My Ottawa Yoga Story: Margarita Garcia

My Yoga Story – Margarita Garcia. How did you get started in yoga?

I have been doing yoga on and off for about ten or fifteen years, mostly hatha based or hot yoga but it wasn’t until I got into Kundalini Yoga that I realized how much I loved it and how it became a way of life. Kundalini yoga helped me find my own way through life’s challenges, helping me heal. My son’s caregiver at the time had just begun her Kundalini Yoga Teacher training and I remember thinking every time I saw her how radiant she looked, how driven with passion and joy. So I asked her what it was all about, and attended one of her classes, the seed was planted and for the next five years while I navigated the painful, difficulties of a separation with three young children at home, I knew I needed Kundalini Yoga.

What does yoga mean to you in your life today?

For me personally, what’s important is that yoga is a means to connect with my intuition, my higher consciousness. It is a deeply spiritual practice where I am continually learning and growing. It has given me the power and the tools to heal from within. It has also lovingly welcomed me into a wonderful community of yogis and yoginis who are like family, who are kind, supportive and compassionate people.

What is your favourite type of yoga and why?

Kundalini Yoga is my yoga of choice. I find it a very holistic and spiritual practice that makes sense to me. Like other forms of Yoga, there is Pranayama (breath work), asanas (physical postures) and meditations with or without chanting mantras.

But there is this other spiritual quality that connects the philosophy, the study and the soul of yoga together into a beautiful practice. There is so much to learn and it is a powerful way to live using the tools of Kundalini Yoga. Some are more challenging than others, some are designed to provoke, others to heal, and connect, all designed to help you live your authentic life. It’s like coming home.

How did you discover PranaShanti Yoga Centre?

My good friend Victoria, who was my son’s amazing caregiver when he was younger, became a teacher at Prana Shanti Yoga Centre many years ago. She invited and encouraged me on several occasions to try Kundalini Yoga at the Centre, and when I did, I loved it! It has now become like a second home to me.

Why do you enjoy being part of the community at PranaShanti Yoga Centre?

Prana Shanti Yoga Centre is a beautiful, warm, welcoming place to connect with friends, practice yoga, have some tea after class, and shop for books, self-care products and yoga clothes. I love the sense of community, and each of the yoga rooms are so very special and unique. Whether its warm yoga, hot yoga, a beautiful Gong relaxation and meditation you are looking for, this centre has it all. I truly feel at home there.