Alma lua is inspired by women, their differences, their similarities. I wanted to create this page to present and honor these women I admire and who inspire me.
I hope they also inspire you to follow your dreams.
❀ AMY BOSSI ❀
Sarah: I first met Amy one cold morning in Paris. I was tired of always running, I had a lot of work… Her creative and danceable Gipsy Flow class carried by a scent of incense, inspiring music and an end-of-course gift cranial massage, instantly immersed me in a state of total well-being.
We got to know each other better. We recognized each other, with many points in common.
Yoga and meditation teacher, dancer, surfer, friend of animals, attentive to the environment,
Amy is an inspiring person. With Gypsy and Co, her webzine, she offers creative content around well-being and meditation ritual boxes. A great idea for an inner journey when you've been confined for a long time!
I want to know more about her and share her story with you.
What is your background?
Amy:I am a trained dancer, classical/modern jazz.
I had a free adolescence, very little framed, in a festive environment. My dance teachers felt that I needed to pull myself together and they suggested I take yoga classes. I realize that the body is not just a work tool. I'm learning to breathe.
At the same time, I work in fashion, at Chanel. I have always been interested in costume, its history, cinema.
Yoga is taking up more and more space in my life. I train in India. I evolve with my practice and my postural yoga takes on a more spiritual dimension.
I'm leaving the fashion world. I travel, to Bali and Morocco, while teaching yoga, mainly with the surfer community. I accompanied an international surfer in her rehabilitation after ligament surgery. I prepared him, with yoga, for the resumption of competition. This support gave me legitimacy with surfers. I knew their sport to practice it, the physical tensions inherent in the practice of surfing and I knew how to provide solutions through yoga. After a great experience at the surf academy, my husband and I created a surf camp in Taghazout, Morocco. We offer Surf and Yoga retreats.
The eternal question of legitimacy! Why, how to apprehend it? I also feel this blockage and many of us hold back or abstain because of legitimacy
Amy : Yes, I too have trouble sometimes managing my legitimacy. I believe that you never feel 100% legitimate. At the same time, I think it is good to know how to question yourself and to detach yourself from your ego. Today, with experience, I find my legitimacy in the smile of my students at the end of the course, in their satisfaction.
How do you find your inspiration? Do you prepare your lessons scrupulously or do you let yourself be carried away by the movement?
Amy: At first I was planning my class for a full day. Today, I know better the expectations of my students, of each group of students. I use the basic flows and I regularly add new features.
What is your life philosophy?
Amy: I feel great in nature I really like the ocean. I feel good in the water even if there is no wave!
I am very sensitive to animal welfare and the environment.
As a vegetarian, I prefer local shops, small producers.
I'm going to leave the frenzy of Paris and return to my region of origin, the east of France, to get back to nature. I have lots of projects in mind, some with your brand Alma Lua by the way.
With pleasure! To know more about you Amy and to conclude;
If you were...
Music : Jimmy Hendrix; The Beatles; Amy Winehouse; Music from the 70s
A book: Hippie by Paolo Coelho
A movie: Grease. He makes me happy. I know it by heart.
A Routine: Breathing in the morning to help me get up. I'm not a morning person. Meditation at night to fall asleep.
A place: Taghazout in Morocco, my secret surf spot.
A Flower:A hydrangea, but also a Japanese chrysanthemum that I had tattooed on my arm. For me, these are the flowers of the Renaissance, of the Indian summer.
Animal: A friend would say lion but I can also be a fish for water or maybe a raccoon both in water and on land.
Sunrise or sunset: Sunset and also the moon that I wear as a tattoo.
A yoga mat, a print: The Lisboa flowers by Alma lua. He is magnificent. It's hard to choose. They are all very beautiful your carpets!
Thank you Amy for this sweet moment shared.
❀ ANOUK COROLLEUR ❀
Photos: Sarah Witt❀
Sarah : Anouk is a yoga teacher and entrepreneur. She is one of the four muses of Alma lua. She presents the Bloom Way rug.
