Interview with Natalia Tabilo

by iana velez | Jul 16, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, LATINX IN WELLNESS

Interview with Natalia Tabilo

By: iana velez

PROFILES

You are originally from Chile, is yoga popular there? What differences do you notice in how yoga is practiced and taught in Chile vs in the US?

Yoga is becoming more and more popular in Chile and I would say the biggest difference is that the styles in Chile are really determined. For example, the teachers are really focused on teaching in the tradition in which they studied or were formed as teachers, so there’s a lot of Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Iyengar in a really purist way. This sadly focuses on making the student fit the teachings, shapes, and postures rather than what I happily see more and more in the USA and adapting the shapes to fit the student (and not the student adapting to the posture).

You did your YTT in English, and you are one of the few platforms that shares yoga classes in both English and Spanish. Was it challenging to adapt your teaching and sequences into Spanish?
Ohhh yes!! Especially because in Spanish we have so many ways to say one word, and it varies from country to country. So definitely it has been a learning curve, but a fun one! And I’m always learning from fellow yoga teachers, so muy agradecida.

What resources do you recommend for anyone interested in teaching yoga in English and Spanish?
I invite everybody to check out the Accessible Yoga Association (IG: @AccessibleYoga), they are doing awesome work! And they have part of their work and training in Español.

Also, please check out the book “The Science of Yoga” (IG: @scienceof.yoga) written by Ann Swanson (IG: @annswansonwellness) which is available in English, Spanish, and more languages! It is an amazing resource.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is new to teaching yoga?
Always remember your why. Why you decided to become a yoga teacher, why do you want to teach the style of the population you are teaching. If you remember your why, it will inform the way you teach, the words, the cues, the trainings you need to take, the classes you need to say yes to and those who you need to say no to. Remember your why and go for it!

You have been named a “changemaker” in yoga, who would you consider a changemaker in yoga?
First of all, the teachers who almost anonymously are everyday changing the narrative around yoga and making it truly accessible and welcoming to all no matter their students’ size, shape, abilities, age, health or experience with the practice. These teachers are truly making the difference!

Also, Everyone on the faculty of the Accessible Yoga Association (@AccessibleYoga) and Rodrigo Souza, the Founder of Allihopa Yoga (IG: @AlliHopayoga), he is from Brazil and specializes in sharing yoga with people who are wheelchair users.

Who would you consider a changemaker in the Spanish speaking yoga community?
Fer Arnaud (@FerArnaudYoga), she is from Mexico, and she is a teacher in a larger body who is sharing the message that everybody can practice the more active and physical styles like vinyasa and ashtanga! Check her out!

And Krystal Perez (IG: @TuMovimientoSensible) quien está haciendo un trabajo maravilloso y tan necesario compartiendo Yoga Sensible al Trauma en español.

The theme of our issue is JOY, how do you create JOY in your life?
I create joy by trying mindfully and consciously to be present where my feet are. Enjoying and cherishing all the moments in real-time, not focusing on the past or planning the future. Playing with my cat Luka Modris and my dog Trixie Pixie, loving my husband and my family in Chile and of course staying true to my mission on this earth that is sharing yoga with all bodies and minds and doing it with all my heart!

Spotlight: MEXICO

by iana velez | Jul 13, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, TRAVEL

Spotlight: MEXICO

By: iana velez

TRAVEL

Mexico lindo y querido! After living 15 years in NY I’m back to my homeland, and it has been a beautiful comeback, this time to the very special tropical area of Mexico, Riviera Maya. It’s full of incredible beaches and nature, but what I find even more special are the “cenotes.” In Maya, “hoyo de agua,” these natural water caves are pure magic, unique in the world, mayas considered them portals to the underworld and sacred source of life. It’s worth the trip just to visit these beautiful natural pools and caves.

