This was an interview done by The Center Downtown where I teach an ongoing weekly Kundalini Yoga class and have done multiple KY workshops over the years. I’ve been teaching there since 2012. This interview was done as part of The Center’s “Teacher Feature” outreach.
How long have you been practicing yoga? What kind of yoga do you practice? How has your practice influenced your life?
I'll start by saying that I have been a "seeker" ever since I can recall, and way before I even knew what I was looking for. So over the years, I've tried a bunch of different yogas and investigated a bunch of different paths....all of which had merit, but still weren't 'IT' for me. A friend told me of this "weird" yoga called Kundalini Yoga back in 1992, when I was still living in my native home of Trinidad. So I checked out a class. That day, I happened to be the only student in the class and it was held in a front yard, in full view of people walking or driving by. Despite being totally outside my comfort zone, I was forever "hooked" and it pretty much became the yoga of my heart. Since then, I've had periods of intense practice and periods of drought, when foolishly, I would get distracted by all the "doing" of life and forget about its primary purpose of "being"...but I thank my lucky stars that it always seemed to reach in and rescue me in the desert and I would come back to it with renewed appreciation. Over the past years, out of what I can best describe as a "soul longing", my practice has intensified. I completed a formal KY Teacher's Training program and by sheer grace, found myself a part of the teaching yoga community at The Center. I would say that my practice IS my life, not just an influence on it and I understand that the deeper I go, the deeper there is to go. I am very excited to see where the journey takes me. Ultimately, I have the intuition that it can take me Home to my highest self and allow me to fulfill my greatest potential.
What was your first experience with yoga like? What drew you back to practice?
Oh oh....I think I've "done gone" and answered these questions in my rambling answer to the first. See above :-). Additionally, I am a dentist and own my own shop. And I've done two specific advanced training programs and been through a LOT of school. All this provided, and still does, in the practice of my craft, some pretty intense stressors. Were it not for coming back again and again to my core Kundalini yogic practices: pranayama, kriya, meditations....I honestly think I would have totally crashed and burned by now.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your teaching and personal practice?
My primary inspiration on both counts is the life of my Teacher, Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini Yoga to the West in 1968. He was the first teacher to openly share these ancient and very powerful techniques. Prior to this, they were held secret and available to only a privileged few. He did this at the cost of great personal sacrifice and tirelessly served the call he heard, with tremendous love. He walked the walk: practiced what the preached. His prayer was that each of his students, then, now and in the future, would be AT LEAST 10 times greater that he was. Now that's a mighty tall order...which pushes me (a good kind of push) to be true to my personal practice. It is clear to me that I cannot authentically teach what I do not try to do and implement in my own day to day life. My secondary inspiration draws from every one of my students and all others who come in to my sphere from day-to-day: they are also my teachers. Third, I get immeasurable inspiration from the writings of other seekers, poets and saints of all paths.
What do you do outside of teaching, for fun?
Oy vey! Really too much to list! My biggies, not in order of significance: I am a voracious reader, an avid wanderer on planet earth, a grateful aficionado of healthy, healing food, I love to bake and cook, love to feed people, love to hike, love to garden organically, love to love, love life.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Yes. We used to sing this in kindergarten in Trinidad....here's the main line from it: "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, all the time, all the time....". So the thing I want to add is: we are each of us, in our essence, the pure light of consciousness, the force and the face of Good on this planet. "Shining" is not just something we need to do so we can be happy, it is actually the responsibility that comes with the blessing of this human life with which we've been gifted. So I feel like the key is: spend the time to find your path, serve it with discipline and devotion, make compassion toward all other beings your goal and enjoy the heck out of your allotted trips around the sun!
"Shh...no more words
Hear only the voice within.
Remember, the first thing He said was:
We are beyond words." Rumi.
I hope to see you at Kundalini Yoga class, workshop or retreat sometime soon! - SA
I'll start by saying that I have been a "seeker" ever since I can recall, and way before I even knew what I was looking for. So over the years, I've tried a bunch of different yogas and investigated a bunch of different paths....all of which had merit, but still weren't 'IT' for me. A friend told me of this "weird" yoga called Kundalini Yoga back in 1992, when I was still living in my native home of Trinidad. So I checked out a class. That day, I happened to be the only student in the class and it was held in a front yard, in full view of people walking or driving by. Despite being totally outside my comfort zone, I was forever "hooked" and it pretty much became the yoga of my heart. Since then, I've had periods of intense practice and periods of drought, when foolishly, I would get distracted by all the "doing" of life and forget about its primary purpose of "being"...but I thank my lucky stars that it always seemed to reach in and rescue me in the desert and I would come back to it with renewed appreciation. Over the past years, out of what I can best describe as a "soul longing", my practice has intensified. I completed a formal KY Teacher's Training program and by sheer grace, found myself a part of the teaching yoga community at The Center. I would say that my practice IS my life, not just an influence on it and I understand that the deeper I go, the deeper there is to go. I am very excited to see where the journey takes me. Ultimately, I have the intuition that it can take me Home to my highest self and allow me to fulfill my greatest potential.
What was your first experience with yoga like? What drew you back to practice?
Oh oh....I think I've "done gone" and answered these questions in my rambling answer to the first. See above :-). Additionally, I am a dentist and own my own shop. And I've done two specific advanced training programs and been through a LOT of school. All this provided, and still does, in the practice of my craft, some pretty intense stressors. Were it not for coming back again and again to my core Kundalini yogic practices: pranayama, kriya, meditations....I honestly think I would have totally crashed and burned by now.
Where do you draw inspiration from for your teaching and personal practice?
My primary inspiration on both counts is the life of my Teacher, Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini Yoga to the West in 1968. He was the first teacher to openly share these ancient and very powerful techniques. Prior to this, they were held secret and available to only a privileged few. He did this at the cost of great personal sacrifice and tirelessly served the call he heard, with tremendous love. He walked the walk: practiced what the preached. His prayer was that each of his students, then, now and in the future, would be AT LEAST 10 times greater that he was. Now that's a mighty tall order...which pushes me (a good kind of push) to be true to my personal practice. It is clear to me that I cannot authentically teach what I do not try to do and implement in my own day to day life. My secondary inspiration draws from every one of my students and all others who come in to my sphere from day-to-day: they are also my teachers. Third, I get immeasurable inspiration from the writings of other seekers, poets and saints of all paths.
What do you do outside of teaching, for fun?
Oy vey! Really too much to list! My biggies, not in order of significance: I am a voracious reader, an avid wanderer on planet earth, a grateful aficionado of healthy, healing food, I love to bake and cook, love to feed people, love to hike, love to garden organically, love to love, love life.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Yes. We used to sing this in kindergarten in Trinidad....here's the main line from it: "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, all the time, all the time....". So the thing I want to add is: we are each of us, in our essence, the pure light of consciousness, the force and the face of Good on this planet. "Shining" is not just something we need to do so we can be happy, it is actually the responsibility that comes with the blessing of this human life with which we've been gifted. So I feel like the key is: spend the time to find your path, serve it with discipline and devotion, make compassion toward all other beings your goal and enjoy the heck out of your allotted trips around the sun!
"Shh...no more words
Hear only the voice within.
Remember, the first thing He said was:
We are beyond words." Rumi.
I hope to see you at Kundalini Yoga class, workshop or retreat sometime soon! - SA