I discovered your world two years ago through your podcasts, which I devoured. Podcasts with life paths that help us love ourselves, accept ourselves, achieve our dreams.
Alma lua was still only in my head.
I recognized myself in your podcasts because I too wanted to fulfill my dreams, to travel.
I am very happy that you accepted to be an Alma lua muse because you inspired me a lot and you still continue to do so!
I followed you on social media. You live in Biarritz, me too, I wanted to meet you to talk about you and the Bloom Way rug.
Your life before yoga, during and after?
Anouk: I did graduate studies in Marketing and Communication in Australia, culminating in an internship in a surf club. The thing everyone dreams of, cool people, cool surroundings.
Good on the outside, but inside I didn't feel good. Those around me did not understand. There was a lag. I had this realization early on, I was 21, which is lucky! At the time, we talked less about personal development, there was less sharing on social networks, it was scary!
I then turned to yoga (10 years ago). It was the beginning of yoga in Europe. It was "less fashionable".I fall in love with my roommate, Ashtanga teacher My life finds another way. Alongside my internship in marketing, to earn a living, I am a surf teacher.
When do you change lanes?
Surf teacher in Australia, I work with small groups. The atmosphere is very pleasant. I'm in the sun in a bathing suit. An exotic side, very nice vacation.
Back in France, I am a yoga and surfing teacher in an English school, my diploma acquired in Australia not allowing me to teach in French structures. The group of students is large, many people on the waves, 8 hours non stop.
This job requires a lot of energy from me, a Yang energy: Carrying heavy loads, moving equipment quickly... which doesn't suit me.
We have great surf schools in France and teachers to whom I take my hat off, but we don't teach in the same way as abroad. I did not find myself in this universe. It wasn't for me.
What inspires you on a daily basis?
Anouk: I lived in Chamonix. Far from the cities, their hyper stimulation and their cultural attractions...
I have a sensitive personality. I need to reconnect with myself, to find calm. It is in nature that I find this appeasement. A neutral space, connected to simple things that really bring you back to yourself.
I am sensitive to Feng Shui, Vastu, spatial planning in India. A space created by man but to feel like in nature.
I am sensitive to what is made by man and which is close to nature. I must feel the vibrations of nature!
Like you, for example, Sarah, you have a sensitivity, an artistic soul, your rug uses natural products. You put your heart into it.
What are your fears and blocks? Especially at the start of your projects? What's your advice?
Anouk: I started individual coaching in Bordeaux 4 years ago. I felt it was for me as it was rather new in France.
Fortunately, I had traveled, I saw that others were also getting into coaching, especially abroad. Speaking English is lucky. It's an opening that allows you to discover other states of mind by going to pick up information all over the world.
I'm always scared when I start a business, but I think that vulnerability is a strength.
During my last class, I was teaching future yoga teachers, I told them that I was afraid of their judgment, of not being up to it. They were surprised and also reassured.
My conclusion is that fear is always.
If you don't feel fear, it's because you're in the wrong place, you're too much in your comfort zone, doing the same thing all the time.
I try to ask myself the question every day: How do I get out of my comfort zone today? Do one thing that scares you every day.
Emotionally it's hard, you're afraid of being rejected, judged, but it's so constructive.
I was scared before starting this live! and finally it goes really well.
❀
Sarah : yes if you stop being afraid it means you stop caring about things and therefore you don't do more things with the heart
Anouk and Sarah: Conclusion: Let's be scared!!!
Anouk: And also life is short.
Every day is an opportunity to live and achieve even the simplest dreams.
Example, I have a scoop, I have the dream of singing.I like to sing
I'm inspired by yoga teacher Megan Currie who released a record. I would love to do that too! What could be the beginning of this dream?
Just take a moment to sing. This is the start of the dream. Right now, at the end of this live.
And also I would like to pass my AIDA 4! I'll start my apnea training.
Sarah: We must not wait. The perfect moment does not exist.
Anouk:yes, Start now, life is short.
What is your life philosophy?
I like the title of the book The subtle art of not giving a fuck? = the art of not giving a fuck
Our first block is the fear of judgment from others.
