenly I was aware of all of the times it had been speaking to me and I wasn’t listening. “Hey im really tired”, “hey I’m getting full”, “hey that’s pushing it too far”…

Yoga taught me to listen to and love my body. That’s really it’s whole purpose. Yoga means to yoke our mind body and spirit. Once I came to learn that for myself things were never the same.

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

I first started teaching Yoga When I moved out to Israel. I joined an educational program and they asked me to be the chair of sports and fitness. I started teaching daily yoga classes and the feedback I received from my students mixed with the feeling of flowing on the Mt. of Olives or by the Sea of Galilee literally brought me a joy I’d never known. After that I was hooked. I went back to the states and started teaching.

3. What makes your classes unique?

I believe in lots of demonstrations, communication, and physical connection. There’s something about being acknowledged by the teacher in an “I see you” kind of way that makes the connection of true yoga so much easier to obtain.

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

It’s my favorite part. When I’m creating sequences I usually just free flow to a song that feels good and the magic is born. It’s like interpretative dance that is then memorized and taught to my students.

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

I’m all over Instagram right now. Find me @jenniferiversen.yoga (that’s Iversen with an “en”). Sometimes I’ll put some YouTube videos up on my channel for people who don’t like studios. It’s a newer platform that you can follow at “Yoga by Jenn”.

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

san-diego-yoga

5Q Interview: Stacey Ebert

Music. Meditation. Mentorship.

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