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about syd

about my offerings

I believe yoga, meditation, breathwork, sound healing or any other modality for that matter, are ALL working with the SAME energy.

 

Each school of thought or ancient lineage is trying to bring you back home, home within yourself. Home in your heart.

Connecting you to that infinite energy source. Connecting you to the feeling of knowing who you are.

Helping you remember the Divinity within you. Helping you reach an attitude of peace and acceptance towards your experiences. Providing clarity. Elevating your perspective. Unlocking the intuition and inner guidance of whats next.

Giving you the ability to self-express without insecurity or self-judgement.

It doesn't matter if you choose to do 31 minutes of breath of fire, an intense ashtanga flow, a relaxing sound bath, a quiet meditation in your neighborhood park or ANY other mindful practice. Each modality is a pathway for your Soul to come back home... to Oneness and Love.

I believe that certain classes, teachers, and techniques will resonate with different people. We are all unique expressions of that Oneness. Like different sides or facets of ONE brilliant diamond, we reflect out the same light in a unique projection - so it makes perfect sense that we all journey back to the light in different ways!

I encourage you to seek. Do not blindly follow everything you hear, but experiment with your own energy. Treat your life as one beautiful fascinating experiment! Have an open mind about your journey.

Below I have listed a few methods I resonate with. All of which I have personally studied and now share and teach. My classes are usually various combinations of Kundalini Yoga, meditation, breathwork and sound depending on the class or needs of the student.

xx Syd

kundalini yoga

Kundalini Yoga is known as the "Yoga of Awareness" and is a form of Raj Yoga. 

It is an epic and vibrant tool designed to give you an immediate experience of your unique Soul.

In Kundalini Yoga we access the mental, physical, and nervous system energies of our body and put them under the domain of the will, which is the instrument of the Soul.* This technology creates specific formulas or sequences - including breathwork, mudra (hand postures), driste (eye-focus), mantra, and yogic postures to create the intended response in the body. In Kundalini Yoga these sequences or yoga flows are called Kriyas. Kriya meaning =  “action” or “to do”. Each Kriya is designed for an exact benefit or purpose.

There are thousands of Kundalini Kriyas with a wide range of benefits. For example:  strengthening the nervous system, balancing the glandular system, expanding lung capacity, opening the heart center, reducing stress and anxiety, purifying the blood, and MANY other benefits. Kundalini brings balance to the body, mind, and soul. This balance brings you into a peaceful state of neutrality and of observing life from an elevated perspective.

Kundalini Yoga is a yoga for householders, for people who have to cope with the daily challenges and stresses of holding jobs, raising families, and managing businesses. It is a path for everyone who wants the skills to cope successfully with the challenges of our times.

 

Kundalini Yoga was kept very secret until 1969 when Yogi Bhajan taught it openly in order to prepare humanity for the major changes that this planet is going through as we cross from the Piscean to the Aquarian Age.* An age where technology, fatigued adrenals, elevated stress levels and anxiety attacks are the norm. The Aquarian Age is also an age of Truth. Where information is available to ALL. You can even see recently secrets and scandals have come out in the open. The ancient technology of Kundalini Yoga gives us the awareness and the resilience to live in this new age and transcend above the mental health issues that are becoming so common.

I can try to explain this technique with words, however Kundalini is an experience. To fully understand this practice you have to have SELF-experience in a class or workshop. It’s a synchronistic and funny thing how this transformative technology will find you when you are ready for it. If you are reading this and even feel a slight curiosity, please try out a class! ANY class. ANYWHERE. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me personally too.

“Just as all rivers end up in the ocean, ALL yoga ends up raising the kundalini. 

What is the kundalini?  It is the creative potential of the human being.”

~Yogi Bhajan

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about kundalini yoga
about meditation

meditation

Meditation to me can be almost ANYTHING that puts you in that "flow state".

 

Meditation can be prayer, devotional rituals, silent "zen" meditation, moving or active meditations, using mudras, chanting mantra, running on the beach, connecting with nature, creating art, playing an instrument, or ANY kind of activity where you are no longer "doing" the activity but you "become" the activity.

A common misconception about meditation is that you will have no thoughts at all. Or that thinking is "bad". I disagree. I believe that meditation is the opportunity to step back and realize we are not our thoughts. We are the awareness of the thoughts. When you really understand this any thoughts that arise during a meditation are witnessed from a neutral observant place and then pass. Various thoughts come and go, but the mind doesn't attach onto the fears, worries, judgements, fantasies, or desires of the mind. You just watch the thoughts. A swami and teacher I met in India, Sadviji, says, "meditation is simple, but that doesn't make it easy. Simple and easy are not synonymous." It takes practice and commitment like anything in life. Meditation is not a trendy hobby it is a necessity for our society and the mental health of our world.