What would I do if I didn't give a fuck what other people think?
It's not easy, it's still scary, but it changes the dynamics of my day.
What are your plans?
1❀ Surf immersion retreat with surf coaching. A week in Portugal from May 12 to 17.
2❀ Goddess retreat with a friend, end of May, for women, to gain self-confidence.
3❀ Soulful Retreat in June, in Biarritz, with artist friends.
and… another project
I want to offer yoga training with an inspiration of group connection or self-connection. 3/4 days. September or October 2021
A few questions to better understand you
Music: by Ibrahim Maalouf, super beautiful, something that carries you away, that inspires contemporary movements
Book: Yvon Chouinard - Let my people go surfing
Great if you're an entrepreneur. Mega inspiring. Lots of ideas. The book to read.
Movie: The Greatest Showman
Routine: Walking. I make small circuits wherever I am. I own the place.
Location: Tea Tree Bay Beach, Noosa, Australia. In a national park. Memories with friends, animals, surfing. Tea tree lake colored red by the leaves of the tea trees. Therapeutic benefits on the skin. Aboriginal women gave birth to their children in these lakes.
Flowers: Mimosa. Unlikely flower. A bright yellow, sweet-smelling winter flower.
Print: This is the Bloom way. He is too beautiful. Full of details. I used it yesterday. Ideal for hands and feet. Very pleasant. Hyper Cannon.
Mantra: A poem I discovered after a class in Bali. I was discovering the world of yoga and I found my place there.
Let no one hold you back from your journey,
no rabbi, no priest, no mother
who would like you to dig for treasures
that she herself lost, nor father
who will not let one life be enough,
nor lover who would measure its worth
by what you will forsake,
nor voice that would tell you in the night
it cannot be done.
Let nothing deter you
from seeing what you see
or feeling the winds that give you
want to dance alone
or go where no one
has ever gone.
You you are the only explorer.
Your heart, an unreadable compass.
Your soul, the promise of a shore
too beautiful to be ignored.
Marc Nepo.
It's a poem that suits you so well, it's the energy you convey.
Thank you for your intensity, Anouk.Thank you for believing in life, all the time
If you want to know more about Anouk, podcast with Victoria from Nouvel Oeil which is great! ❀
Photos: Sarah Witt ❀
❀ LAURE - SANTA MILA ❀
Photos: Sarah Witt ❀
Sarah: Laure is a yoga teacher and entrepreneur She organizes "Ocean Therapy" wellness stays in the Basque Country and in the Landes.
I chose her as Alma Lua's muse because we share the same values: benevolence, authenticity, naturalness. Laure's particularity is to always have tips for everything, which she generously shares :)
Travel
Laure: I come from a sporty family in connection with nature and the ocean, with a very concerned mother and grandmother through nutrition, organic, which was innovative for the time!
I moved away from these concepts during my studies in marketing and communication and during my first job in Paris, in wines and spirits. Many Parisian evenings but also a lot of work and an intense rhythm.
I was looking for a routine to calm myself down. I then resume sport and a more "healthy" diet.
At the same time, I started my blog Santa Mila, in tribute to my grandmother, Mila Santa Cruz with advice on nutrition and sport.
I like the city and partying, but I also like healthy eating, nature and the ocean.
I used to run a lot to relieve daily stress. I injured myself regularly, way too much. My osteopath, during a first consultation, immediately spotted the blockages. I see that on my side, I don't know my body.
I then start yoga. I was very stiff. I almost gave up. My body lacked flexibility and I had trouble staying still on a mat.
I stuck to it, my advice is to take multiple classes and teachers to find the yoga that suits you at first. Thereafter, we evolve in its approach. We quickly see an evolution in mobility: we find the mobility of our childhood! I finally knew how to take care of my body and feel the benefits of breathing, staying still, in well-being.
Yoga is not a sport but a way of life.
What were your obstacles and your doubts during your professional retraining?
Laure: I dreamed of going further in yoga. I wanted to get into wellness but felt illegitimate. I felt too stiff, I didn't dare to do a formation.
