I graduated from my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training almost one year ago. I became curious to see how people’s lives had changed from the trainings and reached out to several people I know in the community. Here is the first interview hopefully in a series! I really enjoyed them! 🙂
Joy and I are really old friends. We used to be Besties and lived in Winnipeg (where we grew up). We met during a very hard and transformative time. After several months of friendship I moved to the West Coast about four years ago.
The transformation I saw in her (she began practising before me) was a major inspiration for me to start my practice and she sent me the first kriyas I studied on my own. Joy came to the West Coast about a year and a half ago primarily to take the Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga West, which we took together last year.
It is my great pleasure to introduce to you Joy!
The interview is two parts so make sure you come back next week for the rest of the interview where we talk about music, healing and Joy going on tour! What!? Yeah!
*Pictures were provided by Joy.
Serafina: I’m curious, how do you feel about your yoga practice right now and kundalini yoga as a whole? Are you enjoying being part of the community? Are you enjoying what’s happened in your life since then? This is more of a general question. {Laughs}
Joy: Well its been really transformational and I’m finding that the deeper I go into myself the more that I’m able to intuitively know what’s necessary for me in terms of my practice. I’m finding that I’m catching myself in a pattern before the pattern actually starts to roll out. I really feel that with my practice it allows me to experience heightened awareness of myself and what my behaviours are and what I need to do to not fall into the same patterns and really choose behaviours that really do serve my highest consciousness.
S: Would you say that’s the biggest transformation that has happened for you since taking yoga teacher training?
J: Yes one of the most transformational things for sure.
S: Yeah?
J: Yes, yes, really observing and witnessing myself too. And also not judging myself when I’m finding that I am in a behaviour that is an old pattern.
S: So you’ve moved more into self love and being able to accept where you are and then work with that instead of constantly doing the self-hatred thing.
J: Oh yeah, there’s definitely lots of acts of self love. Also really taking time to take care of myself. If I need to pull myself away from certain situations just so that I can integrate and process my own experience its a lot easier for me to do that now whereas in the past there used to be a lot of resistance.
S: Would you say that your practice has definitely helped you do that and that you have a daily practice that helps you do that?
J: Yes. Currently right now I do have a daily practice. I’m finding that I go through times where I’m like “okay I’m not going to do Kundalini yoga right now” because I feel I need to process what I’m experiencing. And then there will be moments where I’m like “okay I can get the ball rolling” and I can continue with my practice. I like to think that my practice is very intuitive. I know when its necessary I know when its time to rest.
S: So do you fill up those gap times with another practice?
J: Dance. Lots of dance. Currently yin yoga {laughs} been doing lots of yoga of other types of lineages. Also just using my creative energy in different ways. I’ve been making jewellery. I’ve been recreating my clothes by reconstructing it. I’ve been collaging a lot. So whenever I find that I’m not practising my kundalini yoga I’ll find other ways to channel that energy.
S: Do you find that you are more creative now? Do you notice a change in creativity from before the teacher training to after?
J: Yes. I’ve always known that I am creative but I’ve always had this belief that I didn’t have the capacity to create. The more I cultivated my self love it was easy to flow into it and just trust in that creative aspect of myself. The creative side was always there it was just a matter of letting myself really explore that side.
S: So, I understand that you have been teaching at Yoga West since the end of our yoga teacher training. I noticed that there seems to be some friction some people have within the community to keep this practice very traditional however not everyone “fits” that traditional framework and that sometimes creates the friction and creates a more challenging community to be a part of. With you working at the biggest studio in Vancouver I feel like you get a really big insight into the Kundalini community. Is there anything you think we could do to open up the kundalini community to more people?
J: Yes definitely. I feel like that well what happens with kundalini yoga is that it awakens your most authentic self. And in that experience of experiencing your most authentic self you really start to dive into self expression and expressing yourself in different ways that are outside the box of what the code of conduct is that is given to us in teacher training. It can cause friction sometimes because we are told to be a certain way in a specific way. The science behind it does make sense but where does the authentic self really get to express itself in the teachings?
I feel like in this shift into the Aquarian age it is really important to express who we and maybe it is time we release our traditions to reflect on that shift in kundalini yoga and how we can merge the two aspects so it can be more accessible to the rest of the world and whoever wants to explore this practice. It is a very powerful practice but at the same time I feel there are people who are intimidated and who feel it can be very cultish. That’s not what its about. Its about awakening, awakening to the Self.
