Why I Do What I Do

One of the first classes I taught when I began teaching yoga was as a substitue teacher for an Ashtanga based class.  Prior to this, I had only taught a couple of Chakra karma classes at this particular studio in order to get experience and see if this “yoga teaching thing” was something I really wanted to do. When one of the students arrived, she saw me sitting behind the desk, asked if I was subbing and then said “You’re not doing any of that chakra stuff, are you?” (clearly not wanting to be involved in practicing any of that “chakra stuff").  First, I assured her that for an Ashtanga based class I would be teaching Ashtanga and that I had a strong background in this style of yoga.  After she was satisfied and had headed into the studio, I started to feel a bit offended.  She had been to one of my karma classes, didn’t she see how wonderful and holistic this practice is?  As I reflected further, I realized she had every right to this opinion.  Hadn’t I been to classes that didn’t resonate for me?  Hadn’t I tried different practices and teachers that I didn’t enjoy for whatever reason?  I had finally found my path.  I was discovering more and more what brought me to life, but it didn’t mean that it was everyone else’s path or that it would have the same effect on them. 

Feed Yourself

I am a Filipina Mestiza which is a term used in the Philippines to describe someone who is a mix of Filipino and another ancestry.  Growing up in a very small town, I wasn’t surrounded by the Philippine culture very much, but I did have enough exposure to know that food and feeding people is extremely important.  I couldn’t leave my aunt’s house without having at least three servings of food, and still being “encouraged” to eat more.  Now you might be asking yourself . . . . what exactly does this story have to do with yoga?  

Chakra Khan

I taught a couple of chakra introduction classes today in order to celebrate a few things happening at different studios, but also as a way to promote and kick off my various chakra series that are starting up this week.  I was asked by one student “so . . . . . what is a chakra?”  Valid question when coming to a chakra yoga class, but it made me realize that I have been so immersed in learning about the chakra system over the past few years, that I forgot there was a time when I also had no idea.  Because I had been a yoga student for so many years, I had come across the word before, but didn’t really know what the concept was.  I remember for the first little while all I could think about when I heard the word “Chakra” was “Chaka Khan”  (if you’re also a child of the ‘80’s, you know what I’m talking about!)