#DiggingInWith Series: Meet Rebecca of Aham Prema Yoga
We had the absolute pleasure of sitting down and digging in with Rebecca of Aham Prema Yoga to get to know her story, her teachings and her intentions for her upcoming retreat: Inner Peace Retreat in Hoi An, Vietnam.
How long have you been teaching and What do you love about it?
I’ve been teaching yoga since 2011. I initially came to Yoga as most do, for the physical benefits it offered, I was 18 when I was first introduced to Yoga and studying to become a professional dancer. My yoga practice was a constant throughout my career as a dancer, and after I retired from the stage at 30 years old, I enrolled in a 1 year Yoga Teacher Training Course and graduated in 2011.
To witness the healing powers of yoga in my students has been the biggest gift I could wish for, from a lady who was in constant physical pain and could not get out of bed without a medley of pain medication, and after just one class with me, didn't need her pain medication, to providing yoga therapy for my mother after she suffered a major brain hemorrhage and seeing first hand the incredible healing unfold, to the general student who comes to my class and always leaves the mat feeling and looking happier than when they arrived. Yoga has the power to make our lives happier, healthier, more joyful, and more peaceful.
What drew you to teaching in the first place?
There has always been a calling within me to help others, yoga was and is my pathway to helping people live happier, healthier, more peaceful lives.
what’s the story behind the name “Aham Prema Yoga”?
"Aham Prema" roughly translated means "I am divine love". I truly believe that yoga is essentially a pathway to the heart. To our true nature, which is divine love. When we are connected and living from our hearts, rather than our ego minds, we spread joy, love, and peace to others, if we live from our hearts we do not, and cannot hurt others.
In your opinion, how is a retreat different than having a regular practice?
A retreat is a completely different environment and experience than a yoga class. During a retreat, you have the space, time, and support to dive deeply into your journey to the self. You are removed from your everyday world, so it is easier to focus your efforts and attention on yourself and your practice. You have the support around you of the teachers and the other attendees, who are also on their own journey of discovery, to help you evolve and transform. The combination of all the elements of a retreat including the environment, the practices, the food, and the time away from everyday life leads to a transformational experience.
What are you most excited about for your upcoming Inner Peace Retreat?
Oh wow, that's a hard one... EVERYTHING! The Inner Peace Retreat has been a project cultivating within me for many years, and now I'm finally able to share this heart-driven project with others. I'm excited to help people heal, teach tools that they can integrate into their everyday lives, and take away with them to keep cultivating inner peace. And I'm also excited to share this magical part of the world with others while on a transformational journey.
Why call it Inner Peace Retreat?
It is called the Inner Peace Retreat because we will be working through the foundations that are necessary to cultivate inner peace. So many of us live in suffering within our bodies and minds, and we think this is the norm, whether it is everyday stress over work, money, relationships, or more serious issues such as trauma. We cannot be at peace when our inner world is in torment. I have experienced trauma and understand the internal suffering it causes, and I overcame my trauma through my yoga practice. Yoga is so transformational when it comes to transcending suffering because it teaches us how to look inwards, and how to connect to our heart, and over time, through the practices, the suffering melts away. I want people to know there is a way to free themselves of suffering and help them to learn how.
How will a student FEEL at the end of your retreat? (vs how they feel when they start - your intentions)
The goal of the Inner Peace Retreat is for the participants to feel more peaceful, joyful, calm, confident, focused, and secure within themselves. And for them to leave with the tools that they need to continue with their practice to keep cultivating a more peaceful and joyful life.
What styles of practices are you trained in?
I am trained and experienced in teaching Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative, Yin Yoga, Therapeutic Yoga, and Yoga for Trauma. These schools of training also include pranayama (breathwork), meditation, and yoga nidra. I have also completed an additional Mindfulness Certification course.
What are you learning/studying right now (if applicable)?
Presently I am deepening my knowledge on the fascia and nervous system and its relation to trauma.
Photos provided by Rebecca, Aham Prema Yoga
