My journey into movement

Beginnings 

I started taking steps and making life-changing choices that supported my dream of pursuing a career as a yoga facilitator back in 2007. I started dipping myself into the pool of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga and occasionally, Yin yoga. The transformative power of a daily Ashtanga practice (from the Sanskrit root ashta, meaning eight), really got me hooked for about eight years. Back at that time, I choose to label myself as a yoga instructor because I started teaching yoga to others and because asana practice was my main interest and most dedicated physical activity. Today, my interest is grown and so is my practice. I find my approach to be more wholistic and comprehensive and my teaching and physical practice isn't just limited to asana.

In koh Samui. Pic by Sarah Pierroz

By the end of that eight-year-cycle of a dedicated six-days-a-week Ashtanga yoga practice, I started to open up. I began to explore and integrate other forms of asana and movement into my daily sadhana. I also started to question which direction I wanted to go regarding my yoga practice in the future. Did I want to keep following a single path, or did I want to widen my scope and explore new horizons instead? Perhaps due to my adventurous and daring nature, I felt more inclined towards the latter.

Around December of 2015, I was working for Samahita retreat and we were training hard and getting ready to “come out of the closet,” by launching a new fitness-and-yoga-integrated-program called Yoga-Core-Cycle. Right from the beginning of 2016, I started teaching functional fitness, conditioning training and indoor cycle classes on a daily basis and that required me to practice, learn and understand more about fitness. From 2015 to 2017, besides taking two yoga teacher trainings with Kaivalyadhama and YogaMedicine,I also received my fitness certification as an ACE personal trainer.

Giving a PT to my friend at the park. Pic by P'Not

I am a Student First

I see myself as a student first and foremost. I nurture my inspiration by practicing and training every day and by studying with and learning from others through different mediums.

Moving with awareness is the common denominator of mostly everything that I teach today. Holding space for mind-body-spirit practices that empower people to reach their full potential is an important part of my job. Because I am teaching on a daily basis, I make it a point to keep learning, so that I can serve others as best as I can.

Presenting my yoga and movement class at AFC in Oct. 2018. Pic by AFC

In October 2018 I went to an amazing event called The Asia Fitness Conference (AFC) in Bangkok, Thailand. I meet incredible teachers like LawrenceBiscontini, Peter Twist, Jenn Hall and BenjaminSiong amongst so many others, who truly motivated me to improving myself as an instructor and to work towards mastering the craft of teaching. I have so many great take-aways from the conference and being there really reaffirmed that I am walking on the right path today.

Three pearls of wisdom that I got from AFC came in the form of insightful quotes from some of the teachers and presenters mentioned above. These quotes deeply resonated with me on so many levels. Knowledge is power and I chose to apply these pearls of wisdom to my career development, my teaching and my own growth as a teacher.

“When the tide rises, all the boats in the bay come up together” –LB

“You are as strong as your weakest link” –BS

“Be willing to open and shift” –PT

Pic. By AFC at AFC 2018

Moving forward

I will be back at Samahita retreat on February as a guest teacher sharing everything that I have learnt about fitness and movement over the last few years. I will be co-teaching what is going to be a very special yoga and fitness retreat with my friend and fellow teacher Summer. I am so looking forward to it and in a way, coming back to teach at the place where I first started teaching fitness feels like closing a circle.

Swinging kettlebells at Samahita. Pic by Sarah Pierroz

I will be leading the afternoon sessions, which will combine mobility, functional training, conditioning training, cardio, resistance training, coordination exercises and calisthenics. Interval training with the indoor bicycles (with motivational playlists) will be another key component in this retreat, as well as covering the basics and progressions with TRX, Kettlebells and Bosu balls. Each afternoon will finish with some partner super stretching (Thai style) and/or some yogic restorative practice. During our sessions we will also play with creativity and exploring movement in experimental ways.

Super stretching, a technique we will practice at the retreat

TRX plank to pike is helpful for armbalances. We will practice this at the retreat  

Are you willing to open and shift? I can’t wait to share all of it with you as for me,

“When the tide rises all the boats in the bay (including the teacher’s one!) come up together.” Are you ready to find your weakest link and strengthen the body from the core out?

Then come and join us! My intention is to be educative and FUN!

P.S. If you want to have a taste of my teaching style, check the video below, where I am sharing a tutorial on how to do pelvic tilts, an exercise that will make your core strong from the inside-out.

Author: Manu Molina de la Torre

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Thanks for the help editing Summer Dien.

Pic. By Sarah Pierroz