 

I also must add meditation is not necessarily spiritual or religious. It does have roots in many traditions but ANYONE can meditate regardless of creed.

 

Science now has evidence that supports the effectiveness of consistent and daily meditation. There are research studies that show meditation promotes deep inner peace, higher consciousness, optimal health, and overall happiness.

Guru Rattana, Ph.D beautifully says meditation is "the stilling of the rational, reasoning, dualistic egotistical mind to allow the neutral mind to focus awareness on inner reality beyond intellectual concepts, and on outer reality beyond physical, earthly objects. Meditation uses many techniques to achieve this purpose, and produces a calm, alert, intuitive, effective, efficient and self-controlled personality, and an enhanced sense of being and consciousness."

“The goal of meditation isn’t to control your thoughts,

it’s to stop letting them control you.”

~Anonymous

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about breathwork

breathwork

We ALL come into this world on an INHALE and we all leave this world on an EXHALE.

Breathing is the most natural and automatic thing we humans do. Breath is the thing we all do subconsciously and we NEED in order to survive. It is something we do 24/7 three hundred and sixty five days a year! Controlling the breath should be second nature, but it’s not. It is a learned skill to develop. Breathing correctly is a tool that can change your life.

According to some experts, most of us breathe at 10-20% of their full capacity. If you are anything like me in times of stress and anxiety you find you hold your breath in, literally cutting off the oxygen to your brain. On average people breath about fifteen times per minute, we have to consciously slow it down! One of my favorite breathing techniques is the "one minute breath" Where you inhale for 20 seconds, hold the breath in for 20 seconds, and exhale for 20. I definitely had to work up to this, starting with 10 seconds and the 15 second intervals. Even slowing down the breath to 8 breath per minute can relieve stress, increase mental clarity, and balance the parasympathetic nervous system.

When you go to a breathwork class or do a 1:1 session you might have different experiences based on the specific methods,  the teacher and of course your own mood/openness - however remember that it is ALL just breathing! You are inhaleing and exhaling in order to go within and come back to yourself. Also no one person can claim to have invented breathwork. It doesn't matter if they trademarked a catchy phrase or have a large social media presence - we all breathe and always will.

Yes, it is all breathing but there are many different breathing techniques you can use in situations depending on what you need in the current moment. For example, there is "Breath of Fire" which is a rapid vigorous, equal inhale and exhale through the nose - to energize and focus. Verses directing your breath only through your left nostril. It is soothing to do a few minutes left nostril breathing any time you wish to relax and before going to bed. With segmented breathing, we divide the inhalation and exhalation into several equal parts, with a slight suspension of the breath separating each part. Variations of segmenting of the breath stimulates the central brain and the glandular system in different ways. These are just a few techniques that I have in my pocket anywhere, anytime I need.

I teach breathwork in Kundalini Yoga Pranayama practices, meditation classes, and solely breathwork sessions. I have had deep transformation by consciously connecting to my breath. Some sessions leaving me in sweet tears of release and other sessions making me laugh out loud, but all different experiences of feeling my most authentic Self. I love helping people connect to their breath and believe the breath is at the core of all yogic traditions. What is so amazing about breathwork, is once you know, you know. You don't have to attend a class to get the benefits. You can use your breath to pull yourself out of an anxiety attack, a rage or a depression episode right in your living room. However, of course it is nice to have the support when you are starting.

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”

~Thich Nhat Hanh

sound healing

We live in a world of frequencies and vibrations. A.K.A. energy... we are also made of energy. Every cell of our body vibrates. Our thoughts are vibrations. And everything around us right now - has its optimal frequency. A state of ‘balance’ or coherence can be achieved when the cells, the body, and the mind are reset at their natural frequency.

According to the new information from quantum information biology — biophotons (or light particles that are generated within our bodies) emit light / frequencies that give our cells instructions on how to function. The more coherent the biophoton frequencies are - the healthier the cell. Sound is one of the oldest medicines humans have used. Pythagoras said, "Each celestial body, in fact each and every atom, produces a particular sound on account of its movement, its rhythm or vibration. All these sounds and vibrations form a universal harmony in which each element, while having it’s own function and character, contributes to the whole."

Sound Healing is the application of healing frequencies to the physical and subtle energy fields around the body. These healing or therapeutic frequencies and sounds are delivered via live sound therapy sessions, using a variety of sound healing tools such as Gongs, tuning forks, Tibetan singing bowls, quartz crystal bowls, monochords, elemental chimes as well as those from more indigenous/Shamanic Sound Healing traditions, such as the digeridoo, Native drums, Native flutes, rattles and more.

