Nov 11, 2015 | Sedona Yoga, Sedona Yoga Festival Teacher Feature, Yoga Festival, Yoga Interviews
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Meet Isabella Greene, Ze Happinator. Remote Spiritual Healer, Happiness Coach, Mystic and Teacher
We recently chatted with Remote Spiritual Healer, Isabella Greene. Recent expansions and up-leveling have been keeping her happily… busy. She is constantly asking the Universe for more.
Occupation: Life & Happiness Coach, Energy Healer, Remote Spiritual Soul Healer, Mystic, Teacher
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Russia; New York, NY
Current Town: Sedona, AZ
Where has yoga taken you?
Yoga has opened the door into my journey back to self. It was during yoga practice that I first started experiencing the depth of meditation and most profound visions. Yoga helped me calm my mind and find balance between my body and my soul. It helped me build a strong connection between my body and my mind, something that was missing for me throughout my entire pre-yoga life. It also showed me peacefulness that I was unable to find anywhere else and it led me to finding my life’s passion. It also helped me calm my “edges”. When I first started doing yoga in 2006 I was in a very aggressive Karate training, but shortly thereafter I was no longer able to enjoy it. I no longer had the drive to spar and to fight people: the anger and the edge that originally brought me to taking Karate was no longer there. I dropped Karate and stayed with yoga.
What are the 4 most pivotal occasions in your career both in and outside of Yoga?
- I worked in Financial Services Industry for over 10 years. I didn’t enjoy it much, but I didn’t have the guts to leave: it was comfortable and I didn’t know what else I could do with myself. One day in 2009 they laid me off with a year of “free” pay: that was the best thing that happened to me. In that year I had time to really look at my life and make better, more coherent choices.
- One day coming from yoga practice I had a strong feeling to walk home instead of taking a New York City subway. The practice that day was outstanding for me, I was quite “in the zone” on my long walk. Suddenly I had a feeling to stop at a place I barely knew, but the “inner voice” was so strong I followed. As I walked in, there was only one other person there, someone who turned out to be the kind of person I’ve never met before: spiritual healer. The conversation that resulted had me on the plain to Life Coaching School less than a week later and two month after that I took a call from my very first client. This is how my coaching and healing practice started. And I am forever grateful to yoga for that.
My visit to Sedona came together “quite unexpectedly” in 2012. Three days there and I knew I was moving. After I moved to Sedona I focused on my spiritual practice and mediations with all my might and two months into it remembered that I had remote viewing ability since I was a teen. Excited, I started playing with it, it was so much fun! Then the crisis hit: my Mother was very ill and I wanted to help her, but she was all the way across the world! I went to “remote view” her in the hospital and something incredible happened: something I had no explanation for at that time. I had the most profound vision during which my Mom suddenly recovered! This is how I learned to do what I do now. Helping my Mom was my very first remote healing session.- My meditation practice is really intense; it led me into Kundalini and pineal gland activation. This resulted in my being guided to and “teaching myself” how to do really advanced remote Soul Healing work and also in person sessions. Due to this new knowing, my practice has expanded dramatically; I now have clients all over the world, doing my work for the Planet one person at a time. And I am forever grateful to that life changing walk after yoga
What do you never leave the house without?
My purse. It’s a girl thing. Also water, I always have water with me.
Where are your favorite places to experience?
Nature. Middle of nowhere – the more remote the better. This is relatively new for me as I was very much a big city girl and traveler before Sedona. But now all I want to do it camp in the wilderness.
What are the first three words that come to your mind when someone says: “grounded” or “connected?”
Balance, peace, harmony
We want to know what your typical morning looks like! What does your daily practice look like?
I do my 1,5 hr long meditations at 3:30AM, then take a couple of hours of lucid dreaming, then up around 7:30 or 8 and right into remote healing sessions. Clearing practice after that, then coaching clients and in person sessions in the afternoon. I don’t have breakfast till about 11AM usually.
What is one mantra that is like a remedy for your soul?
“All in Divine Order” and also “Following the invisible into the unknown”
How do you channel your inner 5 year old?
I AM a 5 year old! Just ask my boyfriend!
Tell us one fun fact about yourself.
I loooove motorcycles! Nothing like a nice solid loud Harley ride, especially on an empty road with magnificent nature views!
What is your favorite pose to teach in your classes? And why?
I do not teach yoga, but my favorite pose is reclining hero. I can stay in it forever! Took me a long time to get there and I just love how it feels on my knees!
If you’re not on a yoga mat, where can we find you?
In my Sacred space, most likely, which is my house and garden: writing, reading, doing research, listening to workshops on line, dancing, blissing out, doing nothing.
