Australian_Yoga_Journal_2016_08_09_downmagaz.com

inspiration
MEET MY TEACHER
TheGiftof
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your teacher? Send nominations
to editor@yogajournal.com.au
YOGA
Teacher Doreena Scales from Peace Yoga has helped a
generation practice yoga and loved every minute.
august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au
86
Doreena shares her
favourite things
Retreat
Dharamsala, North India.
Surrounded by the monks
of His Holiness the Dalai
Lamas, under the snow-capped
Himalayas.
Food
Love Ayurvedic cooking and Israeli
Lebanese food: tabouli, falafel,
hummus. Turkish DarDar.
Favourite place to
meditate
Anywhere in nature.
Books
1. Autobiography of a Yogi by
Paramahansa Yogananda
2. Living with the Himalayan Masters
by Swami Rama
3. Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra
4. Well Adjusted Babies
by Dr Barnham.
5. I loved reading my daughters
“Twilight” books.
How did you start your yoga
journey?
My mum took me to my first yoga class
at 14 years old to the YWCA. When I was
19-years-old we went together to a
weekly class for about a year and it is one
of my favourite memories. These classes
had a profound effect on me. I was
always practicing yoga at home or on
holidays at the beach and becoming a
“brown rice eater” after that. This was
long before it was fashionable.
What drew you to practice?
I hadn’t been to a yoga class since I was
19 but then when I was 36 I took a friend
who was experiencing deep grief in the
hope that yoga could help alleviate their
depression and anxiety. It not only
worked wonders for my friend but also
felt like “coming home” for me as well. I
was re-hooked.
How do you live your yoga?
I live my yoga by breathing. I love my
morning practice and was fortunate to
have been given a “Dina Charya” daily
regime, including self- massage, which
feels like a gift every time. Every class I
teach is a joy and I always feel better
afterwards and hopefully the students do
as well. Luckily for me I teach many
classes per week and am blessed with
students I love very dearly.
What has been yoga’s greatest
gifts to you?
I truly believe I am so much healthier
than I could have ever been if I did not
practice yoga, physically, mentally and
emotionally. Health is our greatest
wealth but not only my own health but
the health and happiness of my family
also. Being a yoga family has impacted
positively on us all–my husband and
three children also. I’m sure it has helped
to mould the people we have all become
over our lifetime together. I have been so
fortunate to have been given the
opportunity to teach the philosophies of
yoga as well as the physical postures so I
find the richness of the studies promotes
the sweetest dialogue in my head. Yoga
answers my questions and gives me
guidance and support when the world
“bumps me on the head”. Within The
Vedas and Upanishads all wisdom is
made available to us all and tools are
provided like life rafts to assist us to
navigate life’s journey.
How do you share and spread
what you’ve learned?
I share what I have learnt during yoga
classes and retreats and also during
teacher training. The beautiful thing
about growing older is being able to
share my experiences and my mistakes
and the lessons they have taught me.
What do you try to inspire in
your students?
I try to inspire my students to be happy. I
try to inspire them to believe to dare that
they are so much more than they could
ever dream they could be. I try to inspire
them that the shape of their soul is
unique and irreplaceable and they are
each born because they have their own
special gifts and talents and that they are
born to contribute these gifts and talents
to make the world better. I try to inspire
them to realise if they think they can
achieve something they will see only
opportunities but if they think something
is too hard they will see only obstacles. I
try to inspire them to commit, to make
their San Kalpa. And that if they do that
providence will step up and help them to
achieve their dreams.
PHOTO: DOREENA SCALES