A Little About Me
I am a lover of Yoga, Ayurveda, and exercise science, and I currently reside in Charlottesville, Virginia. I grew up in a Brazilian household in the Southeast of the country, where I was surrounded by a very active yet spiritual culture.
After completing my studies in Exercise Science in college, I left for Graduate School in the USA. During my graduate studies, I had the opportunity to teach Hatha Yoga class for the first time.
I found myself deeply in love with it. It was a great joy to apply the knowledge of the physical body that I had acquired in college to explore the "other bodies" and realize that we go beyond the physical level.
Since then, I have been building and incorporating connections between Eastern and Western cultures both in my personal life and professional career.
In 2007, I began delving deeper into the study of Yoga philosophy after already teaching for two years. I lived in an Ashram for seven years, where I graduated as an Advanced Hatha Yoga teacher. However, more than becoming a teacher, I got to live Yoga. If you aspire to become a yoga teacher, it's essential to become a yogi first. During those seven years at the Ashram, Yoga became a way of life for me, and I was able to apply the teachings in my daily living.
Using my devotion to the teachings of Yoga and my love for Anatomy and Physiology, I have been offering services to bring more conscious and equipped Hatha Yoga teachers into the world.
When I first began my journey into Yoga, I also rediscovered Ayurveda. I say "rediscovered" because I recall reading a small book and feeling a sense of familiarity and wonder with the science, which expanded my heart a thousand-fold. I then began to study Ayurveda on my own, knowing that I needed to establish a foundation with Yoga before I could devote more time to it. That day eventually arrived, and now I have graduated as an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant.
…and a Little More about Me
While all of this was happening, I continued practicing exercise science and incorporating the teachings of Yoga & Ayurveda into the activities. I have been working with individuals who deal with musculoskeletal issues (such as joint and back pain), digestive issues, weight management, sleep issues, anxiety, and depression, and those who just want to improve their health and stay healthy so they don’t become ill!
Yoga and Ayurveda have been the foundation of my actions and lifestyle, and they have profoundly impacted my life. I have used both sciences to manage and heal my digestion, back pain, fibromyalgia, and depression. If you would like to learn more about my journey and how I overcame these conditions, click on the following links: "How I found laughter again" and "How I overcame back pain".
I am dedicated to sharing the wealth of knowledge and wisdom of these sciences with those who cross my path so we can realize the power of knowing ourselves as we live in harmony with Mother Nature’s rhythms!
Letícia “Padmasri” Marques