We chose Cenote Minotauro, a small but very pretty cenote with Mariel and Adriana, two amazing yoguis devoted to the learning and teachings of yoga based in Mexico. Mariel recently opened a yoga studio built around an old and majestic Kopo tree, hence the name “Kopo Yoga.” She had a dream the studio was to be created there, and the universe conspired to make it a reality. Today, it’s a space for community and yoga practice—you can’t miss it if you come to Playa del Carmen.
Miriam Castillo
@miriamcastilloart

“Joy to me is connection, to yourself, to people, to nature, most importantly to a sense of belonging to something greater than life. To the magic of existing and living on this earth. Once you realize that it exists within, all the time, joy appears instantly, not in the future plans, or big dreams, but in any moment you decide to feel it. It is there as long as you are breathing.”
Adriana Zavala
@adryzav

“How does joy feel? The gentle yet powerful freedom of being able to love what IS. The effervescent trust in whatever is arising at this present moment, beyond expectations and uncertainty. The wholehearted contentment of accepting and embracing life as it unravels… and smiling because we are able to experience it all by being ALIVE.”
Mariel Chapoy
@marielchapoy

“I define joy as an opportunity to see things with the divine grace of a simple smile. To look into the eyes of others, to look at the sky and the stars. To know that I am alive as I feel my heart beating, and to share and laugh with others. To dance, to dream and to remember that every moment in this life is filled with the presence of God.”

BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO

Adriana Zavala

Miriam

Mariel

Yoga Transforms at Bhakti Fest 2024

by iana velez | Jul 8, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, Profiles

Yoga Transforms at Bhakti Fest 2024

PROFILES

Transformation will be at the heart of this year’s Bhakti Fest, taking place September 27-29 in the majestic setting of Joshua Tree, California. Producer Bella Silberfein explains how the theme “Yoga Transforms” will spark reflection, growth, and positive change for attendees through yoga and the coming together of the community.

“The transformative power of yoga is core to its teachings and something we all experience on our path in big and small ways,” shares Silberfein. “When we carve out time for self-reflection, yoga, and meditation, we open the door to evolution, building emotional strength, resilience, and self-awareness.”

The physical and mental practices of yoga provide us with tools to work through struggles and discomfort with compassion. Asana helps us better understand where we resist and allows us to release limiting patterns. Pranayama teaches us to regulate our energy and be present. Meditation guides us inward to explore our most profound truths.

Silberfein hopes Bhakti Fest provides an uplifting, transformative experience by uniting us in community. “When we come together around our shared love of yoga, music, and sacred wisdom traditions, it creates an energy that inspires and elevates us all. We walk away profoundly changed, creating a ripple effect.”
An incredible lineup of yoga teachers and diverse music performances will provide ample opportunities to reflect on transformation personally and collectively. Through yoga classes, workshops, chanting, and more, attendees can explore letting go of limiting beliefs, finding new purpose, deepening their practice, and positively evolving relationships and society.

The impressive yoga teacher roster connects us to yoga’s roots, with masters like Seane Corn and Janet Stone joining beloved teachers Shiva Rea, Dianne Bondy, and Nina Rao. On the music stages, spiritual artists like Krishna Das and Radhika Das will stir our souls, while fresh acts like Deya Dova and Marieme will entrance us.

Silberfein beautifully sums up the ethos behind this year’s theme: “Yoga transforms not just the body and mind, but our hearts. When our hearts open up through yoga, we lift the world.”

Spotlight: Joy & Travel

by iana velez | Jul 6, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, TRAVEL

Spotlight: Joy & Travel

By: iana velez

TRAVEL

For many people, a yoga retreat can be an opportunity to focus on your practice, meet some new friends and travel to a beautiful location. If you’ve ever enjoyed attending a retreat and thought “hey, I’d like to plan a yoga retreat” then read on! We asked some amazing yoga teachers who lead retreats all over the world for some advice on planning retreats and how they find joy!

Kelly Kamm

Kellykammyoga.com
@kellykammyoga

How far in advance do you plan your retreats?
I usually host 3 retreats per year I tend to plan about a year in advance, but I find that most people sign up about 6 months prior. I typically plan everything myself, except the Bali trip which I sometimes do with a partner. You’ve got to be super organized. If you’re not great at planning, you can use a retreat company. It’s way easier, but you’ll make much less money that way.

Where have you hosted retreats?
I think I’ve been leading retreats to Bali for 9 years, and to Marrakech for about 7 years! I’ve also brought people to Vietnam, and Banff, Canada.

What advice would you give someone planning a retreat for the first time?
Over the years, I’ve realized how important it is to create solo time and space for yourself during the trip. Yes, you’re there to guide folks and to give them the best experience that you can, but you can’t do that if you’re depleted. I’ve seen people who lead these kinds of trips and never give themselves a break, and by the end they get sick! Make sure you have your own room, and if you need to disappear for a couple of hours to recharge, that is totally OK.

