We chat with yoga trainer Stacie Graham about her background, practices and inspirations…

Inform us a bit about your self

That is considered one of my least favorite questions. I by no means know the place to begin, what’s price mentioning and what I ought to omit. I’ll maintain this one brief and hopefully somewhat bit candy.

The UK is accent obsessed, so I’ll begin there. I communicate with an American accent, though I’ve lived outdoors of the US longer than I lived there. I’m initially from Miami, FL, however we don’t have to speak concerning the climate or whether or not or not I miss it.

I’m a artistic particular person, who is definitely engaged and may turn out to be excited by all method of pursuits. I like movies and high quality television, however I solely enable myself to observe on the weekend. In the course of the week, you’ll discover my nostril buried every night in a guide – fiction, non-fiction, science fiction. It doesn’t matter. I’ve all the time been bodily energetic. I performed on the primary ladies’ soccer group at my main college. I ran monitor and area fairly efficiently till an harm reduce my profession brief. I danced in Germany’s First Nationwide League for Fashionable Dance, and so on. Motion makes me pleased.

What does a typical day seem like for you? 

Between the time I’m scripting this and the time readers will learn it, issues will doubtless look very in another way. I grew to become mom to a cuddly, cheeky, inquisitive and headstrong child lady in November 2023. I’m completely in love together with her and, in fact, her calls for dictate my day. I’ve been so grateful to have a lot time at residence together with her, however I’ll be going again to work by the point that is printed. 

She’s an early riser, so she usually wakes within the yogic hour, someplace between 4am and 5:30am, when the surface world feels so nonetheless. She feeds, after which now we have a cuddle and a sleep collectively in mattress. On the newest, she’s prepared to begin her day by 6:30am. She’s typically fairly chatty within the morning, telling me of her goals of the night time earlier than – babababa, mamamama, dadadada. She likes to play with the whole lot in her eyesight, toy or not. Then she eats a breakfast much like mine that features oats and fruit puree. I eat soaked oats with hemp hearts, flax seed, chia seed and recent berries. And in case you’re questioning – sure, I eat the identical breakfast about 355 days out of the 12 months. If it’s chilly out, I’ll warmth the oats as an alternative of merely soaking them. That’s the one variation.

When Child Nayla is prepared for her morning nap, then she both sleeps alone in her cot (which suggests I solely have half-hour earlier than she’s awake once more) or I’d take a nap together with her if I’m feeling sleep disadvantaged through which case I can get a little bit of social media posts scheduled and have a nap as a result of, accompanied, she sleeps 70 – 90 minutes. If now we have a playdate, swimming classes or a play circle to attend, then she sleeps alone in her cot, and I take a fast bathe and prepare for our outing. I’ve all the time used my bathe as sacred time for my gratitude apply. 

Now that Nayla’s older, she’s loving her independence and, thus, wants numerous alternative to discover and uncover the large world round her. So, I attempt to get us out most days. Fortunately, she eats very well from a spoon, so we take lunch on the highway with us. Cruising round city isn’t really easy in London, and the whole lot takes for much longer if you have to journey step free. Buses received’t all the time have house. Tube stations with elevators aren’t nicely designed, so that you might need to take three completely different elevators till you get to the place you’re making an attempt to go. It’s good apply for me for plenty of causes, most significantly to cease the London tempo of dashing all over the place. There’s no purpose to hurry.

Our afternoons are usually very chilled. We play. There’s often one other nap, a feed and a few cuddling. Anybody who has ever discovered with me is aware of that I emphasise the significance of a wind down routine. Nayla has her dinner. She enjoys having her two little teethies brushed. She performs together with her squeaky duck at bathtub time. We learn a guide or two. After which I snuggle her till she falls asleep. As soon as I put her down in her cot, then I’ve a lightweight dinner – often salad and a few recent reduce pineapple with yoghurt – earlier than I dive into no matter guide I’m studying. I’d journal a bit with an exquisite guide about motherhood that considered one of my colleagues gifted me. I’ve cherished utilizing it to simply have some house to course of all the various experiences of this a part of my journey. 

I apply prāṇāyāma after which I meditate earlier than sleep. However, I’d go to sleep throughout apply, as I’ve been so sleep disadvantaged (however much less so today). Or my apply is perhaps interrupted by somebody who wants one other cuddle to get again to sleep. 

How did your yoga journey start and what impressed you to turn out to be a yoga trainer? 

