FitFam Yoga Teachers Are Spreading Love Across Our Community
FitFam yoga teachers have dedicated themselves to their practice; traveling to different countries to explore all that yoga has to offer and to share their discoveries along the way. Thanks to their dedication many FitFam members can enjoy of the benefits of this practice. Here are our inspiring teachers who share with us their knowledge, time and love.
Vivienne
Please tell me about yourself and your experience with yoga.
The first yoga class I took was in 2008, I went to class because of curiosity and since then I was in love. I did my first 120TTC teacher training in 2014, it’s Bikram hot yoga training. 200 TTC foundation training in Shanghai Pure yoga studio in 2015. 100TTC advanced training in Singapore Pure yoga studio in 2016. 300 TTC in Thailand in 2017. Yoga is my lifestyle and philosophy in life. It inspires me the most. The experience comes only from practice. Practice on, all will come.
What is your yoga philosophy?
Always as beginner’s mind. No competition in yoga, we are all alone together. Being real than being nice .
What style do you enjoy the most teaching?
Teach casual students casually, serious student seriously. No matter which style of yoga classes, I teach from heart.
How has yoga changed your life?
Through the alignment of the body, I discovered the alignment of my mind, self and intelligence. It has changed me physically and mentally.
Why FitFam?
Well because they are lovely people!
What is the biggest challenge you’ve experience as a FitFam yoga teacher?
Every time new faces of different levels, difficult to follow the original sequence.
How do you build your relationship with your FitFam students?
No matter who I teach, I teach authentically. Teaching is education, not service, not entertainment. If they like my class they are welcome.
What is your purpose as a yoga teacher?
To teach is to learn twice .yoga is collective energy, I share and I gain from it .
Nataliia
Please tell me about yourself.
I am a Lightworker, Intuitive Healer, Certified Siam Reiki Master, Reconnective Healing Practitioner, and just a happy girl who does what she loves. I don’t have a full time job, I have a full time life. And I intend to make it a GREAT one. I believe no matter what you do, do it with love or don’t do at all. My mission: Opening Hearts, Spreading Good Vibes, Love, Light and Magic.
What is your meditation philosophy?
I meditate, because punching people in the face is frowned upon. Just kidding.
But to be honest, to me meditation is a happy practice, and I always tell people do what makes them feel good.
I think it’s the only practice that has no restrictions, age or body limitations. That’s why everyone can do it. If you can breathe – you can meditate.
How has meditation changed your life?
Meditation is the natural state of mind for everyone but busy lifestyle (especially in Shanghai) makes it hard to find balance and calm down our minds that are filled with thoughts. And I was one of the “always on the go, super busy, always in control” kinda persons.
That's when simple practiced called Mediation came in handy. It boosts your mind-body wellbeing, reduces anxiety, releases fears and worries, increases your intuition and creativity, helps you to reduce pain, improve sleep, reach higher level of your potential in all areas of your life, and gives you're a greater ability to simply relax, be and enjoy yourself and your life under any conditions.
Does it mean I never feel pain or get sick? No. Does it mean nothing bothers or worries me anymore? No. It means that whenever I face difficult or challenging situations in life, I use stress to my advantage, by simply transforming and guiding the energy so it will fill me instead of draining me.
Why FitFam?
I've been with FitFam even before it became FitFam (TPG times), over the years to me it became more than just fitness community, it became a real FAMily, and if you love someone, you genually care about them.
That’s why my intention has always been love and care.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve experienced as a FitFam meditation teacher?
I guess the fact that many people have a different idea about it and when it comes to choosing the workout to attend, most people prefer something more active and sweaty. Don’t get me wrong, I love it too, I do lifting, boxing, yoga, twerking and HIIT every week, I like to challenging my body and see how it respond to different activities, but training your mind is as important as training your body.
In the city that never sleeps it can be difficult to find work & life balance or set your priorities right. That’s when meditation comes in handy.
How do you build your relationship with FitFam students?
Most of the FitFamers are expats, living far from their families, and even Chinese who live in Shanghai don’t often see their families, so what we all have in common is Shanghai and FitFam. We all know how stressful life can get, and what difficulties we all experience here. That’s I always make sure I am being a friend, staying real, kind and open to listening and sharing – a smile, a hug, a story, an experience, a workout.