What is your favorite memory from a retreat you hosted?
One moment that made me cry happy tears was when the first friend I ever made in Bali came and picked up my son and took him to her village for the day. He picked fresh guavas, went fishing, rode ATVs through the jungle and flew kites in the rice paddies. It was such a special experience for him, and I was so grateful for the friendships I’ve made in my travels.

Dream location for retreat?
I have so many dream trips that are half planned! I really want to bring people to the more remote and wild islands of Scotland.

The theme of our issue is JOY, can you share with us how retreats/travel helps you or others connect and create JOY in their lives?
I see joy and awe as deeply connected, and in my experience there is nothing more awe-inspiring than traveling to a wondrous, beautiful and far away place. It makes you more tolerant, less focused on stuff and more delighted by experiences, especially when those experiences are shared with a group of great people. I have seen so many deep and long-lasting friendships formed on my retreats!

Has anything changed the way you plan a retreat post-covid?
Covid changed me in that it made me much more interested in what it means to travel ethically. During the pandemic, I saw people taking groups of Americans to places with limited medical care, and it really made me take a hard look at travel in general and how to do it in a way that benefits the people you visit just as much as the retreaters that you bring on vacation.

Victoria Greene

victoriagreeneyoga.com
@victoriagreeneyoga

How many retreats do you host per year?
Last year I hosted retreats to Iceland, Peru, Ithaka (Greece) and Sicily. In the US, I host weekend retreats in Pennsylvania (at the Himalayan Institute).

Any advice to someone planning a retreat for the first time?
Always remember that people are not only trusting you with their money, but also with their time…they could choose to go anywhere with their vacation time, and they are choosing to come somewhere with you. Hold this close to your heart and realize the great responsibility that you carry. I never take that for granted.

What is your favorite retreat memory?
Seeing hundreds of Icelandic horses galloping across the most beautiful landscape imaginable was incredible. Experiencing a true ‘Pachamama’ moment of an earthquake at the beginning of one of our yoga classes in Peru! Seeing how the heaviest rainfall in over 8 years, brought out the most beautiful wildflowers all over the tiny island of Pantelleria in Sicily overnight. Waking up to that was magical.

Dream location for a retreat?
I tend to obsess about a place before diving into the reality of leading or running a retreat and for me, at the moment New Zealand is calling.

How do retreats help us connect and create JOY in our lives?
After the first day or two on retreat, when everyone is settled and feels comfortable. I have quite literally seen the softening of people’s expressions. It’s hard to explain, but it looks like a gentleness comes over them, they are quick to smile and to laugh. Joy becomes more than a buzzword or some elusive quality of experience. It becomes a reality. There is such wonder in being in a new place to me, with a new vista, to feel the air and the land as new. At some point wherever I go, I will kick off my shoes and just lie down on the earth—just for a moment. That brings me joy. Here I am in a place that perhaps I only dreamed about, and it reminds me to be grateful for all the people in my life that have helped me get to that place.

Any resources you recommend?
There are some responsible retreat companies out there, who care about the impact that their business has on the environment and support local economies and conservation efforts. I love to introduce yoga practitioners to the Himalayan Institute in PA, for any of their faculty-led weekend retreats and study weekends, and internationally to a B-Corp retreat company that I am so honored to be a member of the team for reclaimyourself.co.uk.

Sarah Platt-Finger

sarahplattfinger.com
@sarahplattfinger

Where have you hosted retreats?
I host about 2 retreats a year and planning is minimum of 9 months, but 1 year in advance is best. Locations have included Mexico, India, Bali, Hawaii, Costa Rica, Sweden, Greece, Florida Keys, and NY. My dream location to host a retreat is the bush and the vineyards of South Africa.

Do you plan with a partner?
I offer retreats with my partner or with a colleague. I’ve also taught in several retreats led by Chopra or through my studio, ISHTA Yoga.

Any advice to someone planning a retreat for the first time?
Be sure that the retreat location is vetted to host yoga retreats! There are many specific details required for a location to host a yoga retreat, including the yoga space, noise levels, food options, and the overall vibration of the space. Hosting a yoga retreat is very different from vacationing at an all-inclusive resort! So it’s important to either visit the location ahead of time, or speak to a fellow yogi who has taught there before.

