Mind, body, spirit — yoga is a holistic experience for many. But did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your spiritual nature?

the physical

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

it is an ebb and flow between these balances, that why I practice daily

How long have you practiced yoga?

17 years

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

1 year

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Anusara

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

settling the mind is the most challenging and getting into poses was easiest

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

everyone is different but I think the general theme is getting the mind in alignment

What are the more difficult poses for beginners to execute?

forward fold, downward dog

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

proprioception and learning how to move my body from the inside and knowing what muscles need strength and length to get me into a pose

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

walking meditation

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I hike 5 miles a day at 8200 ft

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which poses and where?

yes, handstands, splits and forward folds

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

outdoors

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — yoga is a holistic experience for many. But did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

I don’t remember why, but I was fascinated by yoga long before I stepped onto the mat for the first time — in the end, I did it to find peace within and lower my stress and anxiety levels

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

they are all more in balance now — I’m learning about who I am at my core and in my heart — that’s the most important thing for me

How long have you been practicing yoga, and how frequently do you practice now?

I started practicing about 7 years ago — now I do it every morning — it’s such a beautiful way to wake up my body and mind

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

just 1-1/2 years — that voice inside me told me that I should go for it – so I did!

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

I switch between vinyasa and yin — they complete each other perfectly

When you first took up yoga, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

I’ve never been flexible (I could barely reach down to my knees when I started) — so the biggest challenge for me was to accept that I would never be the most flexible person in the room

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

this is a tough one — I think the biggest challenges for beginners is the mind – especially when it comes to not comparing yourself with others — the easiest might actually be the physical aspect – managing and getting used to the poses

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

it’s definitely the spiritual aspect — yoga has taught (and still is teaching) me who I am and what my purpose in life is — this has led to less anxiety and stress, and more self love and acceptance

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

meditation and hiking — I’m born and raised in the north of Norway, so I’ve grown up being out in nature — it’s my other passion in life besides yoga

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I run and do strength training twice a week

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

oh yes! — I love stretching while watching TV — tree pose is also something I do quite often when I talk to people without even recognizing it myself

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

outdoors — no question about it!

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit. But did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your spiritual nature?

I was an athlete and I just started my own business — I needed both to balance out my body physically but was also needing a new approach to stress management — yoga did the trick — I was drawn to the discipline of Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

it is definitely balanced — I am as dedicated to my pranayama and meditation practice as to my asana practice — my life is guided by yoga philosophy

How long have you been practicing yoga?

25 years

How frequently do you practice now?

daily, but it varies as to what on each day

How long did you practice yoga before you started teaching it?

four years

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Ashtanga, Vinyasa Flow

When you first took up yoga, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

committing to the practice was easiest — finding the time was hardest

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

it’s easy to just do poses, hard to focus the mind and connect to the breath

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

yoga is life changing and the practice is about an unremitting attention to the present moment experience — it has changed my body, mind, personal relationships, and taught me how to handle the roller coaster of life — it also set ethical standards for myself and how I care for others

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

yes, I practice Insight Meditation and Pranayama and Ayurveda

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which poses and where?

sure — tree pose in the kitchen — pigeon in front of the TV

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

a well designed minimalist indoor space

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

[editor’s note: congratulations to Annette Wardell for winning a national competition to become The Face of Vegan Happy Clothing]

Yoga is a holistic experience for many — mind, body, spirit. But did one element or another first draw you to the practice? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

I was initially attracted to yoga as a means of calming both body and mind during rehearsal periods and before performances — the pranayama is a wonderful way of anchoring the diaphragm, so essential to healthy and sustained singing

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

now all yogic elements are equally important — mind, body and spirit are inextricably linked through regular self practise — as a long time vegan, one of the core yogic teachings or yamas, Ahimsa, has become one of the most treasured elements of my daily life and of my yoga practise

How long have you been practicing yoga?

I’ve been practising yoga in one form or another for about ten years

How frequently do you practice now?

I try to practise every day now, although with a hectic performing career this isn’t always easy — I take a travel yoga mat with me everywhere I go, so that even in far flung hotel rooms practise is always possible

How does yoga affect your life as a professional opera singer?

yoga has enhanced my life as an opera singer immeasurably — it has strengthened my balance and core, my breath control has improved-hugely important for opera singers, and connecting to my calming breath has banished any lingering nerves forever!

