Seattle Yoga News is on a mission to find and highlight all of the hidden, and maybe not so hidden, gems in our yoga community and beyond. We want you to learn about their experiences and perspectives, but also a bit more about their personalities, so we have a few fun questions for them. This week’s spotlight is turned towards Candace Welch.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH YOGA?
Through yoga, I found the elusive feeling of clarity. Having graduated with a degree in Psychology and Religion, I had always yearned for transformation. As I discovered my true self through yoga, all I wanted to do was share that experience, teach it, and live it! The goal of Yoga (union) is Yoga (union), period. It is that simple.
WHAT KIND OF TRAININGS HAVE YOU PURSUED?
I received my 200-hour Hatha RYT, 200-hour Power Vinyasa, and SUP Certification within a year. Those are the certifications that come with a paper and a gold star. After traveling to Thailand, China, and India, I realized that yoga in the East was much different than how it’s presented in the West. I became a student of Meditation, Ayurveda, and Plant-Based Nutrition.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TEACHING METHOD?
A FUN adventure, a path of limitless, never-ending possibilities. Garudasana has always been my favorite pose. I love digging into the history and mythology of asanas. Garuda, with the help of his divine powers, and wisdom makes himself very small and passes without harm through obstacles to save his mother. Garuda blinds the poisonous snakes that attack him by flapping his large wings and creating a dust storm. Moving into Garudasana our “wings” are fully extended and then hug everything inwards, becoming this strong, compact, compressed version of ourselves. Finding balance in this pose reminds me to embrace change daily while overcoming obstacles and ultimately finding freedom in the pose.
HOW HAS YOGA INFLUENCED YOUR LIFE & WHO YOU ARE AS A PERSON?
For me, yoga is not a fitness program or a way to make money by having a captive audience in a studio for 90-minutes. Yoga is a lifestyle. Yoga is a commitment. Yoga is the daily application of its philosophy and its principles. I practice what I preach (and teach). I am vegan. Ahimsa (non-harming). I am drug and alcohol-free. Satya (truthfulness). I have created a unique teaching/retreat program in Thailand. Asteya (non-stealing). I teach. Brahmacharya (right use of energy). And that’s just the Yamas…! 😍 I live life with intention. Love my family and friends. Value authenticity. Listen hard. Walk to the edge. Laugh a lot.
WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU ALWAYS GIVE YOUR STUDENTS?
Yoga is for EVERYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME…and WE are ALL teachers. I LOVE practicing yoga outside in nature. In Thailand, we begin each morning facing the water, hearing the birds, and the waves, feeling everything come alive. Rain or shine it is my favorite yoga studio in the world! As a certified SUP instructor, I incorporate paddle boarding and yoga on the water in all my pieces of training. There is something about being outside in nature, balancing on the waves.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT YOU HAVE FACED AS A YOGA TEACHER?
Myself. Embracing the conflicts, fear, all the difficult things, problematic situations in my life. Owning them and understanding that they are mine, specifically to me, designed by myself (the part that loves me more than anything else) created roadblocks to lead me to my true self. This part of me went to extreme measures to wake me up. We simply need to listen to it, acknowledge it, and move it out of our bodies or we will suffer greatly. That is its purpose.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL MOMENT YOU’VE EXPERIENCED AS A YOGA STUDENT? AND HOW ABOUT AS A TEACHER?
As the daughter of a missionary, I knew in my heart that financial status and possibilities should not be a determining factor in who gets to become a yoga instructor. I also noticed yoga becoming more of a trend instead of a practice, commercializing, stealing, diluting, and corrupting the true essence and roots of yoga.
Therefore, in 2018 creating the first “donation-only” Yoga Teacher Training worldwide and making YTTs available without a defined cost aligned with my thoughts about monetary inequalities and creating opportunities. Global Vinyasa was created by the desire to make yoga accessible to everyone, everywhere. Today, Global Vinyasa still offers scholarships for YTTs worldwide.
Yoga is for everyone! No glorified teachers. No perfect body. No hidden fees. No costumes. No pedestals. No script. No ego.
WHAT YOGA RELATED BOOKS HAVE MOST INFLUENCED YOU?
The Bhagavad Gita, of course, is my go-to. Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, and The Wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope are fantastic books! “The goal of human life,” says Ramakrishna, “is to meet God face to face.” But the magic is this: if we look deeply into the face of all created things, we will find God. Therefore, savor the world, the body. Open it, explore it, investigate it. Worship it.”
WHAT HELPS YOU GET BACK ON YOUR YOGA MAT WHEN YOU ARE FEELING DEMOTIVATED?
We all hold fear in different areas of our physical, energetic, and emotional bodies. When I am not feeling motivated, this is an opportunity to understand myself better. What is preventing me from manifesting my dreams? Showing up on your mat (or in life) is a journey of truth. Ask yourself what is standing in the way. Release anything blocking you from moving forward into a new adventure.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US SOME OF YOUR WELLNESS & SELF-CARE PRACTICES?
Setting Healthy Boundaries. Get Outside. Drink Water. Avoid Drama. Lots of Laughter. Daily Exercise. Deep Uninterrupted Sleep. Prayer & Meditation. Plant-Based Diet. Digital Breaks. Create an Open & Flexible Mindset. Surround yourself with LOVE 🤍. Recognize that you are the only one in control of your thoughts and actions. Making choices that align with your values and goals will only lead to personal growth and a more fulfilling life.
Candace Welch Bio: Owner and founder of Global Vinyasa, was born in Papua New Guinea to an American father and a Canadian mother. She has lived in the United States and Thailand, and currently resides in Spain. Her independent spirit has led her to create a very different yoga school in Global Vinyasa. Her deep interest and understanding of diverse cultures allows her to bring a unique insight to her yoga teachings and trainings.A vegan chef and a former professional athlete, Candace continues to tap into her diverse life experience in her applied yoga and nutritional work with professional athletes in the Barcelona area. Her deep desire to continually learn allows her to approach her work in yoga with rare generosity and humility.
