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.
Seattle Yoga News: What inspired you to become a yoga teacher?
Candace Welch: Through yoga I found the elusive feeling of clarity. Having graduated with a degree in Psychology, I had always yearned for transformation. When I discovered my true self through yoga, all I wanted to do was share that experience, teach it, live it!
The goal of Yoga (union) is Yoga (union), period.
It really is that simple.
Seattle Yoga News: What kind of trainings have you pursued?
Candace Welch: 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, however, 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 Veganism – lifestyle choices which require no certification.
Seattle Yoga News: What is one piece of advice you always give your students?
Candace Welch: Be Honest!
Seattle Yoga News: What is your favorite asana and why?
Candace Welch: Garudasana has always been my favorite pose. I love digging into the 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 pair of 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 everyday, while overcoming obstacles and ultimately finding freedom in the pose.
Seattle Yoga News: What is your favorite yoga related book?
Candace Welch: “Yoga and the Quest for the True Self” and “The Wisdom of Yoga” written by Stephen Cope are two of my favorite 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, look into it. Worship it.”
Seattle Yoga News: What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
Candace Welch: I LOVE being on the water. As a certified SUP instructor, I incorporate paddle boarding and yoga on the water in all my trainings. There is something about being outside in nature, balancing on the waves.
Imagine a yoga class where the board is your mat, the sky & water your studio, and nature’s ebb & flow your playlist.
Seattle Yoga News: Outside of the world of yoga, what are you really passionate about?
Candace Welch: Learning Spanish, French, and Thai. Having lived in different parts of the world, I feel that its important to be able to speak and communicate in those different languages.
Seattle Yoga News: Where can one take a yoga class with you?
Connect with me…
www.globalvinyasa.com
instagram: globalvinyasa
twitter: @globalvinyasa
facebook: Global Vinyasa
I am not affiliated with one studio, I offer classes and workshops wherever I am.
Bio: Candace Welch, 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.
