This month, we shine some light on Dew Teacher, my partner in Yoga and friend, Elysa! It happens to be her birthday this month (the 21st), so what better time to honor her and share in her answers to the usual questions about Yoga. Happy Birthday Elysa, may your light shine all year long in all you do!
Q: How long have you been practicing Yoga?
A: I have been practicing yoga for all my life but I wouldn’t have called it yoga. I became aware of yoga over 25 years ago in college but it has been in the last 15 that I have deepened my practice and become aware that it is not just a practice but a life practice.
Q: What fills your time off the mat?
A: My time off the mat is rich and joy filled. I spend time volunteering at the Wilson Memorial Food Pantry, being with loved ones, reading, listening to live music, getting outdoors in good weather, museums, eating, teaching and living my practice both on and off the mat. I like exploring and discovering all types of things, when I have free time. I like to keep active and just recently, discovered the beauty of balance. So now relaxing and down time are equally important. That, in itself, has been a rich experience.
Q: How has your yoga practice affected your life off the mat?
A: In all it’s forms, yoga has permeated all things I do. It is who I am, what I do, how I live my life. It has transformed me and brought me out of the fires of life into the person I am today.
Q: What would you like to share with others about Yoga?
A: People have a misconception that you have to be flexible to do yoga. But you don’t. It helps to have a flexible mind, an open heart and the desire to deepen your relationship with yourself and all living beings. It is a journey that is different for everyone. I often say to students, “The reasons you first come to the mat, are not the reasons you stay.” Many of them know, that for me, when I first hit the mat back in college, I only went because some friends and I were curious about it. We would go on Saturday mornings, hungover, because the instructor was from Egypt, hot and did yoga in tight white pants! I can assure you that that is not the reason I still get to my mat. Oh, did I mention he was HOT!
I come back to the mat, time and time again, to explore myself, fears and all, when I am tired, cranky, happy, sad, joy filled, good days, bad days etc. I become the observer of my life and watch how I flow, or sometimes, not. Yoga has become more of a meditation and a dance. It allows me to be a better version of myself and it keeps me grounded. It is a prayer and celebration of life. It is deep and yet, so very simple. The true meaning of yoga is “to join” or to “yoke”, to create union. That is what I hope to share. That it is not about the poses, but a time to commune with self and to join with the greater human collective to bring deeper love to the world.