Sep 26, 2015 | Sedona Yoga, Sedona Yoga Festival Teacher Feature, Yoga Conference, Yoga Festival, Yoga Interviews
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Meet Denise Thompson, aka Yogirunner, Teacher and Vice President of Group Fitness at Mountainside Fitness
We recently chatted with yogi, teacher and corporate exec, Denise Thompson – AKA Yogirunner, to find out just how she keeps it all together in a fast-paced life…
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Find me as Yogirunner on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
PINTEREST: Yogirunner
Occupation: Vice President of Group Fitness – Mountainside Fitness & Fit Republic
Hometown: Santa Fe, NM
Current Town: Phoenix, AZ
Where has yoga taken you?
Yoga has taken me to the real me! I finally realize, understand, accept and appreciate exactly who I am. I honor and respect that person.
What are the 4 most pivotal occasions in your career both in and outside of Yoga?
- Jumping from Corporate Wellness to Pharmaceutical Sales (chasing the almighty dollar)
- Realizing it was more important to do what I love than focusing on the dollar – LEAVING pharma sales
- Moving from a fitness focus to a Mind/Body focus
- Making Yoga part of my personal and professional life.
What do you never leave the house without?
I never leave the house without my phone and my Yoga mat.
Where are your favorite places to experience?
Sedona and Kauai are among my two favorite spots on this earth.
What are the first three words that come to your mind when someone says: “grounded” or “connected?”
Truth, Consciousness, One
We want to know what your typical morning looks like! What does your daily practice look like?
I wake up at 5A everyday. I grab a cup of coffee and check email/social media. By 5:45A I start my daily practice in my Buddha Lounge. I get the kids up at 6:45A, make breakfast and have them to school by 8A. My workday THEN begins.
What is one mantra that is like a remedy for your soul?
To Thine Own Self Be True
How do you channel your inner 5 year old?
I dance, sing, run and practice Yoga with my children ages 6 and 11.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself.
I am incredibly Type A and a Black and White thinker. Yoga has opened the door to shades of gray.
What is your favorite pose to teach in your classes? And why?
I love teaching Bakasana. It brings me so much joy to witness people putting trust in themselves and learning to fly. It’s like witnessing a toddler walk for the first time.
If you’re not on a yoga mat, where can we find you?
Running! That’s why they call me YogiRunner.
 
Sep 17, 2015 | Sedona Yoga Festival Teacher Feature, Yoga Conference, Yoga Festival, Yoga Interviews
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Meet Silvia Mordini Founder LIFE Inspired: Alchemy of Yoga, Alchemy Tours, Prescriptions for Happiness
We recently chatted with Teacher, Healer, Happiness Coach, Silvia Mordini, to find out more about what drives her creativity and stokes her joy. Silvia shares from her heart on how you can stand behind your own, true voice and make today the best day ever.
NAME: Silvia Mordini
EMAIL: silvia@silviamordini.com or silvia@alchemytours.com
WEBSITE/BLOG: silviamordini.com and alchemytours.com and alchemyofyoga.com
SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter/Instagram @Inspiredyogagal
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/silviamordini/
Occupation: Writer, Happiness Coach, Adventure Addict, Spiritual Traveler, Teacher Trainer, Retreat Leader, Yogipreneur, Fashionable Yogi, Travel Junkie, Healer
Hometown: Chicago, IL (previously Quito, Ecuador)
Current Town: Seattle, WA (6 months per year)
Where has yoga taken you?
Yoga has taken me to the heart of my own joy. A place I feel as the beginning of the beginning of love. My practice began with asana as part of my recovery from a hit and run. I didn’t aspire to do wheel pose or handstand, all I hoped for was to be able brush my hair by myself.
From there, my investment in my own healing brought me to various wisdom traditions, all of which I’ve integrated to embody the tantric path. Yoga has taken me to a place of deepest awakening to life as a Bhakti Yogi. I am committed to loving myself, loving my day and loving my life.
And yes, yoga has literally brought me around the world from Costa Rica to Italy to Bali to teach from this place of sweetest devotion to inspire others to their greatest happiness. Happiness to me is the manifestation of love. It is the look of love.
What are the 4 most pivotal occasions in your career both in and outside of Yoga?
- Over 20 years ago Iwas in a hit and run that served as the catalyst for waking me up to the power of love to heal.
- While at the peak of my corporate career, that I adored, I decided to take an early retirement to focus full time on my already successful Chicagoland Yoga Studio, Total Body Yoga. This action felt incredibly liberating and was one of the most rewarding experiences I enjoyed for 10 years. I went on to turn over the studio to another steward a couple years ago so its legacy continues today!
