More about Exotic Yoga Retreats: more about me!

I’ve just done a fun little interview with Exotic Yoga Retreats; always a good opportunity to pause in life and reflect. Here’s a little more about my upcoming retreats this summer and a little more about me!

What was your first experience with yoga and/or meditation? Did you know right away that it would become a big part of your life – or did it take a little time or a few tries?

Yoga and I did not become best friends right away! It look me a while to tune into her quieter, stronger voice. I had come from lifting weights and running, pushing hard through life. I was intrigued right away but until I experienced Yoga Nidra I didn’t really ‘get it’. After that I knew I was learning simply to relax, over and over again.

If you could only practice one yoga posture for a whole year, what would it be? Why?
Ardha chandrasana, half moon pose, without a shadow of doubt. When I’m in this pose I am flying. I am weightless, boundless and my free spirit is playfully expressing itself. On days when I need support I take it to the wall and I lie back and allow myself to be supported. If I’m full of life it completes me, if I’m dull and lacking zest it enthuses me, if I’m in need of calming it grounds me. I would have to add in a little down dog daily too, a few moments to come back to the quiet of myself.

What’s the strangest / craziest / funniest place you’ve ever done a yoga posture? And what pose was it?
Warrior II at the top of Hellfire Mountain, Dublin, Ireland, with my closest yoga friends in front of TV cameras! We were filming for ‘Nationwide’ and outdoor yoga at one of the most spectacular wildernesses overlooking Dublin City was the most apt place for our warriors to be expressed! The moment is captured for ever in the RTE archives.
http://www.rte.ie/news/player/nationwide/2015/0529/

What yoga asana is the most challenging for you? Why?

Upavishta Konasana: Seated wide-legged forward fold. I feel like an old lady in the pose! My ego wants to have my chest gracefully on the floor in front of me, my stubborn body remains firmly stuck and my breath saves me from the turmoil!

What was the first place outside of your home country that you traveled to?
As a tiny girl to Holland with my family for one of our regular visits to my Dad’s family. I grew up in Dublin, the lucky daughter of a very unconventional Dutch man and a very conventional Irish Catholic school teacher. I connected deeply to my home away from home and found my two cultures are endlessly intriguing … our similarities and our differences.

What place have you traveled to and can’t wait to visit again? Why?
Borgo Di Carpiano, Umbria, Italy, where we host our Italian Wine, Dine and Yoga Retreat. The place itself has a tranquility and a magic beyond anywhere I have been. The hosts, the food and the beauty of every single detail is a bubble of reality I could immerse myself in again and again. I can’t wait to go back this September!

Sylvia teaches live online yoga twice a week and monthly online workshops. You can find out more on the events and workshops page or sign up for her newsletter on her home page. Pre-recorded classes are available to you any time, you purchase once and own forever. If you’re new to Sylvia or back to yoga after a break we suggest Hatha Yoga to start. Bundles include the Zen Collection, a variety of classes for every mood, and the Daily Collection, five half-hour daily practices. Please inquire about virtual Mindfulness in the workplace. We remain very hopeful for a return to outdoor yoga in Spring Summer ’21. Join us!