Join my special guest, Troy Hadeed for this special podcast episode titled Natural Mystic in the Caribbean. Learn Troy’s secrets to a developing a successful and inspirational yoga practice. He joins us from the island of Trinidad and shares his passion for yoga and life.
While his Asana practice only began about 15 years ago the underlying teachings of ‘living yoga’ have been a part of his life as long as he can remember. In the last decade he had the honor to further his study, practice, and teaching under the guidance of amazing teachers like Ryan Leier, Seane Corn, Father Joe Pereira (Iyengar Yoga), Baron Baptiste, Srivatsa Ramaswami (Vinyasa Krama), Leslie Kaminoff, Jess Robertson, and Ted Grand…among others. To these teachers, Troy bows in humility and expresses his gratitude.
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Meet Adam Husler. A yoga teacher based in England who teaches yoga around the world. Inspired by a fascination with anatomy, Adam specialises in Alignment-Based Vinyasa Yoga, informed by years of study and with Jason Crandell, and assisting him on a number of advanced teacher trainings.
How do you go about continuing your education in anatomy?
Adam’s tips for teaching yoga.
The challenges of getting sponsorships.
Based in London, Adam teaches a robust schedule in one of the worlds top yoga studios, Triyoga, and renown gym, Equinox. On top of this, Adam leads workshops, trainings and teaches festivals continuously around the world, leaving him with thousands of teaching hours under his belt and plenty of appearances in national and international media.
During this podcast Adam shares his love for Vinyasa yoga on this vinyasa yoga podcast. Adam is an english yoga teacher who specializes in alignment based yoga practices and is experienced teaching yoga for beginners. Join this yoga podcast conversation led by Todd McLaughlin yoga. Native Yoga Toddcast is recorded at Native Yoga Center in Juno Beach, Florida. During this yoga podcast free episode Adam shares what it is like to be a traveling yoga teacher. Adam offers Yoga teacher training and yoga teacher tutorials that help make accessible yoga available for all. We hope you enjoy this conversation and share it with your friends.
New Student Livestream Special ~ Try 2 Weeks of Free Unlimited Livestream Yoga Classes at Native Yoga Center. Sign into the classes you would like to take and you will receive an email 30 minutes prior to join on Zoom. The class is recorded and uploaded to nativeyogaonline.com ~ Click Here to join.
New Student FREE 30 Minute Yoga Meet & Greet ~ Are you new to Native Yoga Center and have questions that you would like us to address? Whether you are coming to In Studio, Livestream or Online Recorded Classes we offer a one time complimentary 30 minute zoom meeting to answer any questions you may have. Schedule a time that is convenient for you. Click Here
Join in listening to this wonderful conversation I had the pleasure of having with Christina D’Arrigo. Christina is a Mom and a Yoga Teacher from New York.
About Christina My name is Christina, I’m a native New Yorker, and I’m the yoga teacher over here at ChriskaYoga. I have a background in dance having studied movement all my life, and along with my 500 hour Yoga Teaching certification in the YogaWorks Method, I also have a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in dance and choreography.
You said you published three books, what are the other two that you wrote?
Christina D’Arrigo
So the second book was a chair yoga book. So basically yoga in a chair all sequences that take place, seated in or be seated in a chair, or, you know, standing next to a chair and things like that, using the chair as an aide to get into the poses, basically, for anybody with mobility issues, or any any injuries. Yeah, things like that. And then the third book was a pelvic floor book. So basically all about pelvic floor yoga, and how to strengthen your pelvic floor how to release if it’s too, you know, tense, any? Yeah, recovery from pelvic floor trauma, injury to the area, things like that.
Todd McLaughlin
With your dance background, is that something that was taught to you when you were going through dance training? Or is that something that you became more aware of in your yoga practice and training?
Christina D’Arrigo
It definitely was a part of the dance training. For sure. Actually, along with yoga, dance training, we also do a lot of Pilates. So it was actually more strongly emphasized in our Pilates kind of supplementation to the dance training. So I do have that as a, I had that in the back of my head as well. But the poses are fairly similar. It’s just a different. Yeah, totally different thing. Got it. Yeah. The dance training helped a lot.
Todd McLaughlin
That’s cool. Did you said you dance professionally, when you were a child? I’m just trying to imagine. Does that mean like in plays, or for television, and TV? Or movies? Or?