However, I was professionally available, I had good marketing skills, I liked to share, but I was stuck.
I lived entrepreneurship with intensity, always to the fullest, always on top but losing my personal balance.
It was at this time that my grandmother left us. I hadn't seen it coming. This huge loss kicks my butt. I decided to do what was in my heart. My grandmother left in December. With the support of my boyfriend, in January, I went alone to Bali. I needed this experience alone, to find myself, to write, to meet new people.
When I returned, I was ready to undertake, with a search for a balance between personal and professional life and a way to connect to the ocean
Can you tell us about the connection you have with the ocean?
Laure: I have always lived near the ocean. I moved around a lot as a child, but our anchor point was the family home in the southwest, in Vendée.
The ocean soothes me. Movement, infinity, the sound of the waves... It's a blessing for the mind. We come from there. This is the present moment. Its colors change, its movements are mesmerizing, its salty taste… everything is conducive to meditation. We need it so badly.
The ocean is a cure for rejuvenation, a cure for vitamins. The man comes from the ocean. A bath in the ocean recharges us with trace elements and mineral salts.
Even in winter, soaking your feet and legs in the ocean, without rinsing immediately, brings many benefits.
A good walk by the ocean or seaside is also very effective because it is rich in oxygen supply.
…or an Ocean Therapy. :)
Your benevolent advice for following your dreams? And tips for mamatobe?
Laure: Getting to know each other, taking time for yourself, without a cell phone. To slow down. Find what feels good. Try to eliminate as much as possible what is toxic. Stress destroys us.
In your job, for example, evaluate the pros and cons. Maintain a balance between work and personal life. Find and note what makes us happy and unhappy and at the same time adjust with possible compromises.
Don't drop everything on a whim but make plans for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, to find your ideal: place, job, family and rehabilitation. It may take time. It took me 7 years to come back and live by the sea!
For the mamatobe, pregnancy is an ideal time to spontaneously listen to your body, to what makes you feel good. Personally, I calm down naturally. I'm doing good for my baby.
What yoga inspires you?
Laure: I don't have a classical class. I took a lot of classes with many teachers. I mix what inspires me.
For example I have two routines. In the morning: miracle morning: dynamics + meditation with themes such as letting go, surpassing oneself, believing in oneself. Self-centered yoga. In the evening: sweet night: yin yoga, gentle to release tension and bring calm after a busy day. Outward-focused yoga.
A few questions to get to know you even better:
Music: Paspatou - Parra for Cuva
Book: Surfing Your Life by Laird Hamilton
Film: the documentary Given, possibly on Netflix. Ode to the ocean told of a child who went on a trip with his parents from birth. Very poetic.
Routine: Yoga miracle morning and Yoga Sweet night. In the morning: brush my tongue to remove toxins, go for a walk, shower and off to work. Evening: stretching while listening to podcasts.
Location:Ocean Therapy locations, Erretegia beach in Bidart, Morocco, cut off from the world. Mineral decorations.
Flowers: Hibiscus, the wildflowers near the ocean.
Sunset or sunrise: I am a groundhog. Rather sunset. I like aperitifs at sunset.
Sun or moon: I like the sun or rather the sunset between 5 and 6 p.m. when everything is pink and the moon comes and lights up the landscape.
Sarah : yes, we have this chance here to enjoy these beautiful sunsets
I invite you to come and discover them during Laure's Ocean Therapy stay.
Laure: yes we have Ocean Therapy every month. With you, Sarah and your lovely Alma lua rugs, as our ambassador in May, July and other dates to come.
Thank you Laure for this Ocean Therapy immersion during your first stay of 2021. A little sunny break.
If you want to know more about Laure, find her podcasts on her website *Santa Mila* and her book Ocean Therapy! ❀
Photos: Sarah Witt ❀
❀ ORIANE ROUSSET ❀
Sarah:
Oriane is a very creative yoga teacher (a mix of yoga and contemporary dance, BALM), and also a "wellness activist", on her "Happy lifestyle" blog, she offers podcasts, recipes and a shop with a small selection of 0 waste craft products.