What is your purpose as a meditation teacher?
It’s very simple. To increase the level of happiness! Think about it, whatever you choose to do or not to do is for one big reason – to be happy. So to me, it’s the fastest way to feel that way and share my happiness with others. I prefer to say guiding, not teaching. Because nobody likes to be told what to do. That’s why I just share the knowledge and guide people towards the better feeling thoughts, feelings and ideas.
Polina
Please tell me about yourself and your experience with yoga
I always wanted to try yoga, because it was not only about keeping the body in a good shape, it’s so much more than that. I first tried yoga in 2008 as a means to stay healthy. With time, my yogic knowledge deepens, and Yoga keeps me fascinated more and more J It’s a never ending story – this is the best part of it.
What style do you enjoy the most teaching?
Chakra Yoga ;)
How has yoga changed your life?
It gives me a deeper understanding about myself, life.
Why FitFam?
People are very open and supportive. I admire the community.
How do you build your relationship with your FitFam students?
I do my best and try to give the students as much as I can – I enjoy passing the knowledge.
What is your purpose as a yoga teacher?
I want to pass the yogic knowledge – it’s very powerful and helps people in many different ways.
Lily
Please tell me about yourself and your experience with yoga
I have begun my Yoga journey at 17, I been studied with Raphael Melo, he said he felt like passing down the tradition from Richard Freemen to him to me. I have completed the RYT200 training.
I thought of yoga is a sport or physical workout, then I realized that it wasn't just a sport or a workout, there is something more than that for me, I believe the benefits of physical and mental health has been rewarded through Yoga practice, and changing our life. For me, it’s really a honor to share my experience with this amazing community.
I really want to thanks Zury, you might ask why? Here is the reason, she woke up early for open the doors, get everything ready, let us have a comfortable place, those links, check in for us, or even sometimes ppl are complain if there is a tiny mistake, we really grateful.
How has yoga changed your life?
When I noticed that I stopped shouting at my family，I can wait bit longer for people than before，I start saying it's ok often，I start feel grateful，more good energy，I know Yoga changed me.
Why FitFam?
Why FitFam？Why not！ I told myself one day I want to teach in FitFam in the first day I joined FitFam training at SBC last winter，Igor showed me his attitude，his energy.
How do you build your relationship with your FitFam students?
We are all students we learn from each other, just trying my best.
What is your purpose as a yoga teacher?
I want to share my love with more people and make them better.
Demi
Please tell me about yourself and your experience with yoga
I start to approach yoga at my early university life, I was doing lots of dancing class as well, but I found yoga is something gives more inner side, since then, it become a part of my daily routine.
What is your yoga philosophy?
Keeping telling yourself that you are capable of much more than u ordinary realize
What style do you enjoy the most teaching?
Yoga therapy, flow, haha
How has yoga changed your life?
Yoga has changed my way of thinking things, know how to be proactive to reach your goal, and always give it a try, and of course, it makes me feel more good and confident about myself both on body and mind.
Why FitFam?
The first time I get to know FitFam is from one of FitFam member, and what she told me that FitFam is place to share things with FitFam freely, meet with all the awesome ppl with good vibe, and this actually caught my interest, I always liked to share my practice with the ppl who had same interest with.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve experience as a FitFam yoga teacher?
Mostly, the FitFam teaching schedule doesn’t meet my daily schedule, workwise/location, I cant see it as challenge, for somehow, it a fact, it could be more nicer if the time can be flexible a bit, or the location(personal opinion)
How do you build your relationship with your FitFam students?
The best way to build connection with student is to know how and what they want to improve in yoga, understand their practice background and share with them how to achieve a safe and effective way toward yoga. And knowing what goal they want to reach? Constantly interact with them, It might be wide range of reasons
What is your purpose as a yoga teacher?
There is no purpose of me being a yoga teacher, if I have to name one, it should be I like to see how my student beneficial from my class, how they feel. That’s what I enjoy.
We are grateful to these teachers for motivating us to keep trying, to stay humble and to trust in the rhythm of our bodies.
Namaste!