I had Ashanti in mind for the site for a while now (as she is also a model) but once I found out she was also an avid yoga student, it became a national emergency that we get together for a shoot and a comprehensive interview. So I found myself at the En-Lighten Up Yoga Studio, in downtown San Ignacio a couple weeks ago and it was an amazing and enlightening experience (see what I did there :)).   

So how old are you?

A.G: I’m 20 years old

What are you taking at Galen?

A.G: I’m a fourth year student majoring in Anthropology and doing a minor in archaeology.

What made you get into yoga?

A.G: Well I’ve always been interested in being fit, so from a very young age I was involved in numerous forms of dance like ballet, modern, and hip-hop; however, many of my teachers eventually stopped offering their classes for various reasons and pretty soon there was no one to turn to  express my love for dance. So when I heard that a yoga studio was opening up in San Ignacio, I decided to give it a try and after my first class in February of 2010…I fell in love with it.

So you went from dancing to being calmer? Do you find that you can still express yourself artistically through yoga?

A.G: Yes, many of the poses in yoga can be performed through a flowing movement called Vinyasana.

 

So how often do you yoga?

A.G: Currently I do it once every other day but the ideal is to actually do it every day, because yoga is actually a life-style, it is not something that simply ends after taking an hour-and-a-half class.

Do you have a favourite pose?

A.G: Ha, naw I can’t pick just one, there are a few that I really love like Eka Hasta Bhujasana, also known as Elephant’s trunk pose.
Do you ever try to invent your own poses in your spare time?

A.G: Before, no, but recently yes. 

lol

A.G: for example, while practicing different variations of headstands, I just ended up trying something that looked like scorpion pose in headstand

Wow okay sounds dangerous

A.G: Haha it’s not at all.

So what are some of the benefits you’ve found by doing yoga?

A.G: Wow, that’s a very long list

Give me 5

A.G: Basically, the benefits can be divided into three categories: spiritual, mental and physical benefits. Physical benefits include things like increased flexibility, strength, coordination, and balance. Mental benefit is increased or improved concentration. A spiritual benefit is feeling peace within yourself and that is why this practice is so satisfying because it does not only attend to the body, but also the mind and the soul: the three components of a person.

Awesome

A.G: You really don’t know until you give it a try.

So how does the average person, who is not flexible or has a background in dance, start yoga and receive the same kind of benefits?

A.G: One of the beautiful things about yoga is that anyone can try it because there are different levels for example, my instructor, Kate Devine, offers gentle yoga, intermediate yoga, and vigorous yoga so an ‘average’ person would likely take a gentle class.

A.G: And even if the individual cannot perform the poses, there are always variations which may be easier for him or her to perform, which allows the person to receive almost the same benefits as though he/she was doing the full pose.

Ok ,no handstands needed right?

A.G: Haha…definitely no handstands in a gentle class. 

What role does yoga currently play in your life?

A.G: It plays a big role in my life…it is a practice I do to firstly overcome my current physical limitations because in the art of yoga, a weak body equals a weak spirit…so this disciplne strives to allow its students to master their bodies so that they can have strong minds and strong spirits.

Has anything in your life improved as a direct result of yoga?

A.G: Definitely like I mentioned before, my consistent practice in yoga has increased my flexibility, strength, coordination, and balance; it gives me energy and improves my concentration abilities.

Okay

A.G: Regular ujai breathing practice has increased my lung capacity.

So what are your future plans for yoga?

A.G: I am definitely highly interested in becoming certified because I am truly in love with it and aspire to share this art with others in Belize. I had also tried to bring yoga to Galen and it looked very promising in the beginning but many people dropped out due to becoming busy with their studies. Nonetheless, I am thinking of trying to start a yoga club next semester at Galen because I have seen that the interest is there.

Do you think the average Belizeans have a mental block against yoga which may make them hesitant to actually try it?

A.G: Oh yes! There are many ‘barriers’ known as misconceptions about yoga that prevents them from even wanting to try it.

 What are some of these misconceptions?

A.G: Some of the biggest misconceptions is that many people think you have to be flexible to do yoga. That is so far from the truth, flexibility is not a pre-requisite. Other misconceptions is that some people think that yoga is only for women it is very wrong for men to feel that yoga is only for women, especially since this discipline was likely developed by men. 

What is your dream for yoga at Galen?

A.G: My dream for yoga at Galen is to have a consistent yoga club. One that introduces what yoga is all about so that more interest can be stimulated…and misconceptions are corrected; one whereby I can invite professional teachers like my instructor Kate Devine, to give a class or two every so often because as Patanjali said, yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory.

So do you have ambitions to have your own studio one day or will you stick to only the practice and not the teaching?

A.G: At this point, I’m not so sure about having my own studio, but I am sure about becoming certified because I am interested in teaching – to share the joy that yoga brings to my life with others

I wish you the best on that

A.G: Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my experience with yoga

Anytime

For more information about how you can start yoga at En-Lighten Up Yoga Studio in San Ignacio contact Kate (the instructor) at 665-1972 or find her on Facebook