Yoga Space Yogis

The Yoga Space Yogi – October 2010
Dustin O’Sullivan

Who are you? What do you do and what do you love to do?
I own and operate a forest products company with my family (father,
mother and sister) that we started 16 years ago.  I love 
playing guitar, listening to music, snow skiing (I go a minimum of 20 
times per winter), cooking and yoga.  I really love to nurture
 meaningful relationships with my friends and family.

How did you begin practicing yoga? Why do you continue?
Yoga has changed my life since I started practicing 2-1/2 years ago.  I 
found yoga through a debilitating physical injury to my back, which
 eventually led to surgery, but never really healed.  The severe pain 
left me absorbed in my negative physical and emotional state rather than 
being open to the world around me.  Yoga has taken that pain from me,
this has allowed me to focus my energy on those closest to me.  Simply
 put, I can now focus on their needs instead of my pain.  This is what 
ultimately keeps me coming back to the mat with such dedication.

What keeps you coming back to The Yoga Space?
I find positive energy and love to practice within the community of my
 fellow yogis and the teachers at the Yoga Space.  I am inspired by the
community and it is my hope that this is reciprocal and I inspire my 
fellow yogis in the same way.

The Yoga Space Yogi – May 2010
Dunya Chirchi

Who are you?
I am a student at Portland State University and will be entering the graduate program in Speech Language Pathology in the fall. Outside of school I love to dance salsa, cha cha, bachata, samba and blues, speak Spanish, sing, play with family and friends, and practice with The Yoga Space family.

Why do you love yoga?
My relationship to yoga is an ongoing journey that brings me equanimity both on and off the mat. Practicing is not an escape for me, but rather a way to fully arrive. Yoga frustrates me to the point of transformation; lifts me to elation; teaches me to be vulnerable, to trust, and ultimately, to let go. Through the breath I have learned to confront obstacles with compassion and be present in each moment. The evolution of my practice over the past five years has been a direct parallel of my relationship to myself and others. Above all else, yoga and meditation revealed to me the transcendent wisdom that peace is not acquired in the physical world, rather it resides within each of us.

What keeps you coming back to The Yoga Space?
The union created at The Yoga Space is about so much more than showing up for class. One arrives to find a family of practitioners and teachers who grow and delight in their struggles and triumphs on the mat together. Being a student at The Yoga Space has educated me about the limits of my anatomy, helping me to separate true physical inabilities from perceived mental limitations. The studio is a safe space where I am nurtured and challenged at the same time. The Yoga Space has fostered a community of dedicated practitioners who are tested physically, inspired spiritually, and stimulated mentally on their paths to mindfulness.