I began my journey as a yoga practitioner in 2012, after a spine injury. My doctor prescribed a total ban of sports but I could not stay still. So I signed up for Ashtanga yoga not really knowing what to expect. As it has happened to many people, I started yoga because of its physical part and then stayed and fell in love with it because of the spiritual part. I discovered that apart from making the pain go away faster, for 2 hours each day my mind was just completely at rest and that I gained more clarity after each practice. This was huge for me, being an overt-thinker, who also happened to be a lawyer.
I then decided I wanted to share this magical practice and help other people. Since 2016 I have gained 510 hours of training in Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Yin and Pregnancy and Postpartum yoga. I obtained my certifications from Rishikul Yogshala in India, the Synergy Yoga Centre in the USA, Annie Au from Hong Kong and My Health Yoga in Australia.
With over five years teaching experience around the world whilst on my travels, I have found a love for inspiring others in their search for physical, mental and spiritual well-being. My classes have a strong focus on authenticity, fun and support. Of greatest importance, I work to build a safe and nurturing environment that supports inward focus and exploration of the body, mind and spirit for yogis of all levels.
To complement my yoga practice, I also certified as a Thai masseuse by the International Training Massage School in Thailand and a second degree Reiki practitioner.
As a side note, I am also an accredited Intellectual Property lawyer in Peru and a registered Trade Marks Attorney here in Australia :).
In my classes, you will usually hear me using cues such as "offer a blessing to the earth", "bow to the sun within you", "embody the strength of a mountain as you hold tadasana", or "open your heart up to the sky as you surrender your weight to the earth's support".
I am originally from Peru and Andean world vision still plays a big role in my country and for a big part of my family. Inca's never took nature for granted and many elements were seen as gods. "Pachamama" is how they called Mother Earth. The mountains are gods or "Apus" who protect us. Both the Sun ("Inti") and the Moon ("Killa") were honoured throughout the year but also had their special festivals, just like in yoga we have the Sun and the Moon Salutations. And there are so many more links. I think I have only been able to consciously make that connection myself now that I am away from my beloved Peru. And this has transpired in my style of teaching as a way to carry with me a piece of home and to honour and share my culture with others.
“Ch’aska” means “Star” in Quechua, one of the native languages in the Andes mountains of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Argentina. I chose this name because that is how my mum calls me, as she believes I always have good luck. When someone is always lucky, in Peru we say that person “was born with a star”.
With this introduction, I hope you know you are really being taken care of when you come to my classes, be that my public or private classes, because I am sharing with you two of the biggest and most important things in my life: yoga and my culture. And if you pay close attention you will notice that even my playlists have that kind of "mother-earthly"/ tribal / native / natural touch, because my hope is that during my classes you too are able to connect with your roots (whatever that may mean to you), and to feel grateful every day of your life for being part of nature's magical and amazing flow.
⭐
Luisa
