SoMuchKula.com | Interview

[ A Barbados beach ]
Canadian (not) on Vacation!
Mosé Persico Interviews Christy
Hilton Barbados | April 2009

CJAD radio host Mosé Persico interviews Christy Punnett Eames at the Hilton in Barbados in April 2009.

Radio Interview QuickTime required
Transcript

[Announcer] | This is the Mosé Persico Show on CJAD 800.

Mosé | Ah yes, the wonderful calypso sounds of Barbados. It feels like Barbados today with these warm temperatures that Montreal is experiencing today, we love it, we do have a tie-in. Controlling stress in these tough and turbulent times is the key to maintaining a healthy outlook on life, right? Well a lot of people I've come across are getting into yoga. It seems to be a growing popular trend, so while I was in Barbados recently, filming a television special for CTV, which by the way, airs tomorrow at five thirty, I took advantage to meet one of the island's most respected, certified hatha yoga teachers. Her name is Christy Punnett Eames. Our conversation took place oceanside at the Hilton Barbados, where the waves were crashing the shoreline and the conversation was more than informative, it was inspirational. Here's what I mean.

Mosé | Folks, imagine this, the sea in front of us, there's wonderful palm trees, blue turquoise waters and joining me now is Christy Punnett Eames, a certified hatha yoga instructor. First of all, what's hatha yoga, and thank you for joining us on our show.

Christy | You're welcome. Hatha is actually physical, moving yoga, so I teach Anusara yoga, which is... Anusara means "to flow with grace", and it's a style of hatha yoga.

Mosé | Correct me if I'm wrong. I've never practiced yoga, but now there's a trend. A lot of people are picking up yoga, primarily because, you know, the economy being bad, there's a lot more stress out in the workforce, people are losing their jobs, people want to keep their jobs, people are not sleeping properly... Am I right in saying that yoga is on the upswing?

Christy | Certainly, I think it's been that way for a little while now, people are realising that with their yoga practice they do get more calm, more centered, they're able to see a lot of good around them, good in life, rather than all the negative aspects, and also, it's a physical practice, so they are able to be more flexible and move more freely, no back pain, you know, that makes people a lot happier!

Mosé | It's interesting you said that it's a physical... because you inspire your students to open to their inherent grace, wisdom and humour, and you inspire a deep affection for life...

Christy | That's right!

Mosé | In a setting like this, folks, in Barbados, in the Caribbean, that's rather easy to get into the mood, but tell me a little about your method.

Christy | Well, the style of yoga (Anusara) allows us to optimally align the body, so it has three main principles: one is that it allows us to align physically, so we bring our body into an optimal place where we can then practice fully from there, so our muscles and joints and everything work more fully, freely, and then secondly, that it is a community-based practice, so we come together... actually, the word for that in Sanskrit is "kula" , which means a community of the heart, so we gather together and we all come with the same reasoning, and thirdly, that it's a tantric philosophy, so we do always look for the good in life, the inherent good, it is that where you know, you're perfect to begin with, you just get kinda clouded.

Mosé | So it's not just about sitting on a wonderful mat or on the beach here and breathing in and out an exhaling and inhaling, it's more of a discipline.

Christy | It is both, because with this kind of beauty around us we can have the experience of being outdoors and breathing this in and, as you can see, it's amazing, but the discipline, yeah, the discipline absolutely, it encourages the discipline in our lives for a daily practice, regularity, wisdom of coming to the mat, even if it's for a few moments of breath.

Mosé | Is yoga for everyone? Or anyone?

Christy | I believe it's for anybody. I teach from little kids to, you know, people in their seventies. I have students in their fifties and sixties who are doing handstands and backbends who love it because it inspires them to be more open and grow older gracefully, rather than, you know, just feel diminished in their body.

Mosé | I would imagine that you also encourage a healthy lifestyle with your yoga methods, because, diet comes into play, eating well, also comes into play? It's not just about doing the exercises...

Christy | It isn't only, and in this particular philosophy, we have the freedom to experiment with what we want in a way that is more life inspiring, so we say it creates more "shri", more beauty, so if that means for you, that you have a vegetarian meal, but for me, it means that I, you know, eat some meat, then that's what we consider to be healthy, what works for each individual, so it's slightly different in that way.