Christina D’Arrigo
I was a part of a dance of ballet company as a child. So we did stage work. Yeah.
Todd McLaughlin
Do do any work currently with dancers outside of the yoga realm? Or have you have you transitioned fully from the dance world?
Christina D’Arrigo
Yeah, I’m no longer involved with dance. Which I mean, in a sense of staff, but you know, that was one part of my life. And then I moved on.
Todd McLaughlin
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. That’s cool. Did Did you ever injuries in the dance world? Had you ever sustained in your or suffered any?
Christina D’Arrigo
Yeah, dance is intense. Being a dancer is very difficult on the body, especially ballet. So when I was young, I think I was in high school. I had my first kind of real injury, where I had a knee issue. It was tendinitis in the than the kneecap. So yeah, it was tough. And you have to do a lot of physical therapy around that. And then I had some hip injuries and things like that. So yeah, that being a dancer is tough on the body. But then in college, I discovered yoga and it definitely helped. And the yoga and pilates also really helped with keeping my body injury free.
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Originally from Montreal, Quebec, and currently living in Vero Beach, Florida. Veronique studied theatre at Russell Sage College and discovered yoga as a way to calm her mind and feel good. With over 500 hours of training as a RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance), she is inspired off the mat to create unique and creative yoga classes. Classes are tailored based on the setting, students, and inspirational themes. Her goal is to empower and inspire her students to shine their light. She offers precise alignment cues, as well as modifications for students who are healing an injury or expressing beginner to advanced levels of practice. When guiding, she uses descriptive words and tune in to when to be silent, so that each student can simply breathe.
Welcome to Native Yoga Toddcast. I’m so excited to introduce to you Veronique Ory. She has a website yogawithveronique.com. She has an Instagram @VeronicaOry. All of those links are in the description below. She has a brand new book Shine On and Off the Mat, which we speak about during this podcast. Also, she has a virtual program called Coming Home. And she’s offering a yoga retreat in June down in Costa Rica. That sounds amazing. So I really enjoyed speaking with Veronique. She’s so nice. I loved it. I can’t wait for you to hear it. Let’s begin.
I’m so happy to have Veronique Ory here today. How are you?
Veronique Ory
I’m so well. How are you, Todd?
Todd McLaughlin
I’m doing really well. Thank you so much for joining me today on our podcast. I really appreciate it.
Veronique Ory
Thank you for having me.
Todd McLaughlin
I can hear some birds in the background. I can see you and I can see your house behind you…. but what are you looking at?
Veronique Ory
Yes, I’m facing this beautiful preserve. There’s a giant oak tree right in front of me that is protecting me with a beautiful orchid that’s in bloom attached to the side of it. And there’s amazing Cardinals and mockingbirds and all the Florida wildlife that emerges from the trees from time to time. Squirrels and bunnies and sometimes bobcats and armadillos.
Todd McLaughlin
Yes. That’s cool. And I noticed your dog came up to you since we’ve been chatting. Is that your dog?
Veronique Ory
Yes, my Yogi pet Bowery. He likes to sit with me when I am in baddha konasana, butterfly pose. He thinks that is the perfect place to sit on my meditation cushion with me.
Todd McLaughlin
That’s great. You would have to pay someone to assist you like that normally, but it sounds like you have a full time personal assistant.
Veronique Ory
Yeah, yeah, we have a fine exchange going on.
Todd McLaughlin
Nice. I was really excited to see that you’re located in Vero Beach, Florida. We’re not far away from each other. There’s so much building and development going on around here that the wildlife is getting pushed out. To hear beautiful bird sounds like that I’d maybe think you are in Costa Rica or down in the Amazon or something. To hear that you’re right here in Florida and there’s so many birds in the background reminds me of how much natural beauty there is here in Florida. You’re originally from Canada, is that correct?
Veronique Ory
Yes, Montreal in Quebec.
Todd McLaughlin
How did you make your way to Florida?
Veronique Ory
Oh, my so many different cities along the way. I was
In a theatre company called Athena theatre and was very much immersed in the arts, which then led me to New York City for nine years. When I was in the world of immersion and a vibrant and energetic feeling that was so alive with all the different languages and feeling so just lit up by culture and all that there is to explore I also was confronted with a lot of anxiety. And as I found yoga and was getting older and really was craving the house with the yard and a bit of sunshine boost. I’ve landed in Florida four years ago, just really wanting that upgrade and quality of life. I really feel that Vero Beach is just so peaceful. It’s such a quaint little beach town and I really love it here.
