Interview with Nadine of SOMA!

Gaia: Nadine, we are so happy to be interviewing you!! Tell us a little bit about yourself!

Nadine: I have been living in Nelson for 15 years now and was a Floral Designer for well over 20 years. In 2017 I completed my Yoga Teacher Training at Bambu Hot Yoga Studio with local teachers Stacey Arseneau and Kaila Kaufman. I was feeling called out of the retail industry into a different kind of service. My interest in Sound Healing, Nada Yoga & mantra came before my Yoga Teacher Training and in the end it was what helped me to become the teacher I am today. Living in downtown Nelson, I opened up my apartment studio to teach Yoga and host conscious events. This birthed my offering of Community Yoga, the Kootenay Kirtan Collective, house concerts, artist/yoga practitioner collaborations & sound healing meditations. I am currently involved with the Community Futures program about to launch my first studio; SOMA Sound & Events.

Gaia: When did you start your Yogic path & practice?

Nadine: My Yogic path began in 1999 when I took my first Yoga class, from there my practice came and went. In 2007 I immersed myself in a month of hot yoga and fell in love with the depth of my practice. In 2008 I moved to Nelson and attended a few local classes. Then in 2010 I gave birth, my Yogic path shifted into single motherhood. When my daughter was 3 a friend gifted me $100 and said make sure you spend this on yourself. I invested in a pass at Bambu. I needed Yoga to survive and thrive. It was proving to me it was essential for my mental health. I then arranged with Kaila Kaufman (owner/teacher at Bambu) a Karma Yoga trade. I cleaned the studio to have a regular practice, which led me to deepen my study; hence the Yoga Teacher Training which has brought me to who and where I am today.

                     
Gaia: At what point in your life did you decide that it was your true calling to become a yoga teacher and open a space to teach people?

Nadine: Yoga changed everything in my life, my mental health improved so much, I quit smoking, my health was improving, I wanted to simply share the benefits of the practice. Once I completed my teacher training, what I thought would be simply a personal investment, became a ripple effect into the world. Mantra, Sanskrit, Self study, Yogic philosophy, I felt called to share my experiences and be of service to amplify the healing power of this journey. I was struggling with working in the retail floral industry. What I once thought I would die doing became more difficult to go to everyday because my soul work was calling me. So I played in both worlds until the pandemic created a lay off scenario which opened the doors to pursue creating a career in the realm of sound & frequency healing, yoga and conscious events.

Gaia: Tell us a bit about your space ‘Soma Yoga Studio’ and what you offer as far as lessons and events.

Nadine: So to clarify, SOMA is not a Yoga Studio. Rather it is a studio for the healing arts & conscious events. It is a platform for Complimentary Alternative Medicine (CAM), energetic based practices, Sound Healing, Music Medicine, somatic and ancient movement practices, pranayama and meditation classes, workshops & or events. It is functioning a bit like what our Moving Centre did; it provided a space for a variety of practitioners to offer their classes, workshops, & events. SOMA is a bit more curated in a way, seeking teachers and practitioners that support the growth of CAM, energy medicine and medical intuition. The mission is to empower the inner healer within all of us. Whether that is learned from a weekly pranayama practice, a seminar for those interested in Tai Chi, a workshop series on the power of sound. It will be interesting to see what work comes through to be supported.

Gaia: What does yoga offer you that other spiritual practices don’t? 

Nadine: Yoga opened me to the divine within myself. Learning that self love and self compassion can only extend outward to others once found within oneself. The practice of chanting (mantra & learning Sanskrit) has given me probably the most powerful transformation. Finding my voice, recognizing the power of vibration was a calling to share this medicine with the world. I wish to empower people in their voices, giving them a platform to speak and share their truths in relation to the healing arts and the evolution of consciousness.

Gaia: Are there any other personal spiritual practices you have? Do you mind sharing about them?

Nadine: Prayer.

Gaia: Are there any spiritual philosophies, beliefs or paths you are drawn to that you would like to learn more about?

Nadine: I am feeling drawn to Tai chi, Qi Gong, Energy Medicine and Medical Intuition.

Gaia: How do you think you have grown as a person in the last year?

Nadine: I have grown in so many ways. Having gone through the Community Futures program, I have learned so much about what I am capable of, how passionate I am to bring a vision to life. My belief in myself & in my dreams is so powerful that I feel like I am capable of experiencing magic in the everyday. I am making amazing new connections and the synchronicities are an affirmation that I am on the right path working with the right people.

Gaia: What is one thing you would like to grow about yourself in 2023?

Nadine: I wish to strengthen my inner knowing always. Having the radical trust to follow what feels right.

Gaia: What is your sun sign and do you feel you relate to it? If you know what your moon and ascendant signs are, do you feel like they reflect in your personality?

Nadine: I am an Aquarius and I definitely resonate with the Aquarian vibes. I am a Taurus rising and a Taurus moon.  I suppose I am fairly grounded in this lifetime.

Gaia: Where can we find more information about accessing your services?

Nadine: @somasoundstudio on IG. SOMA Sound & Events page on FB. People can join my email list for upcoming events and updates at somasoundstudio@gmail.com and eventually I will have my website up and running. It is under construction currently. I hope to have it soon so scheduling and booking will be easier for all.

Gaia: What would be in your shopping bag at Gaia Rising?

Nadine: A lovely piece of amethyst for my studio!