| | Layane (Portuguese Conversational instructor) was born and raised in Brazil. She is from Goiania, Goias (Central Brazil) and is proud of her culture. Portuguese is her native language and she loves helping people to learn and practice in a laid back manner. She has been living in Austin since 2001 but still keeps her roots in Brazil and loves to share the culture. She has 2 kids that are being raised speaking Portuguese. Layane brings her Brazilian heritage to Austin in a non-stereotypical way. |
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 | Rachel (Forro instructor) love for dance was born and bred in Esquina’s own studio floors. She has been experimenting with Latin American Dances since 2008. Her passions are dance, language, and culture and she believes that all three have very strong influences in developing a strong community. Forró has a special is Rachel’s heart. The interest started when the famous Lula of Seu Jacinto invited her for a whirl around the floor and the love only grew from there. Since then she seeks all forró opportunities, including taking Lucia’s classes, studying/performing forró for Buenos Aires’ Balaio Dance School, or dancing at Rio’s lively Democráticos. Now she hopes to share the joys of forró to the Austin Community. Rachel has just returned from spending some months in Brazil where she dived into the culture, language and, of course, dance! |
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 | Courtney (yoga intructor) came to yoga after running a half-marathon to stretch out her hamstrings but got a lot more than a good stretch! After practicing for a couple of years, primarily in Anusara and various Vinyasa styles, Courtney decided it was time to undertake a teacher training course herself. Being a personal trainer, she wanted something not only to deepen her own practice, but also something that could help her bring her clients a new dimension in their training.
Courtney completed a 200 hour Yoga Alliance certification through Breath and Body Yoga in Austin, a Baron Baptiste Power Yoga affiliate. She continues to study with various teachers and plans to undertake an Anusara Immersion in 2011. By integrating powerful sequences and a strong emphasis on alignment, her classes are fun, active, sometimes sweaty and always geared to keeping you safe.
When she isn't teaching yoga, training or taking a yoga class you can find Courtney using her Art History background at the Blanton Museum giving tours to students and adults as a volunteer. She also loves traveling with her hubby and cooking delicious veggies that he brings inside from their garden. |
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| ENGLISH BIO: Belle (yoga instructor) has studied dance and performance for over ten years including classical ballet & modern dance. She fell in love with the yoga 7 years ago and never looked back. She studied and completed a training of 200 hours at Dharma Yoga in Austin, TX in 2008. The teachings of Dharma Yoga are based chiefly in the philosophy of the Tibetan Buddhism and the practice of the Hatha yoga. Her classes are meditative, creative and focused. Belle is bilingual in both English & Spanish The word "yoga" signifies "union" in Sanskrit, and refers to the union of the mind, the body and the spirit. This powerful form of art teaches us to work from the interior, just like the outside; to experience the benefits of this practice, in all the levels, mental, physical and spiritual. In this way, the yoga provides us of different "maps", so much as for our health just as for our spiritual evolution. The combination of the meditation, techniques of respiration and different positions with the clear intention to help others transforms not alone our practice of the yoga, but our lives. Most of the traditional yoga works of the outside toward the interior, we practice lengthening positions with the body, we learn to regulate our respiration, this calms the energy currents, calming down automatically the thoughts that flow for them. We will practice asanas for relaxation, rejuvenation, and all the levels of physical force.
| SPANISH BIO:
Belle (profesora de yoga) ha estudiado danza la mayor parte de su vida y se enamoró del yoga hace 7 años. Tiene estudios y terminó el entrenamiento de 200 horas en la escuela de "Dharma Yoga" en la cd. de Austin, Tx. Las enseñanzas de esta institución se basan principalmente en la filosofía del budismo tibetano y la práctica del hatha yoga. A belle la llena de emoción el poder compartir su pasión de optimizar la combinación de mente, cuerpo y espíritu a través de la práctica del yoga. Belle habla tanto ingles como español.
La palabra "yoga" significa "unión" en sánscrito, y se refiere a la unión entre la mente, el cuerpo y el espíritu. Esta poderosa forma de arte nos enseña a trabajar desde el interior, asi como el exterior; para experimentar los beneficios de esta práctica, en todos los niveles, mental, físico y espiritual. De esta forma, el yoga nos provee de distintos "mapas", tanto como para nuestra salud asi como para nuestra evolución espiritual. La combinación de la meditación, técnicas de respiración y distintas posturas con la clara intención de ayudar a otros transforma no solo nuestra práctica del yoga, sino nuestras vidas. La mayor parte del yoga tradicional trabaja del exterior hacia el interior, hacemos estiramientos y posturas con el cuerpo, aprendemos a regular nuestra respiración, esto calma las corrientes energéticas, tranquilizando automáticamente los pensamientos que fluyen por ellas. Asi que la práctica del yoga beneficia precisamente a nuestro corazón de dos maneras, las posturas específicas abren las areas que rodean al corazón, en el pecho, hombros, brazos, cuello y espalda alta...y el enfocar nuestra mente en pensamientos positivos y amables comienza a cultivar una apertura y armonía que nos deja sintiéndonos asi no solamente en el momento que practicamos yoga, sino todo el tiempo.Practicaremos asanas para relajación, rejuvenecimiento, y todos los niveles de fuerza física. |
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