FEATURED ALUMNUS: MIKAELA SINCLAIR BRANDON

Describe your yoga journey, please. Where has it taken you? 

My yoga journey began in highschool. A few of my dance teachers growing up also taught yoga so the asana worked its way into our classes. Then, I continued practicing at home throughout college before discovering Sonic Yoga during my freshman year. I started practicing vinyasa in the studio and have been attending classes ever since. Today, yoga is my primary practice. If I am not able to make it to the mat, then I make sure to live my life according to what I’ve learned thus far. It is truly a never ending journey of self-discovery and expansion.

How has the Yoga Teacher Training influenced your life? 

The yoga teacher training at Sonic allowed me to deepen my knowledge and awareness. It introduced me to a community of like-minded individuals who also enjoy the practice of yoga. It held me accountable to my personal practice and I appreciated receiving more information about the various modalities, lineages, and traditions of yoga.Though practicing yoga can sometimes feel like a lot of work, the training affirmed my devotion to the path and inspired me to begin teaching.

Could you describe a moment in a yoga class that impacted you? And how? 

For many years, I practiced asana without consciously integrating my breath. My main focus was to gain more flexibility (and strength) rather than forming deeper and more philosophical connections. Then, one day in class with Keith Partington, I remember existing in a posture and hearing his words differently than ever before. I don’t recall what he said exactly, but it definitely marked a new beginning for my yoga asana practice. I realized here that the physical practice itself is merely a gateway to access the deeper levels of consciousness within the self. The yoga asana practice is what holds the keys to unlock these new doors of awareness that us, as yoga practitioners, are knowingly and unknowingly searching for.