Today we have Mercedes, a yoga teacher, yoga teacher trainer, writer and coach chatting to us about her favourite elements of her yoga practice, and what inspires her practice. Whenever I’m in London I make sure I get myself to Mercede’s classes. She never fails to inspire with her creative sequencing, and challenges me in my practice as I bust through the resistance that comes up. I’m left feeling lighter, happier and reminded of the transformative power of yoga, every single time.
– What is your favorite yoga pose, breathing practice or mantra?
My favourite asanas are inversions as I love the feeling of balancing upside down and shifting perspective. I don’t have a favorite mantra but rather a mudra, Bhumi Parsva Mudra. It’s essentially known as the earth witnessing the heavens and striking the balance between being grounded, focused, clear and tethered to earth energy but at the same time open to the mystery and passion of life, honoring our creative, wild nature and recognising we are equal parts of both and that it’s important to straddle both spheres.
– What advice do you have for those just starting out on their yoga journey?
Just get on the mat and don’t worry what everyone else is doing or whether you are doing something ‘right or wrong’. Just be.
– How has your yoga practice evolved over time
I think at the beginning it was much more dynamic, physical and asana centric. Now my practice has a much broader spectrum where I consider meditation, yin, restorative, mantra and pranayama an intricate part of my regular practice and thoroughly enjoy it all.
– What wisdom has your yoga practice revealed to you that you’d like to share with us?
I think my yoga practice has taught me to have strong boundaries and not get sucked into what people want me to do or be in order to be labelled ‘yogic’, or for someone to like me. It has taught me to speak my mind, my truth and live in an authentic, organic manner no matter what someone may think or say about me because frankly life is too short and I just don’t care to live my life according to other people’s issues or opinions! :)
Thank you Mercedes for sharing you insights and passion for yoga.
Now go find her on social media and checkout her website for her amazing retreats, online yoga classes!
Bio:
Mercedes Sieff is a Founder of the award winning Yeotown, Britain’s leading health retreat, and one of the UK’s most prominent Vinyasa Flow Yoga Instructors. A qualified Positive Psychology coach, her passion is guiding people on how to build upon their existing strengths so they can lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, cultivate what is best within themselves, and enhance their experiences of love, work, and play. Mercedes’ is also a health and wellness writer.
Born in Ottawa, Canada, Mercedes has spent most of her life studying creative movement and how to cultivate optimal health and wellbeing. It was during her time living in California and working in the music and film industry that she began to practice yoga and mindfulness in earnest. As her studies and passion for yoga and meditation grew steadily more intense, she gradually moved into teaching. After studying under many recognized teachers around the globe, the primary style Mercedes teaches is Vinyasa Flow Yoga. Dynamic and fluid, rather than preach inaccessible esoteric philosophy grounded in untested self-help, Mercedes’ classes have roots in Applied Positive Psychology, a contemporary science of human flourishing and happiness. Different from traditional psychology which focuses on weakness and what is going wrong, Positive Psychology has proven happiness and success is actually achieved by building on strengths and what is going right.
Want to know more? Check out her website, you can also find her on facebook and instagram.
