Meet Raquel. One of our latest additions to the team who comes from Costa Rica. Interesting fact: Raquel did her 300 Yoga Teacher Training with our community and team member Tasha a year ago and that’s how she connected with Alex and the MLPC. In April, she won the competition to join Alex’s very first 200-hour Soul Aligned YTT Module 1 and has been part of the community ever since. This week, she led us through a beautiful Mindful Flow 2 Karma practice from the gorgeous outdoors of Costa Rica. Raquel will be joining us for our first Summer Season classes starting July 4th with a Mindful Let Go every Friday.
In welcoming her to the team, I interviewed Raquel for the community to get the chance to know their new teacher. Here is what she had to say:
Where in the world are you? Tell us more about yourself?
Raquel: Costa Rica 🇨🇷 I’m 31, married, and I own two beautiful Miniature Dachshunds. I am a part time Economist, part time Yoga Teacher. In 2020 I started a wellness project in Costa Rica to motivate people to connect with themselves.
How long have you been teaching yoga and what pushed you to become an instructor?
Raquel: I graduated from my 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training in October 2020. I later had the opportunity to take another 25 hours with Alex, from The MLPC. As I mentioned before, I studied Economics in college and I have been working on Finance for 8 years. I started working in banking, covering public companies, forecasting and publishing financial notes with a team in NYC. Earnings season was rough. Working overtime, I was always tired, I was in a bad mood constantly,and even though I changed to another job, the 9-5 days in the office and then driving home in traffic for an hour was just killing me. So my husband pushed me to explore a part time job and see what I would like to do with the other half of my day. That is when I decided to create an outdoor yoga deck on a family property, of my husbands, that is located in the mountains of Costa Rica. Organizing the events really made me curious to learn more about yoga and to see if teaching was something I would like to do. And here I am!
When did you start practicing yoga (before you started teaching) and how did yoga change your life?
Raquel: I practiced on and off through the years, mainly when there was a class scheduled at any fitness studio or gym that I used to go to. I started my ongoing practice in 2019. Yoga helps me detox. I let go of all my worries, all the trouble and stress. Is like a switch for my mood and it allows me to connect with myself. The biggest benefit that Yoga brings to my life is the connection with myself.
If you had to describe your teaching style, how would you describe it?
Raquel: Relax and let go! Doesn’t matter if I’m teaching Vinyasa or Yin, I like to give you a space to let go. No expectations. We all know our practice varies and I will encourage you to do any adjustments that make your practice more comfortable.
What is the intention you try to instill in your students?
Raquel: Be present, live with intention. Sometimes we live on autopilot. We go through everyday, missing the magic, the little details. Practice gratitude everyday.
What is your favorite posture? Your least favorite posture?
Raquel: My favorite is Warrior 2! Makes me feel empowered and like a real warrior. Least favorite, I will say arm balances, but it is simply something I need to work on. All asanas have their benefits! And even the hard ones keep the journey exciting!
What is your favorite Mat? And why?
Raquel: Liforme. I love the colors, the design, the guidelines for alignment and the mats are eco friendly ♻️
Set the scene for your perfect practice - paint us a picture!
Raquel: Surrounded by nature. Simple as that!
“Yoga helps me detox. I let go of all my worries, all the trouble and stress. Is like a switch for my mood and it allows me to connect with myself. The biggest benefit that Yoga brings to my life, is the connection with myself.” Raquel
What’s the biggest myth about yoga instructors? Set the record straight! Raquel: That they are thin, vegan, or not inclusive at the beginning. Not at all! Yoga is for all sizes, all people, anyone! Is a journey within! There is no competition. What was one of your most heartfelt moments in teaching? Raquel: Raquel: Seeing my students’ happy faces at the end of the class and when they give me good feedback about their experience! 🤍 Any advice to newbies teachers/students? (And oldies?) Raquel: Please don’t compare. I used to do it a lot, and I still do sometimes. Your practice is a work in progress. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do all the advanced asanas, yoga can be just meditation, or even a few stretches. Don’t feel like you don’t belong because you’re not flexible. Just ask for adjustments. I will also recommend going to classes with different teachers, explore. I think that is one great reason why The MLPC is so great! You can explore different types of yoga and teachers, and see what you like the most! Where do you see yoga in the next five years? Raquel: Overall I see it as more popular. I think the pandemic and COVID-19 help us realize that mental and physical health is priceless. I think lockdowns were something not expected that made the world stop, and made us stay home on our own for a few months. I don’t think many of us were used to being by ourselves. And the learning lesson for me was that we need to be more aware of our mental health and connect with ourselves. And that is the whole point of Yoga, the union of our mind and body! To connect!
Thank you Raquel for your beautiful words. Make sure you book in for her Mindful Let Go (Summer Season) class every Friday at 4pm BST / 7pm GST / 11am EST.
Gratitude to you, the reader, for stopping by. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comment section below.
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See you soon and may you all be safe, happy, healthy, and free.
Yasir
Thank you Yasir ✨