S: I find a lot of people are really attracted to the practice right now because it is so potent and I think people really feel that. Especially when they see the kundalini yoga teachers walking around. Even though I personally don’t wear a turban and don’t dress in white and even teach my classes in black because it’s what I usually wear {both laugh} people still notice me. They still notice my light, they still notice my radiance.
J: It’s the presence.
S: Yes, and would you say that has a huge effect on the classes we teach, just having the presence of the teacher and setting the stage?
J: Oh totally, totally. I feel that your presence speaks so much more than what your wearing. It speaks so much more than the music you are playing. Your presence really does shift the class you are teaching. I find, in my own personal experience, that the more I awaken my own inner teacher, the more I go deeper into myself, that just naturally vibrates withing my aura. I don’t even have to say a thing or do a thing and people feel inspired to awaken that inside of them so presence really does make a difference. And the heart, the love, the unconditional love you really do feel with the practice and the devotion you experience that vibrates within your aura.
S: I have to say that in my personal experience of the practice and in all the meditations I’ve done that feeling connected is one of the biggest shifts I’ve experienced in it. There’s been a lot but there’s a solid sense of connection and I don’t necessarily know what the connection is to or how to phrase it but I’m connected. That’s all. Even when I feel lonely its a different type of lonely. I’m still connected I may feel lonely but I’ll call a friend. It’s not like how I used to be lonely with need attached to it and that need isn’t necessarily there anymore.
J: Yes, and I feel in my experience that connection I feel is a connection to my Infinity. To God. To whatever that means to anyone. To the Universe.
S: To Source
J: Yes, exactly , the Deathless Soul. And its really trusting and having faith that whatever I’m experiencing in this human experience is what I need to experience because my soul wants to evolve. And these challenges serve in a way to help me overcome certain patterns so that I can really experience the infinite.
S: Beautiful. I want to ask you some different questions right now. If you were to recommend to somebody who wants to start their own home practice and they were just starting kundalini yoga what would you recommend?
J: Well first off I would recommend stating your intention and your purpose because when you know why you are doing kundalini yoga or any practice. When you know the purpose it makes the discipline that more easier whether or not your resisting it. You will always hold your reason why in your head. When I first started doing kundalini yoga I was experiencing a lot of trauma, depression and anxiety and I would stay up until three in the morning just doing meditations because I knew I didn’t want to be in pain anymore.
S: I remember that. I remember coming over to your house and you’d be like “I just did two and a half hours of kundalini yoga” and I’d be like “woah”. {Laughter}
J: Yeah exactly. So to anyone who wants to start kundalini yoga I recommend finding your purpose as to why you want to do it and from there on let it flow. Let it flow. There’s lots of kriyas you can try and meditation. Whatever resonates with you. Follow your intuition. Do it. And don’t be too hard on yourself too. Discipline is not an easy thing to fall into at first.
S: Would you say its like a muscle? And you have to grow it?
J: Yeah. Exactly. And be easy on yourself if you are finding you experiencing a shift that’s too intense. It’s okay to slow down. Pay attention to what your soul needs. And also support. It’s so important to have that support because there a lot of things the kundalini can awaken. It can be confusing sometimes and really intense and its really nice having that support someone you can talk to that has gone through that experience that can hold the space for you as you continue to grow.
Stay tuned for the rest of the interview next week!
Joy has been practicing a variety of yoga for the past ten years. She discovered Kundalini Yoga in 2012 from a friend online and began initiating herself into a daily practice. Kundalini yoga has helped in her personal healing from trauma, depression and taught her the power and capacity we hold to overcome obstacles. In the midst of one of her meditations in front of the ocean, she received a message to become a teacher. This inspired her to move from Winnipeg to Vancouver to complete the teacher training at Yoga West in 2014. From that experience, she has learned the value of the sacred teachings in Kundalini Yoga and continues to elevate those around her by sharing what has been one of the most powerful tools for her self empowerment and healing. She enjoys using a variety of sound healing instruments in her classes. She is currently teaches at the Vancouver Recovery Club. She is also a Reiki master, is learning about sound healing and has a passion for dance.
