Aoife O'Dalaigh

I was lucky enough to come across yoga in the late 90’s with a friend who had just discovered it and was doing her teacher training. I’ll never forget that first class, it was in a dingy gym in Queens, NY and I really wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. I was there to support my friend and I certainly didn’t hate it but it also wasn’t an ‘aha’ moment. I went to a smattering of classes in NY around that time and enjoyed the feeling of calm that I found but again it didn’t move me.

 

I decided to move to LA in early 2001 and I think looking back I really underestimated the strain and anxiety moving my whole life had put me under. I was really missing my community in NY and trying to figure out what I was doing with my life. When I look back, I was definitely a little depressed, I wasn’t making the best life choices and I really had no centre. I luckily discovered this incredible donation based studio in Santa Monica called Power Yoga. It was run by this fantastic charismatic teacher called Bryan Kest, there would sometimes be 70 people in that room, it was a seriously sweaty initiation into yoga. 

 

They say your teacher shows up just when you need them. I decided to check out an early morning class one day and that ultimately became my haven for many years. I practiced with  Govind Das three days a week at 7am religiously. I finally felt like I wasn’t alone, that I didn’t need to have it all figured out. I was introduced to so many wonderful tools during those years that I have kept and used both in my life and now as a teacher. I hesitate to use the word teacher, I feel like i’m a guide helping people cut through the messiness of life and accept themselves in all their imperfect perfection. I will always remain a student and humbly sit in the seat of the beginner mind.

 

Training

 

I studied as a student before becoming a teacher in LA for years under Bryan Kest, Govind Das, Ashley Turner, Eric Schifman, Jo Tastula. 

 

RYT 500 Hour                                          Jason Crandell 2021

200 Hour Teacher training                 Vytas Baskaukas & Patti Quintero 2016 Santa Monica

Yin Yoga                                                    Biff Mithoefer Kaia Yoga 2016

Thai Yoga Massage                               Shai Plonsky 2017

Reiki 1 & 2                                                 Santa Monica 2012

Restorative Yoga Training                  Jillian Pranksy 2019

Sequencing Course on Yoga Glo    Jason Crandell 2017

Yoga Psyche Soul online                    Ashley Turner 2018 - Present

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