- For the last 10 years I’ve offered an internationally Yoga Alliance recognized RYT 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Program. My Yoga School is known as Alchemy of Yoga. I had the vision of creating an integrated experience that was a reflection of my personal passion and practice both on and off the mat. The process of having a vision that took 5 years to make happen was love in action. I’ve now led that program 21 times from Chicago to Costa Rica to Seattle and more!
- On June 23, 2013 I suffered a level 3 Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI) that left me unable to see, write, cook, walk, let alone do downward dog. In a moment I unlearned everything I knew and started again. It was in fact the ultimate reset. I thought I was already awake and then I discovered there was more.
What do you never leave the house without?
I-phone, Mala beads (I know it sounds so stereotypical yogi, but it’s true), a pretty scarf and fun hat (you can dress up any outfit before or after yoga with the magic of a scarf and hat!)
Where are your favorite places to experience?
I’m traveling away from home 6 months of the year teaching yoga. My favorites are Bali, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Big Island Hawaii, Tuscany, Ischia, Ecuador, and Sedona.
What are the first three words that come to your mind when someone says: “grounded” or “connected?”
Peaceful, Happy, Loved.
We want to know what your typical morning looks like! What does your daily practice look like?
As soon as I’m awake I practice my daily mantra: “I love myself, I am love, I offer love, I receive love. May I be empty so love flows through me.” Before leaving bed I sit up and silently meditate for at least 11 – 30 minutes and then in the evening before bed. Meditation is the anchor to my daily practice.
Then I chant the Venus, Saturn or Moon Mantras to set my energy. I get up do my Ayurvedic morning rituals known as dinacharya and then enjoy a decaf chai tea soy latte, read something inspirational and then practice some asana. While many recommend asana before meditation, I prefer the other way around. In comparison to my meditation routine, my asana practice is organic, different every day based on how my heart and body need to be nourished.
In the morning I usually prepare my class for that day (theming, playlist and sequencing) when I feel the most creative. Then I make progress on the many articles I’m writing simultaneously for weekly publication like Mantra Magazine, Do You Yoga, MindBodyGreen, and Yoganonymous amongst others. Finally, I start revving up all social media for Alchemy of Yoga and Alchemy Tours and check a gazillion emails until I need a break and go for a walk where I do my mantra practice with my malas. My favorite mantra is Aham Prema.
What is one mantra that is like a remedy for your soul?
Aham Prema. I am love.
I see with love, I think with love, I move in love, I live as love, love is me, I am love.
How do you channel your inner 5 year old?
I color or draw every day. I stay in the practice of it even it means simply creating mandala after mandala. It keeps me connected to sacred fun and tapped into the pure joy of doing something for pleasure. Did I mention I use crayons too? I also love vision boarding (check out my article on how to) and cutting things up with kid safety scissors. I’m pretty much the worst at cutting straight lines.
Tell us one fun fact about yourself.
My ears have been pierced since I was 2 days old. It’s tradition in Ecuador where I was born, and it was a good thing too because my hair grew slow. This is how people could tell I was a girl. Also I have no tattoos. I love them, just can’t commit to any one so keep waiting.
What is your favorite pose to teach in your classes? And why?
The hardest poses aren’t asanas. The hardest pose of all is being ourselves. Without awareness and knowledge of self-identity you will always feel internally chaotic. Knowing the answer to “Who Am I” brings internal and eternal peace. There are also my other two favorite poses: Loving Yourself and Accepting others. I love teaching these in every class so that the way we make yoga can become the way we live our lives.
If you’re not on a yoga mat, where can we find you?
Either on my laptop on the couch when I’m at home (by the beach if I’m traveling) or going for really long walks along the beach finding more shells or special rocks to take home with me. I also love watching movies so you’ll find me at those cool theaters where you can have prosecco during the movie. I love that. I should also mention you will find me shopping small boutiques for that one magical dress.
Oct 28, 2014 | Sedona Yoga, SYF2014 Presenters, Yoga Interviews, Yoga Philosophy
by SYF2015 presenter Hope Zvara
Yoga has taught me a lot about life and living. My mom (also a yoga teacher) and I often chat jokingly about how being awake in the world is a blessing and a curse. As yoga heightens your awareness of the things, people, actions, and words that are around you as well as what goes on inside of you, it can feel like a double-edged sword.
I was blessed to have my first real yoga experience at an ashram. I was guided by a wonderful teacher with whom I contribute much of my understanding of spirituality and truly living in commune with God (or Universal Consciousness). Fast forward twelve years, I have evolved. Yet my roots are grounded in keeping the spirit in yoga and more recently I have added a passion for functionality and deepened core awareness.