Todd McLaughlin
I love Vero! My son and I will go up there and go surfing. The waves are often a little bit better up there. Depending upon which angle the swell it can vary greatly in relation to here in Palm Beach County. I love taking a road trip to Vero. It always feels a little bit more like Old Florida to me when I go there.
Veronique Ory
Hmm, cool. Yeah, it’s, it’s a little tucked away. And it’s a little bit far from the major airports. So it isn’t so congested, like the major cities on the east coast of Florida in particular, I’ve noticed though people have started to fly down. The snowbirds are definitely here in full effect. This year I’ve been definitely feeling the difference for sure.
Todd McLaughlin
Big time. I mean, the weather here right now is so amazing. Like lately, the skies have been like crystal clear blue. And it’s like in the high 70s. It’s been absolutely amazing. So I agree the traffic is just so much more intense right now because of it.
Veronique Ory
Yeah. Yeah, there’s definitely a trend of wanting to embrace more sunshine. It definitely affects the way that you just stand and breathe and walk around. Yeah, I was marveling yesterday walking Bowery, like, there isn’t a single cloud in the sky. Am I living in a reality?
Todd McLaughlin
Was the weather absolutely amazing yesterday or what? I was like, Oh my gosh, I had that kind of moment, like, so nice. I agree. I agree. When did yoga come into the picture?
Veronique Ory
2012 is when it really landed. I had sort of nibbles over the years and I really came into it in 2012. At the sort of wake of Hurricane Sandy in New York City where all the subways closed down and we were just holed up in our apartment just waiting for the sign that it was safe to move around. And the yoga studio called the Yoga Room in Astoria and Queens opened up and my roommate Matt at the time said, “Do you want to go to this class?” And it was just sort of like this off handed…. Do you want to do this? And he probably could have said anything. And I would have been like, Yeah, let’s go. And it was one of those everything in life coming together kind of moments. That class rocked me to my core, it was so beautifully done. And one of those moments, you know, for anyone who’s landed into this sphere, it’s like you show up and you’re like, how did this teacher know exactly what I needed to hear at this precise moment, and I just signed up for a 30 day unlimited pass on the spot. And I just thought I want to feel like this all of my days. And I’ve been really into that rhythm ever since.
Todd McLaughlin
That’s cool. What type of practice was it?
Veronique Ory
It was a Vinyasa style class for the first 60 minutes and then the ending 30 minutes was restorative. And so we were just snuggled up with bolsters and blankets and just steeping in all of the movement that we moved through.
Todd McLaughlin
Very cool. Did you have like an emotional experience? Sometimes a lot of people will talk about the first time they go into Savasana after their first yoga class….. that they’ll have like a coming home experience and or feel their senses in a way that they’ve never felt? Can you explain a little bit more what you remember of that first practice?
Veronique Ory
Absolutely, I felt so much during that time because I was operating at such a high functioning, stress building rhythm. And I very much attribute myself lovingly as Type A, OCD and high achieving. I wanted to do all of the things and check off all of the tasks. And I think because I had been operating at that pace for so long, it wasn’t until I slowed down that I was able to objectively see how very much that this lifestyle isn’t healthy or sustainable in the long term at all. And I realized how much of those emotions I was storing in my body. And so much of what I’d call happiness, or my level of contentment was like so much in relationship to validation outside of myself, being in the entertainment industry. If I would receive praise in one moment I would be feeling jubilation. Then someone could give me shade and I would be wrecked. This could happen in like a 15 minute window where like I’m so ecstatic one moment, and then like bawling on the floor, in my kitchen like a puddle the next moment. And I think, you know, depending on any industry one is in, there could be that tendency you know. Like you’re seeking a raise, or you’re seeking a kind word from your boss, or whatever it is. And it’s like, when we’re constantly reaching for something outside of ourselves, we are really giving our light and our magic away. And also just like, playing with that area of where our own control habits reside. It’s really, really toxic, ultimately, in terms of finding that sense of peacefulness, and remembering what it is to actually be in this deep contentment. That is devoid of the exterior, which is, you know, so much easier said than done. But, you know, it was some of the things that started to kind of plant the seed in those regards of moving through these emotions. Unlocking so much stress and anxiety and also like, really noticing where the triggers show up. The triggers are like very at the surface when you’re living in an urban environment in particular, because you’re just like, wrestled, and sort of jostled, and with so much different energy all of the time that if you’re an empath, or you know, in tune with other people’s emotions even a little bit, you know, as human beings, we’re sponges, we tend to like pick up on the energy that we surround ourselves with. And so to be in that frequency for an extended period of time, the yoga practice was just like, so soothing. And it was just this amazing breath of fresh air. I could feel a resonant connection to the breath. I don’t know that I was breathing with any kind of awareness until then. And the breath part was actually also one of the main components that really awakened a lot of my personal yoga practice as well.
