Grenada Yoga | Fountain of Youth Yoga Studio

My Journey in Yoga...

I was born in Port-aux-Prince Haiti, and at the age of nine we moved to Barbados where I grew up for the most part. I then moved to Grenada in 1999, where I now call home. The first time I saw anything about yoga was on the Oprah Winfrey show where she featured Rodney Yee, and something made me pay attention. I have had many moments from the Oprah Show and one of my dreams is to meet and maybe work with her one day :-)

My first yoga class took place at a neighbor’s house, whose mother-in-law practiced Sivananda Yoga. I did not have a clue about what to expect, what I was doing and understood nothing about the poses. I did not know how to focus on the poses and to focus on my breath. However, for many years, off and on I continued to do yoga by my neighbor, from DVDs and the television.

In 2008 a new gym opened up in Grenada and they offered two yoga classes per week. I decided to join the gym in order to do yoga on a regular basis. After doing yoga for three months the instructor at the time had to leave but I remember her saying to me in class one day “you have potential to be a yoga instructor, maybe the group can get together and keep practicing yoga with you”. According to Oprah, I had an “aha moment” I went home and studied at the time a series of yoga on Fit-TV called Namaste yoga. I convinced a couple of the other yoga students from the gym to come practice yoga with me. To make a long story short, after a few yoga instructors passed through the gym it occurred to me Grenada had no residing Grenadian yoga instructor, and at the time I was seeking and asking the universe to help me find my purpose: How can I be of service to it and others? I wanted to do something that I would enjoy doing everyday for the rest of my life and I wondered, what was my a gift? My joy and bliss work wise? And to use that gift to it’s highest potential?

The Universe answered my calling through the last teacher at the gym, Shannon Gillespie. I started asking her questions about becoming certified to teach, where can you train, cost, etc. She shared all of the information she had to offer and much, much more. I am truly grateful for all that Shannon did to help me; words cannot express my sincere gratitude. Shannon gave me my first teaching opportunity where I substituted for her classes while she was away and recommended me to La Source Hotel to be their instructor. From there, as they say, everything fell into place.

I found the Yoga Institute of Miami with the beloved and amazing Bobbi Goldin, where I have started my teacher training in Iyengar Yoga. It is a long journey in being a yoga instructor, the learning never ends. That aspect is what is most exciting for me, yoga is life, as long as I am alive I will be learning yoga. I have since been trained by Karma Kids Yoga to teach kids and teens. I returned to Grenada in 2009 where I immediately began to teach yoga from my living room, and soon after from a rented classroom, for the Grenadian public. I also have been the main yoga instructor for La Source Hotel, the Calabash Hotel, Mt. Cinnamon Beach Resort, and Spice Island Beach Resort since 2008. In July 2009 I opened the first Yoga Studio in Grenada: Fountain of Youth Yoga Studio. The name for the studio came to me while doing my training, where I was completely amazed at my instructor's amazing state of health and wellness at her age. Also, my admiration of Mr. B.K.S Iyengar, born in December 14th, 1918, one of the most respected Yoga Gurus in the world. Mr. Iyengar’s contribution to the discipline of yoga to the world is unmatched. Currently in his 90’s he still has an active yoga practice to this day, it dawned on me that yoga is the fountain of youth.

I know the Universe has answered me. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve through the discipline of yoga. In my humble opinion, Mr. Iyengar's unique interpretation of the art of teaching the discipline of Hatha Yoga is incomparable. I have learned, and continue to learn, about Iyengar yoga through all of the wonderful and inspired Iyengar teachers. This style of yoga is one of the best gifts I have received and continue to receive of this discipline and for that I will be eternally grateful. It has prepared me to keep up with all the trends and with all the other interpretations by all the other current well know amazing instructors with their own interpretations on the discipline. I know that my journey will lead me to be a true devotee of this discipline.

To all of the wonderful people, too numerous to name, who have helped me thus far and to all of my amazing, devoted clients, or better yet, my yoga family: A big humble thank you for being there as part of this amazing journey to balance our lives - mind, body and soul. I end with a quote from the Master himself Mr. Iyengar “The art of teaching is tolerance. Humbleness is the art of learning.

Namaste
Mithsouka