Keeping the understanding that when you come to yoga–real yoga–expect to grow radically, expect to be uncomfortable, expect to be challenged in thought, word, and action. Expect to be confused, frustrated, angry, sad, mad, happy, and in sheer bliss. Why? Because… read more on Hope’s Blog!
Apr 25, 2014 | Sedona Yoga Retreat, Yoga Interviews, Yoga Philosophy
After 35 years of teaching in the West, Sanskrit scholar and spiritual teacher Pandit Rajmani Tigunait has published his long-awaited commentary on the Yoga Sutra—the seminal text on yoga practice and philosophy. His new book, The Secret of the Yoga Sutra, is the first practitioner-oriented commentary that is fully grounded in the living tradition of the Himalayan masters. Tigunait, who is lecturing at Sedona Creative Life Center in Sedona, AZ on September 26, 2014 from 7pm as part of his 71- city lecture & book tour, recently welcomed our inquiry into the deeper dimensions of yoga and how to apply its ancient wisdom to your modern life.
Q: So what exactly is the Yoga Sutra?
PRT: The Yoga Sutra is a book of yoga philosophy. It is a book of practice. And it is a book of self-realization. It was written 2,200 years ago, when a great master named Patanjali gathered the best aspects of yoga and delineated, in a step-by-step fashion, exactly what yoga is and how to practice it.
Q: What can modern students learn from the Yoga Sutra?
PRT: When you practice the kind of yoga described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, you will experience what it’s like to be healthy, happy, peaceful, confident, and energetic. The literal meaning of “yoga” is “union,” “integration,” “reconnection.” But in the context of practice, yoga is a way of gaining access to your own inner luminosity and becoming established in your essential self.
By studying the Yoga Sutra, you will learn how to cultivate a clear, calm, and tranquil mind; how to expand the immense power of your mind; and how to begin unveiling, layer after layer, the mysteries of the universe within you and outside you.
Q: Why are its teachings so crucial today?
PRT: Because the human mind is scattered. We have become negligent about our distractions, inertia, confusion, doubt, fear, and anger. But humans have been riding a roller coaster of ups and downs for thousands of years. The yoga tradition, which started at least 5,000 years ago and has continued without interruption, has recorded all of the problems that humans face, and the methods and techniques to overcome those problems. The Yoga Sutra contains the solutions.
Q: What role does asana play in yoga practice?
PRT: Asana is a very important part of life. It keeps you healthy, strong, and energetic. And it enables you to discover and reclaim the innate wisdom of your body. But it is only after you rediscover the self-luminous nature of your own mind that you will begin to experience the true power of asana. That discovery comes from the meditative aspect of yoga.
Q: What inspired you to publish a commentary on the Yoga Sutra after 35 years of teaching in the West?
PRT: The Yoga Sutra is a compendium of a vast field of knowledge and wisdom, techniques and methodologies for discovering our multi-dimensional life. It is the source wisdom for all schools and traditions of yoga. We need to bring the spiritual dimension back into yoga and encourage students to look for teachings and practices that will take them to the next level. That’s why I have realized that I should share whatever I have learned in the last 35 years through this commentary, The Secret of the Yoga Sutra, and by teaching and interacting with students.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish through your Secret of The Yoga Sutra book tour and courses?
PRT: My wish is that the Yoga Sutra brings the same level of transformation to other people as it did to me. In order to make that wish become a reality, my vision is to bring the Yoga Sutra to people’s doorsteps, making this knowledge available to them on many levels and from many perspectives [through a summer lecture & book tour, online study groups, and a four-part master course on the Yoga Sutra that students can take in person or online].
My vision is that the yoga community, the scientific community, the medical community, and the health community take from the Yoga Sutra what is useful for them, conduct more research, assimilate the knowledge into their existing practice, and take their own field of knowledge to the next level. My interest is to demonstrate and support how you can embrace the teachings of the Yoga Sutra in your own personal practice for self-improvement and self-empowerment; how you can accelerate your quest for total well-being and spiritual unfoldment.
For tickets to the September 26, 2014 event at Sedona Creative Life Center, click here. Hosted by SYF Presents.
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, is a modern-day master and living link to the unbroken Himalayan Tradition. He is the successor of Sri Swami Rama of the Himalayas and the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute. As a leading voice of YogaInternational.com and the author of 15 books, his teachings offer practical guidance on applying yogic and tantric wisdom to modern life. Over the past 35 years, Pandit Tigunait has touched innumerable lives around the world as a teacher, humanitarian, and visionary spiritual leader.
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