What is your favorite memory from a retreat you hosted?
Teaching with a live musical accompaniment overlooking the Aegean Sea during sunset. Absolutely divine!

How do retreats help us connect and create JOY in our lives?
I have always loved going outside of my element and traveling to new places. Sometimes all it takes is leaving our normal everyday routine to spark the seeds of joy that are latent within us. Then add the powerful practices of yoga, meditation, and the company of like-minded individuals in the beauty of nature; it is hard NOT to experience joy!

We have all probably had those kinds of holidays where we feel like we need a vacation just to recover from the vacation. Retreats are an opportunity to not only experience adventure, see new landscapes, and deepen your yoga practice, they are also an opportunity to deeply rest. Everyone is deserving of joy, and everyone deserves to experience at least one yoga retreat in their lifetime (hopefully many more than that!).

Artist Spotlight: Emma Schmid

by iana velez | May 29, 2024 | Art & Music, ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS

Artist Spotlight: Emma Schmid

By: iana velez

ART & MUSIC

Barcelona native Emma Schmid’s beautiful artwork graces the cover of our JOY issue. We asked her to share a bit about her creative process, inspiration and a few thoughts on JOY. Check out her beautiful Instagram account @emma.schmid.illustration.

Share with us what you love about what you do?
I love to translate thoughts, ideas and messages into images. Adding meaning, highlighting and emphasizing. Communicating with drawings and color is so powerful, leading to feelings, moods, happiness, worries, and joy. I am especially interested in illustrating everyday people and routines that we all can identify with. Illustration also lets me navigate new adventures. Every new work feels like an opportunity to dive within different experiences, knowledge, and results. It is very enriching.

What advice would you give someone interested in becoming an artist?
Perseverance is key, confidence in yourself, no matter what seems to be the fashion…your own voice is always interesting when it is consistent it will have many opportunities. Of course, it is important to be active, showing up on social media, promoting constantly with new work or personal work that may pique art directors’ or clients’ attention.

Do you have formal art training?
I graduated from a school of arts in Barcelona studying, where I am originally from. I had an illustration career working freelance with my own work and studio from 2000 until now, working mostly with publishing, advertising, studios, products, toys, etc. For many years, I was focused on children’s illustration, but now my work has shifted to more illustration in editorial and advertising.

Share with us artists or creators who inspire your work
Some artists I love:

And many, many others!

Do you have a personal yoga, meditation or journaling practice? If so, does it influence your creative process?
I have practiced yoga for some years and it has always fascinated me in the wellness sense, and in the beauty of the practice too—the simplicity, austerity, the silence, the connection.

I’ve recently been quite obsessed with the interaction of two themes of yoga and floral images. I have worked on an extensive series of images approaching that—yoga practice balanced with huge flower designs in a beautiful harmony.

Where do you find the inspiration for your artwork? How do you stay inspired?
I find inspiration everywhere around me. Mostly in urban scenes, cities, on the streets, parks, fashion, culture, clothes, tradition and very especially in people. I enjoy highlighting people, characters, routines, gestures and styles. I love to catch diversity in all ways. I am constantly seeking inspiration beyond my own curiosity. Culture, media, other illustrators work and all art expression is also very inspiring to me.

Share with us your creative process.
When a work commission comes, the process starts with approaching the main idea to communicate, looking for information and inspiration and playing first with lines, sketching with pencil on A4 paper and Procreate software. Hand drawing, both pencils, analogue and digital are very enjoyable to me, from the freshness and free style of first rough drafts to cleaning and clearing them. Then color is usually done in Photoshop, final art as well.

Color is a different creation process, more complicated and deep, where I usually follow a natural intuition for each commission’s needs. It comes pretty easy when it’s about a single image, but very complex when talking about a book, or a set, where a balanced and rich palette is essential.

On your website you say, “Color plays an important part, it completely defines my work.” Can you share more about that?
I love color. Bold color. Color that shakes is an invitation to feelings, emotions, sensations…color touches with its power of communication. I feel comfortable with color, it definitely plays an important part of my voice and work.

The theme of this issue is JOY, can you share with us what/who you think of when you hear the word JOY?
I love to hear how my work talks about joy and spreads joy, and this is definitely the best compliment and reward I can have. It makes me so happy and fulfilled with the work I do.