We met in Paris a few years ago. We both lived in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. I frequented a yoga studio, the Keller house. Place that made me fall in love with yoga.
Travel:
Oriane:
I started yoga in 2004 with the "yoga for dummies" dvd. At the time, we talk less about yoga, there are not as many classes. I'm interested but not passionate.
Since the age of 5, I have been doing a lot of classical dance, which has given me a good knowledge of the body and movement.
I was thinking of opening a school, becoming a professional or starting a company. It's a complicated period for me I have projects but I'm not going to the end because the environment is too competitive, the castings stressful, it creates too many constraints...
It was when I arrived in the 11th arrondissement of Paris that I really discovered yoga.
I work in the catering industry but above all I want to do a creative job. I make a lot of attempts but my lack of organization and obstacles are blocking my projects.
I'm in my thirties, failure after failure, I need help. I look for a solution and meet a somato therapist. I discover breathing, I work on my breath. I reconnect to myself, regain confidence. This therapy lasted a year and a half. At the same time, I continue to practice yoga a lot.
As luck would have it, I had the opportunity to replace a teacher for floor barre and yoga classes. I seize the opportunity. Word of mouth creates a small loyal community.
I understand and feel the expression of the body a lot. I am natural, sensitive, empathetic. I speak and like to transmit.
I then decided to go far away and started an intensive yoga training in India. Even if the training does not please me. I let go of my barriers and my limits. Then I find my place. Everything seems easy to me and I feel more legitimate with my diploma.
When I get back, I get started and offer courses, workshops and personal development.
I have two major areas of development.
- Personal development through my therapeutic experience.
- Movement, especially with vinyasa. The others seem too stiff to me.I like to make the body understood through movement, which everyone understands and finds their movement to feel good because we are all different
For 6 years, I have also been organizing retreats. Leave for a few days in nature. Disconnect without constraint and rigidity.
I am also interested in food, the kind that heals. I have always had digestion problems and I offer solutions for an anti-inflammatory diet.
I am often asked what yoga I teach. It's a mixture of yoga and dance that had no name.
I decided to call it BALM yoga. It is a yoga of care not performance.
B for Benevolence.
A for Atypical
L for Free, Liberator
M for Movement
I also created an e-shop with my creative, well-being and food products. Home made, 0 waste, natural. Everything can be eaten even the scrub! I like to create, I like to create for my students and Instagram.
What fears or blockages did you encounter when you first started out as a teacher?
Oriane: I didn't have a lot because everything was very fast after therapy and yoga training. I had also seen a blog by Garance Doré and her interview with a yoga teacher in New York which proved that it was accessible.
I don't like framed environments, I need freedom, I don't like long training.
Entrepreneurship is not what I want. I don't want too many constraints.
I don't want to get overwhelmed by today's pace and demands. I try not to get overwhelmed by the likes and the number of subscribers on social networks which give me stress.
But paradoxically, you have to adapt to be up to it, make pretty presentations, be both a graphic designer and a teacher. I try to distance myself, to balance.
Can you tell us what body-mediated therapy is and how it has helped you?
Oriane:
She helped me find my way. It speaks to me even if I don't understand everything. For me, there is a life before and a life after therapy. She freed me.
Somatotherapy or kinesiology is a treatment, a therapy by the body. We don't talk a lot. We make the body speak through singing, breathing, rebirths...
The transgenerational analysis (traumas and unspoken words written in your cells for generations) also helped me.
A few questions to get to know you even better:
Music: Sigur Ros
Book: Am I Hyper Sensitive? by Fabrice Midal
Movie: Into the wild
Routine: A smoothie with vegetable proteins in the morning, around 11 a.m.
Location: The forest
Flower: Peony or field wildflowers
Your favorite carpet: Azulejos flowers. I like its colors, pink, ochre, blue. I love all of its colors. He is doing very well at home and I take him everywhere. These are my colors.
Sunrise or sunset: Sunset.
Animal: A cat or a panther. Supple, independent, "wild". I have a suspicious side like him!
Thank you for speaking from your heart, Oriane. ❀
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