Surfer and Yogini
From Italy and now surfing her way around NZ, Rachele has proven to herself what a committed and trusting approach to yoga does. Very inspiring! Bravo!
What steps do you take to include yoga in your daily routine?
The first step was the integration of my sadhana (personal yoga practice), twice a week, this was an anchor for me, a safe place I was coming every Wednesday and Sunday at 7am. I arrived on the mat with the same practice but always with different energy and I was always leaving with new discoveries. It never felt the same! Shortly after, that anchor needed to be with me more regularly and I started (with the suggestion of my teacher) to practice one pranayama 10 minutes a day, every day. Six months after this journey I intuitively integrated yoga in my life every day. I was still doing my full sadhana (and yes sometimes I have skipped it and I felt the results) and on the other days, even if for only 20 minutes, I let yoga be part of my day. Teaching is also a way to include yoga in my life, I try the classes on me and this inspires me for sure! Inspiration for me comes also from exposing myself to things I have never done before; new chants, guided meditations, different yoga nidras and lately candle gazing and neti!
The biggest inspiration is the shift of energy I get from practicing. Even though sometimes this is not a positive energy, I have learnt to appreciate the messages my body/breath or mind are sending me!
In what ways do you demonstrate that you care for, and appreciate others?
Tricky question! I actually think sometimes I don't do as much as I should, however the best way I demonstrate I care is by listening and offering my time to someone, without restrictions and without interference.
I need to learn a lot and definitely appreciation is one of those things. When I think about appreciating someone I feel like acceptance comes to play too, and to really appreciate someone is accepting also their, maybe different, point of view or ways to deal with stuff! There is never one way only - a right or wrong! THANK GOD otherwise, what a boring world!
Would you like to share a story about your teacher training?
A story?! That whole training is a story ahahah! But if I have to choose, this will be it:
It will always be in my heart and always resonate in that space, the first time EVER I chanted in my life. We sat together in a circle when we met in person and all chanted together Aum three times. The vibrations, the sense of union, the freedom and the joy I felt was all integrated with myself and with others. From then on everytime I chant Aum I bring back in my memories those feelings. I feel as if my roots are again connected to a stable, solid ground.
Again an unshakable anchor yoga brought into my life!
At what moment did you decide you wanted to teach yoga? I decided to teach yoga when I found that I was holding myself back from something that I actually really wanted to share with others. It had been so revolutionary and good in my life. I thought I wasn't ready, I wasn't good enough, I wasn't fluid like other teachers because of my accent. Therefore people would find it hard to understand me. But all of those reasons where just excuses for my fear of failure. I am so joyful and proud of myself to have let that fear go and start a whole new journey. I'll not consider teaching yoga as a job, as I always thought of the word job as something you do because you have to. I have been and will be teaching yoga because I want and love to!