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Yoga makes me happy because every time I practice, I feel lighter and more calm.
Watch this video so I can share with you reasons why I think yoga can make you happy too.
Before I started to practice yoga, I was very unhappy. I went through a very difficult time in my life. And when I started practicing yoga a little over 30 years ago, I noticed that I began to be able to change my negative thinking into positive thinking. And that simple shift created such a profound change for me in my life. So through a consistent yoga practice, Yoga has brought me tremendous happiness.
So you might be thinking, I’d like to feel some happiness, too. So I just want to share a few reasons why I think yoga can bring about more happiness.
The first reason that I think yoga helps to make me happy is breath and movement. The simplicity of practicing yoga, creating exercise, and coordinating the breath in the movement always has a profound effect on my nervous system, my mood and my general well being. Plus, yoga is designed to improve longevity. And it really is aimed at harnessing the fullness of our human potential.
The second reason yoga makes me happy is that it forces me to take my mind and place it on an object and an object of concentration. The practice of holding attention steady, at a single point of concentration has a profound effect on mood and overall sense of well being.
The third reason that yoga makes me happy is that every time I feel aches and pains, the yoga practice helps me to do something proactive to actually change the situation.
Four, I love sharing yoga. It brings me so much joy. The act of sharing the yoga practice brings me so much happiness.
And the fifth reason that I know yoga makes me happy is that it gives me a profound sense of purpose. Having a daily practice and staying consistent to my practice really helps me to stay focused on something that’s positive and consistent. Through this process of maintaining consistent practice, and really developing a sense of purpose gives me a reason to get on the mat every day.
I know that when I practice, I feel better. So the simple act of just getting on the mat no matter what can cultivate commitment. And whether it’s sitting on a cushion and practicing meditation or getting on the yoga mat and practicing yoga asana. If it’s just simply working with the breathing or, on some days I just lay down on my back and practice Shavasana.
By putting my attention into the practice and maintaining consistency gives me a sense of purpose. I believe that through sense of purpose, immense happiness is available for all of us.
That’s why I want to share the Yoga with you and make it accessible for you. You can join me every day here at Native Yoga Center via our two weeks free, unlimited live stream yoga special for those of you that are new to us here.
Check out the links below and join in and come practice. Just start breathing and moving and bringing your attention to a point of concentration. Start to observe how by taking care of your aches and pains and actually doing something proactive and the art of sharing and when you start to feel the joy and the happiness that comes from practicing yoga, your friends and family will feel that to.
You’ll get a sense of the fact that you’re spreading a little bit of positivity in the world, which double feedback loops into your own happiness. And also just keeping your focus and feeling a sense of purpose and all of these things included can be found by just simply getting on your mat.
So if you need some assistance or you need some help, just start practicing and we’re here for you.
If anything I mentioned here makes sense to you remember to leave a comment below and I will happily answer you back. Remember… just keep practicing!
New Student Livestream Special ~ Try 2 Weeks of Free Unlimited Livestream Yoga Classes at Native Yoga Center. Sign into the classes you would like to take and you will receive an email 30 minutes prior to join on Zoom. The class is recorded and uploaded to nativeyogaonline.com ~ Click Here to join.
New Student FREE 30 Minute Yoga Meet & Greet ~ Are you new to Native Yoga Center and have questions that you would like us to address? Whether you are coming to In Studio, Livestream or Online Recorded Classes we offer a one time complimentary 30 minute zoom meeting to answer any questions you may have. Schedule a time that is convenient for you. Click Here
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