Charming, calm and utterly lovable, Phalana is one of the newest members of the Go Yoga teaching crew, having just completed his Teacher Training course with us.
Here we catch up with him to get the low down on how he found the training course, as well as finding out how yoga has transformed his life so far.
Hi Phalana, how are you feeling today?
Grateful to see the sun rise again this morning, for good health and more importantly I'm grateful for existence itself within the midst of all this magic.
What has your day looked like so far?
It has been awesome. I did a go glow yoga class in the morning, which always fans the flames deep within my soul and then I went down to teach some Jiu Jitsu at Gracie Barra Harrogate. So basically I have been playing all morning!
When was the last time you did some yoga?
Haha, this morning at 9:45 - one of my favourite yoga classes.
When did your love affair with yoga begin?
Yoga found me broken and bruised around 3 years ago and I have been crazy in love ever since.
What made you start?
I dedicated the last 5 years of my life to learning a variety of martial arts disciplines including boxing, Thai boxing, wrestling mma and of course the other love of my life -Brazilian Jiu jitsu.
As a result I sustained a back and shoulder injury while training a few years ago. So after some research I decided to pick up yoga as a means to try to heal my back. I had no idea about the impact it was going to have on the quality of my life, and the mental revolution I was about to undergo.
Why did you want to do the teacher training?
I was captivated by yoga after my first session and before I knew it, I was doing at least 10 classes a week. What it did for me mentally was far beyond my wildest expectations. So, long story short, I wanted more! I wanted a deeper understanding of yoga within my practise and also wanted to share the power of yoga and what it did for with other Earthlings.
Did you find the course challenging?
Yes, it was challenging. There was a lot more work to do than I was expecting and a lot of interesting books to read, but most importantly it was a lot of fun.
What was your favourite part ?
My favourite part about the yoga teacher training was the whole process. It was an amazing journey. And I will forever be humbled by the love and sincerity of the beautiful human beings I shared the journey with. (Shout out to all you sistas!)
Where you nervous when you taught your very first class?
Yes I was a bit nervous when I taught my first class at Go Yoga Harrogate, but I guess that's what life is all about. Constantly seeking discomfort and pushing the parameters of your comfort zone, for growth lies within those trenches.
Are you going to be teaching a regular class?
I will be teaching on Fridays at 19:30 and Sunday evening at 18:00 From September, so come join me for a ride through these cosmos.
Sum up Go Yoga in 3 words?
1.Peace 2.and 3.Love