Mosé | Would you... obviously you would recommend practicing yoga with an instructor, but could people do it on their own, once they learn the basics?

Christy | Well my aim always is to have people practice on their own, you don't really want anyone to be dependent on a teaching, but more that that teaching is made their own, so the hope is that you come to class to inspire each other, and to work together, but then yeah, often, off the mat in class, you practice on your mat at home, and you begin to learn how to do that, to have discipline and to find the place of peace and stillness, which is actually one of the main reasons people come to practice, that's the main thing they record, is they want to find that place or sense of peace and stillness within themselves.

Mosé | It's very easy to find a sense of peace here in Barbados at the Hilton hotel, overlooking the sea, the wonderful turquoise waters as we mentioned. When would you recommend practicing yoga? Early morning to begin your day, at the end of the day, at midday, we can't often get away from work. Where we live, in Montreal, it's a hustle and bustle city, here, it's so tranquil, it's so peaceful... Do you start yoga in the morning?

Christy | Well, we are very blessed here, certainly, but you know, wherever we are, we can practice, so even in your office... You know, it's about finding a few moments of quiet time. I like early morning and evening, I generally recommend that because it's auspicious time, there's a slight change in the energy of the day and it works to really enhance your practice. I like a fiery practice sometimes, so I tend to practice like this time, when it's nice and hot and bright and sunshiny outside, so I can do some, you know, nice intense poses, so I think anything works, but early morning and evening, that's special time.

Mosé | And I understand that you teach yoga all over the Caribbean region, not just Barbados.

Christy | Well actually I'm teaching in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent, some of our other islands, and we're hoping to expand Anusara in the region, so I have a few teachers here who are training in that certification, and also in Trinidad, so I go down on a regular basis and teach there.

Mosé | Is there a website that you want to give our listeners on CJAD 800 if they want to reach you, if they ever vacation in the Caribbean region and they want to take a course with you?

Christy | Sure! We'd love to have them join us. My website is somuchkula, and kula is k-u-l-a, and that means community of the heart, so, "so much community of the heart", we'd love to welcome them.

Mosé | Yeah and of course her name is Christy Punnett Eames...

Christy | That's right!

Mosé | Born in Trinidad? Born in Barbados?

Christy | Actually I was born in St. Vincent.

Mosé | St. Vincent. St. Vincent and The Grenadines?

Christy | That's right.

Mosé | Never been there, but one day. Well, do you ever make it to Canada?

Christy | I do. I was in Canada just at Christmas time.

Mosé | Where were you?

Christy | Actually just outside Algonquin Park, we went skiing.

Mosé | Oh, okay, well you have to visit Montreal.

Christy | I'd love to. It'd be great!

Mosé | Well thank you for joining us and, any quick breathing exercises you can teach me while we leave, or...?

Christy | Sure! Yeah! Just let's take a full few inhalations, if you'd like to stand, spine nice and straight...

Mosé | Yoga on the radio, folks!

Christy | There you go!

Mosé | Go ahead, so we're standing straight...

Christy | Take a nice full deep breath inside, you can close your eyes so you get more centered, and we breathe all the way down into your low belly and the middle of your abdomen, all the way into your chest, and then you want to exhale like like you were pouring out a pitcher of water, just emptying fully, but keeping that lightness inside, and then you can do that again a few times.

Mosé | Ah, sounds amazing. I'd rather pour a pitcher of beer, but....

Christy | (Laughs) Enjoy!

Mosé | ...but that's just me, because we're out here in Barbados... Christy Punnett Eames, a wonderful person, certified hatha yoga teacher, if you're ever in the Caribbean region folks, giver here a call, she mentioned her website, we're going to mention it again before the hour is up. Thank you so much and enjoy your day.

Christy | Thank you so much, bye bye.

Mosé | There you have it. Yoga, not just a fancy form of stretching, but a way of life for all you to consider. My thanks once again to Christy Punnett Eames and the Barbados Tourism Authority for setting up that interview.

Mosé | All right it's news time! Let's take a break and head on over to the CJAD 800 am newsdesk.