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

Vinyasa is my go to, but I have been known to glow my way through an Ashtanga class or two

When you first took up yoga, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

as someone with a super active mind, blocking out distractions and calming my inner voice has always been challenging for me — I’m hyper mobile, so the physical challenges of yoga feel relatively easy compared to the mental ones

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

the benefits of regular yoga practise have been incredible — better quality sleep, stronger core and balance, lower blood pressure, stronger muscles and and a much calmer, relaxed outlook

For you, what are the benefits of classes at a studio or with a group vs practicing yoga at home?

I love the social aspect of group classes, and having an expert on hand to realign, check postures and lead is great — but due to the nature of my job, solitary practise has become the norm, and I treasure the peace and tranquility which comes with it

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

I meditate regularly using the Breethe app, and as an opera singer I have a set of fabulous breathing exercises which I use before singing practise and as stand alone exercises

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

I’m always moving into random yoga poses at home — wheel pose during TV adverts, tree pose when I’m waiting for the kettle to boil, and a strange variation of warrior while I brush my teeth

You have a choice: take part in a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

I’d much rather take a class outdoors surrounded by nature — there’s something about connecting to the elements that is ultimately spiritual and incredibly freeing — any distractions seem much easier to ignore when they are part of a bigger natural soundscape

—interview © Marshal Zeringue

Mind, body, spirit — did one element or another first draw you to yoga? That is, were you seeking to settle your mind? Have greater physical flexibility? Explore your true, spiritual nature?

saw an article in Seventeen Magazine (when I was fourteen) and was immediately curious about the meditative and spiritual aspects of the practice, as well as the toning of my body

How about now: does yoga feed your mind or your body or your spirit more, or are those elements more in balance than when you started?

definitely feeds my spirit the most as I have been practicing mostly mantra & sacred sound in my personal practice … however I always begin with simple asana and grounding techniques prior to mantra practice

How long have you been practicing yoga?

since I was 14 … got serious at around 19, and now I am 42

How long did you practice before you began teaching yoga?

nine years of practicing regularly whether in classes or with books, and about 4 years of dabbling before that

Do you have a preferred yoga style?

my lineage home is Viniyoga or Yoga of TKV Desikachar — I like (and teach) a low intensity flowing asana practice — as I mentioned I have been more in study and practice of Nada Yoga, the Yoga of Sound and somewhat recently completed another 200 hour teacher training at Nada Yoga School in Rishikesh India (2020)

When you were starting out, what came easiest and what was more challenging?

holding the posture was easiest, settling the mind/blocking out distractions was (and still is) the most challenging

From your experience as a teacher, can you generalize about what comes easiest for beginners and what is more challenging?

I find that there is no straight answer to that as every individual is different — someone may have an injury or be going through something heavy and that will affect the whole practice — someone may be entirely athletic but often dissociative or unable to connect with the breath — someone may try yoga for the first time when they are pregnant — to generalize, I would say postures are easiest, but calming the random fluctuations of the mind (goals!) would be the most challenging

What have been the greatest benefits of yoga for you?

keeping ego in check, whether in a grandiose way, or a self-loathing way — reminders of unity, reminder of non-attachment — also, indeed, less inflammation, stress relief, less body pain

Apart from yoga, do you practice other techniques of mindfulness or meditation?

absolutely ~ as yoga has many limbs beyond the physical practice … the first two limbs I love to explore ~ svadhyaya (self reflection), isvara pranidhana (surrender) … and mantra practice as already mentioned, yoga nidra, goddess sadhana…

Do you regularly do other forms of exercise?

I am a runner and do a 5k almost every day — completed 3 marathons and probably 10 half marathons — lately I’ve been loving free weights

Outside of a yoga session, do you ever just strike a pose and stretch? If so, which pose(s) and where?

definitely — I love clasping my hands in a bind behind my back and folding forward extending my arms behind me (chest expansion) — random pigeon poses and hamstring stretches and prep for natarajasana (dancer) to get into the quadriceps post run

You have a choice: lead a yoga class (1) outdoors on a beautiful day, overlooking the ocean, or (2) in a well-designed, very comfortable minimalist indoor space. Which do you pick?

100% outdoors overlooking the ocean — going there in my mind right now! — but wait … be here now!

—interview © Marshal Zeringue