My yoga journey started with harm. I used to be affected by power complications, and I didn’t know the trigger. I don’t often have complications, so I used to be involved. I used to be despatched to many alternative medical doctors, till an orthopedic specialist mentioned that the complications had been attributable to rigidity in my neck and shoulders. On the time, I used to be a correct health club bunny, and I couldn’t actually perceive why I might have rigidity complications. 

I used to be prescribed bodily remedy. The therapist I labored with clearly couldn’t see me. She saved speaking about how ladies should construct power blablabla. That’s not my subject. I talked to considered one of my closest buddies about it. He’s additionally a bodily therapist and an athletic coach. He massaged me and couldn’t consider how tight my muscular tissues had been. “Exhausting muscular tissues are unhealthy; supple muscular tissues are what we would like”, he mentioned. He advised I attempt yoga. So I went to a category. It was okay. I’m unsure what saved me going again, however I’d go every so often.

The trail to instructing yoga was not simple. I made a decision to go to India whereas I used to be engaged on my doctorate. I wanted a break, and my shut pal on the time was from India. He knew that part of my research had taken place on the South Asia Institute of my college, however I had by no means been. He was already in a postdoctoral programme and recognised that I used to be in determined want of a change. So he requested his mother the place I ought to go first, and she or he advised an ashram in Rishikesh. That ashram, Parmarth Niketan, was nearly to host a global yoga competition, so it was excellent timing. I spent three months in India, touring from North to South, and making many buddies alongside the best way. I spontaneously studied with non secular masters throughout completely different practices and faiths. And I felt referred to as to deliver at the least a few of that again residence. In Europe, I hadn’t discovered a studying surroundings that was in any approach much like my experiences in India. To authentically honour the origin and lineage was my motivation. I went again a pair years later to finish my trainer coaching. 

What impressed you to concentrate on your apply?

I don’t know if I might be referred to as a specialist. I take into account myself a generalist throughout all method of disciplines. I’d say I do numerous various things nicely. However, there’s all the time somebody who does them higher than me. These are the specialists.

My private apply additionally differs from what I educate. 

I consider the thread that ties my instructing collectively is an intentional concentrate on presence and permitting. Regardless of if I’m guiding āsana or prāṇāyāma or mindfulness, I’m guiding from a spot of nonjudgmental consciousness.

In posture apply, specializing in what a posture “ought to” seem like results in struggling. There’s disappointment with the physique for not performing. There’s potential for harm as a result of the physique is getting used and compelled as a instrument. It’s related throughout any apply, if one is simply involved with an consequence. Being overly involved with outputs and outcomes tends to imply that the method, the routes and journeys are compromised, neglected and underappreciated. However that’s the place the magic occurs. 

After I discuss permitting, I don’t imply complacency or accepting dangerous issues. Permitting begins from inside. Can I make house for all the emotions, all of the ideas, all of the feelings? Can I recognise that permitting house for that which arises is the primary and, maybe, most essential step in seeing?   

How have you ever seen yoga profit your college students?

In so some ways, however I’d say most of all of their studying to simply accept and belief themselves as they’re.

What’s your favourite quote or life motto?

“Tat Tvam Asi” – Thou artwork that. ~ Chandogya Upanishad 

“The thoughts creates the abyss, the guts crosses it” ~ Nisargadatta Maharaj 

What’s arising for you in 2024/25?

OYA Retreats is happy to host a variety of periods. Issues had been somewhat quiet because of my being pregnant and maternity go away, however I’m presently planning some thrilling occasions for 2025. They haven’t all been introduced but, however they are going to embrace:

Mushy Life Sundays – These are our neighborhood periods at Sāmya Studios which happen each first Sunday of the month. These usually are not strictly yoga periods; moderately they’re centered on connection, embodiment and relaxation. 

Befriending My Inside Critic – It is a widespread four-part sequence that gives some easy instruments that can assist you befriend your interior critic. Our interior critic solely needs to guard us, however it will probably get somewhat too formidable. With some easy steps, your interior critic can do the job it’s meant to do whereas wreaking much less havoc!

Creativeness Gallery – We’ll offer two city (day) retreats in London that assist reignite your sense of visioning. I’ve a giant creativeness, like to daydream and create imaginative and prescient boards each 1st of January. As adults, we might all profit from getting again to our sense of play and dreamscape.

As well as, I hope to supply one other weeklong retreat in paradise (Mallorca) in collaboration with REESET after our profitable inaugural retreat, Awaken the Sacred Goddess, that takes place there twenty ninth September via fifth October 2024. 

And who is aware of, there could also be extra. Keep tuned!

Discover out extra about Stacie:

Web site: https://stacieccgraham.com/