Om

Photography @dianarothery

Welcome to my journey in yoga, massage, Pranassage®, and being a doula. I’m happy to share with you my experiences and expertise in each of these spaces. Scroll down to read about the path that led me to where I am today.

Namaste.

July/August 2009 – 200 Hour YTT

My initial 200 hour yoga teacher training was monumental. It’s amazing how a group of strangers can come together, with no idea what one month together can do – through morning Vedic fire ceremonies/meditations/Kirtan session in the cosmic temple downstairs, vigorous Ashtanga yoga practices, hours of studies and profound discussions on life and philosophies, Sanskrit studies and chanting, struggling through the discipline of sitting and listening and focusing, and of course deep bonding over meals, sun time, sharing and hugs… What a precious group of people and how grateful I feel for my teacher Clayton Horton for inspiring the start of my yoga teaching journey.

To you all, thank you, I love you.

Feb 2010 – Pranassage® Practitioner Training

My first trip to Nosara Costa Rica for my Pranassage® training… little did I know then that I was about to delve into a giant heart opening experience that would change the course of my life, that would keep me returning for years to come and inspire new adventures. How powerfully simple is the fact that our raw physical and energetic connection with other humans and nature can alchemize, to reveal the playfulness, curiosity, joy and love that is always there, ready to be unleashed. Receiving Pranassage® feels amazing, and so does being a Pranassage® practitioner.

Pura Vida!

Pranassage® – witness, trust, surrender

The effects of Pranassage® are best understood by receiving it. This form of yoga-inspired bodywork is a gem when it comes to balancing the body, mind, and energy for anyone, especially in this generation of effort, doing and achieving. It is underrated how important it is for us to commit to self-care in order to decompress from the daily stressors of our lives. Pranassage® quickly helps you witness where you are holding tension, because it requires you to trust and let go, to allow your body to be moved and stretched in a state of relaxation. Surrender doesn’t necessarily come naturally to most people, but with the help of Pranassage®, your body can reset to a state of bliss, as your mind releases fear and expectation and your energy is liberated leaving you feeling glorious. Prana is the boundless, fluid, radiating, vibrating energy of life that is always in us and around us when we take the time to unwind and notice. Like I said, this is all best understood by receiving it, so be a receiver of Pranassage® as soon as you can and transcend to your heightened state of awareness.

May 2012/2013 – Yin Yoga Teacher Trainings

My Yin Yoga teacher trainings with my incredible teachers Paul and Suzee Grilley changed the way I practice and teach yoga to this day.. The knowledge received about how different every body’s Anatomy is, is of utmost importance whether in Yin, or Yang practices. And the delicacy of tuning into subtle chi and chakra energies seemed to come a lot easier when we were immersed amongst the redwood mountains of Santa Cruz with such special people. When life gets hectic and a little stressful, I remember these times of “Yinning out” and I thank the Grilley’s for the insight they provided me to just let go and patiently observe the change.

September 2013 – Doula Training

I am so glad I followed my fascination with Birth, to be a part of this cozy and informative Doula training in the North Shore of Oahu, facilitated by MaternityWise®. This was the beginning of my doula journey to learn and grow from each and every Mama I had the honor of supporting. I learned that we can certainly offer plenty from our bag of doula tools and techniques, but the real power and magic is in the intuition, strength and courage of each Mama through her own birthing experience. Women are so powerful, intuitive, and full of Love. And babies are just the sweetest little wonders.

April 2011 – 500 Hour Certification

What an honor to receive my 500 Hr Teaching Certification, under the guidance of my teachers Don and Amba Stapleton. Nosara Costa Rica has a special place in my heart, where I’ve spent many winters/springs, where I would continue on to take multiple trainings and become an assistant teacher.. How I miss my walking meditations between yoga and surf sessions, where I pondered what my deeper purpose is and where I belong, where I’ve disconnected with societal expectations, where I felt immediately connected with raw jungle/ocean energy. It’s an indescribable feeling of vitality that doesn’t come as naturally in other places. Nosara Yoga Institute is no longer, but Don and Amba are now continuing to travel and carry on their powerful teachings under their renamed school of Self-Awakening Yoga®. And these sacred grounds on which we learned and lived yoga have now been transformed into another beautiful yoga resort, Bodhi Tree Yoga Resort.

June 2015 – LomiLomi Training

After graduation from my 600 Hour Massage Therapy program at Hawaii Healing Arts School in Kailua, Hawaii, I continued on to take a couple more massage courses including Lomilomi 1. In this photo, relishing in my tactile Hawaiian experience: hiked a bit up Tantalus with our Lomilomi class to find and handsaw our guava tree Lomi sticks of various sizes and shapes, then came back Kaneohe side to jump into a fresh water pond and mini waterfall, with a picnic lunch as we debarked our sticks and smoothed them down with lava rocks in the pond. I will forever cherish these fond memories of learning about massage and healing from great teachers (includes Nature too of course!) in the most magnificent of place on Earth.