YM: Who are you?
PI: That is a good question, I should go meditate on that! I am Psalm Isadora, I teach yoga because it is healing for myself and I am blessed to have a job where I can bring that beauty into the world, of healing and empowerment.  I grew up on a spiritual commune in Northern California, in a cabin in the redwoods. That's where I got my name, which means, "song of praise".

YM: How did Yoga find you?
PI: I took my first class 12 years ago, a friend dragged me because I had chronic back pain. I thought it was kind of weird, and the teacher was talking about transformation and moving your bones, I couldn't understand it at the time. It's funny, because I'm the one saying all that "weird" stuff now. The yoga struck a chord though, every time my life was difficult after that, I would think that yoga was the key. Years later I went to another class, and it changed my life. I was on medication for anxiety, I was having a difficult time mentally and emotionally and  with my breathing. I struggled with the suffering I saw in the world and in myself. In that class, I felt God in my body, I felt this goodness and connection to my Source. The yoga gave me practical tools for self healing, and a way to connect with spirit in a balanced way. I soon tapered off my medication. Yoga saved my life and so I have a great passion for sharing it.

YM: What do you teach? More importantly how do you teach?
PI: I teach yoga, meditation, breathwork, mantras and bandhas. I have been blessed with really wonderful teachers, each of them has given me gifts and so I have a hard time saying what style I teach. When I travelled to India the first time, I began studying Bihar yoga, which I find to be the most complete school of hatha yoga and that deeply influenced my teaching. There I learned the bandhas (energy locks), which are difficult to learn in the west and which are the cornerstones of hatha yoga. I teach Core Transformation, which focuses on using Moolah bandha (root lock) to create pelvic floor stability and fluid core strength. I do a lot of pranayama (breathing excersizes) and mantras with the breath and vinyasa. I am looking for my students to release blockages, by moving the energy through the chakras and by practicing surrender to their Source. This is the experience of yoga, when the feeling of separation falls away, and there is only union. I do a lot of therapeutic yoga, working one on one with students to achieve healing, I work very intuitively to constantly change according to the students needs. When I teach a group class, I go in with an intention, but no plan or sequence. I like to be open and empty of preconceived ideas and let the healing energy work through me to meet who is in the room, what is appropriate for the time of day, the season...there are so many variables. I try to let grace do the work of the teaching, I am just the vessel.

YM: Beautiful. What are some of your biggest inspirations for teaching and life in general?
PI: My biggest inspirations are my son, my husband, my dog, my beautiful friends, travelling to India, studying with my guru. The fuel for my practice is feeling close to God, feeling that bliss when everything is One.

YM: Yoga Potluck, beautiful concept, please explain.
PI: Yoga Potluck is a free yoga class with a community potluck after. I grew up on a commune, and every Sunday night we would have a potluck, that was my favorite time of the week. My friend Aras and I wanted to create more community around the classes, when a class is over, then what? Wouldn't it be great if we all sat down after class and broke bread together, shared our stories and our lives with each other? That is the inspiration for the potlucks, which we do the first Sunday of every month.

YM: Why is community so important in regards to yoga?
PI: Community is where we can come together and put all this compassion and understanding we are developing in our personal practice into relationship with others, it is where the personal micro-cosm meets the macro-cosm. Having communities in yoga is a great way to build more loving, peaceful and self-aware communities in the world. Recently a friend in India was having severe money difficulties, so I organized a Yoga Mala to raise the funds. We raised $1,200, it was really beautiful. I grew up going to church, and one of the really powerful things about church is that a group of people come together and are able to combine their efforts to help where there is need.

YM: What is Seva?
PI: Seva is service, my guru in India says love and service are the wings of transformation. The most important way to serve the world is to begin by healing yourself, to integrate your subconscious emotions and desires. If you are not practicing self awareness, you will not be able to serve others well and with clarity. Being of service is a great way to be liberated from the tyranny of the ego; one way the ego manifests itself is with low self esteem, "I'm not good enough to do that". With service you get out of your own head and help someone else, doing your best and releasing the fruit of your actions to grace. It is important to serve in a way that brings you joy and gives purpose to your unique talents so that your service will be sustainable. I do not believe that you have to suffer to serve, there is no such thing as selfless service, because the "other" is yourself, however you help someone else, you nourish yourself.

YM: Please tell us about your plans for Goa, India this winter and what inspired you to help this community.
PI: I am doing a teacher training in Santa Monica this September through October, 50% of the proceeds are going to open a sister school in Goa. I will be in India for 3 months, November-February to open a communal house that will be the platform for doing yoga outreach. On my previous trips to India, I have taught yoga at the ashram, to womens groups and to my friends at the restaurants where they work. Even though India is the birthplace of yoga, it is not taught to working class families for their health. I have seen many people suffering from sciatica, backache, digestive issues, all of which can be healed simply with therapeutic yoga. Students who take the teacher training are invited to come stay at our communal house to teach free yoga to the local Goan community as service. I am very excited to be opening this communal house and school and to be bringing back more teachers with me, linking these communities of the east and west. I will also be doing micro-financing, to help entrepreneurs to fulfill their dreams and become empowered members of their communities.

YM: It is amazing that you are able to have a committed student base and travel freely and often. Please tell us about this balance.
PI: I just keep following my heart and my purpose, and that has been calling me to travel to India to study and teach. I think that students see that passion and fulfillment, and want to be part of it. Each time I come back from India, I have more to share, it energizes me. I want to inspire other people to let go of fear, to take risk and do what they love and what brings them joy, and the best way to do that is by being a living example. I just trust God and grace to keep growing my teaching even though I am doing it independantly and unconventionally.

YM: Where can we find out more about you?
PI: My website, www.psalmisadora.com, I have a free core strength video there.