Name: Ana Fernanda Lopez Avilez
Lives in: Helsinki, Finland
Training and Year: Madrid, Spain in 2014
Where do you teach/practice now: My own studio Evolation Finland

What have you done since we (evolation) last spoke?

I have been working hard on my yoga studio, teaching, doing lots of marketing and all I can to spread the yoga love with the community.

Is there a funny teaching experience you would like to share?

Something funny I would like to share is that I did a teaching trip from Madrid- Nice-Sttutgart-Hamburg-Sweden- Finland where I taught in all these cities a hot yoga class, I decided to do an experiment and I said the exact same jokes at the exact same moment during the classes, it was so funny to see the different reactions from people. It was awesome to see how people differed from country to country and when arriving to Scandinavia, people were so serious and didn’t laugh.

How has teaching affected your personal practice?

Every time I teach I try to be the very best teacher I can be at that moment. Before teaching I try to learn something new, a new way of saying an alignment, a new way of helping my students feel the postures, and receive my words. Since I have been teaching I feel I am more aware of my words and my body. I like to “practice what I preach” so before teaching, I always try to do my yoga practice, it is my way to set my mind to teach. And during my practice I feel my body different than before, as I want to connect with the sensations of my body, to serve my students more.

What is your main tip for new trainees starting their teacher training?

Practice, practice and practice. I think something that makes a good teacher is his/her own practice. Get to know your own body, get to understand the postures and how they feel in your own body, that way you have more to say, more to share with your students.

What’s your favorite posture and why?

This answer can change from time to time. As my practice evolves I begin to discover new things in different postures. At the moment my favourite posture is Standing Bow. There is so many things I am working on at the moment, I love to feel my shoulders stretching whilst I am looking in my eyes, while I am stretching my fingers towards my eyebrows, feeling my body stretching, finding a balance in my body as in life.

evolation

Evolation yoga is devoted to helping you become more Self-centered – in an ego-free way. By combining the powerful physical properties of hot yoga with the awareness-enhancing effects of meditation, evolation’s aim is to make you healthier, happier, and more in touch with that elusive little thing called the Self.