 

We all can get stuck in negative vibrations when we don’t feel our soul’s presence and unity with life. Something blocks and is in the way – limiting beliefs, fear, lies, misperceptions – or just simply the experience of fragmentation and empty space. Every “missing piece” of one’s soul that is not experienced lowers one’s frequency.  When one’s awareness is split into fragments, one’s vibration slows. Raising one’s vibratory frequency prevents the falling into unhealthy feeling habits, negative thinking and sluggish physical health. When we are healthy, everything in our bodies is vibrating in harmony or resonance.  Dis-ease results when a part of our body begins to vibrate at a different rate, out of harmony with the rest.

 

Healing with sound is believed to date back to ancient Greece, when music was used in an attempt to cure mental disorders. Greek philosopher Pythagoras, utilized sound as a form of medicine to treat a variety of ailments.  Science has proven the effects of vibrational frequencies in countless studies to date. For example, the study of Cymatics has shown how sound creates geometric patterns in matter. A Japanese doctor, Dr. Emoto has proven that sound changes the molecular structure of water. Doctors are now finding the resonant frequency of specific organs in order to help vibrate them back into a healthy state. Recently, research has linked vibration/music to a number of health benefits, from boosting immune function and lowering stress levels to improving the health of premature babies. Perhaps most exciting is cutting-edge research that shows how sound might be used to disintegrate diseases such as cancer!

Sound Baths provide epic space to facilitate transformation, release of emotional blockages and ways to experience cellular rejuvenation. I will normally have a short sound bath at the end of every yoga class I teach. I also give extended sound baths that could last for more than an hour when all you have to do is be horizontal and relax! Sound baths are great on their own or paired with workshops, classes or retreats. Visit the sound bath page for more information and how to attend a sound bath.

"Our biological rhythms are the symphony of the cosmos, music embedded deep within us to which we dance, even when we can't name the tune."

~Deepak Chopra 

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about sound healing

about soul-expression

I am a huge advocate for self-expression and creativity. I believe EVERYONE is creative. We are ALL "artists" in our own way.

I live by and echo the statement by one of my favorite researchers,​

“There’s no such thing as creative people, and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t. Unused creativity doesn’t just disappear. It lives within us until it’s expressed, neglected to death, or suffocated by resentment and fear.”

-Dr. Brené Brown"

My teaching philosophy on my retreats is rooted in the "process" of creating. I emphasize process driven art that has no pressure or stress attached. I aim to highlight the "doing" of art, rather than the desired "perfect" outcome. My goal is to support you in creating with an open heart, using your creative intuition and ultimately releasing the insecurities that plague creatives.

Let me remind you:

  • You are an amazing human being with a creative spark in your soul.

  • And you deserve to be inspired and to inspire others with your gifts.

  • You have a right to authentically self-express.

  • You want to understand your life's purpose - but first understand your purpose is not a destination.

 

Take a deep breath as I hand you the tools to unlock creative blocks and the key to authentic self-expression. I believe that you have the ability transform your life into a piece of art and create your own reality with heart and purpose. I believe that self-expression and the pursuit of spirituality are deeply intertwined. Let me help you feel the relationship between creating art and spiritual awareness. Art as spiritual practice is one that has changed my own life. Making art can change your day. Making art everyday can change your life. I am here a resource and a guide in your creative journey.

I am also available to plan / host customized, themed overnight retreats or multi-day workshops for groups and larger companies. Click here for more information and to schedule a soul-expression session!

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testimonials

FRANCISCO

music producer

I almost didn't go to the retreat! Despite my continued hesitation I listened to my heart. Well thank God  I did go, because in less than 48 hours, I grew significantly as a person and completely shifted perspectives.  I am literally a different person in the same body.

CASEY

entrepreneur

Before Syd even said anything, her presence put me at ease, made me feel welcome, and opened my heart. She is so genuine, uplifting, and open hearted, and she makes each student feel so special. Her enthusiasm about yoga is infectious, and I loved her explanations for the origins of some of the practices and translation of the mantras.

ARIELLE

singer

I am so grateful for the conscious community Sydney has brought together! I acknowledged parts of myself I've closed off or have been hiding from. I know I am light but I've been afraid of my dark. This retreat made me realize I have nothing to be afraid of. I can be fearless. I feel confident to have found a community that truly supports one another.

CHRIS

sports marketer

I began to realize that my self expression would be my creativity and my presence alone was enough. The Retreat was one of the most unique experiences of my life where after one weekend, it wasn’t weird to tell one another “I love you”. These friends are people who I truly cherish in my life 

work with syd

1:1 sessions

schedule a private 1:1 session

we will create a personalized experience choosing one of more of my offerings:

yoga + meditation

sound healing

guided breathwork

reiki energy work

self-expression coaching

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start your journey

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groups

schedule a large group session

or a corporate event / company retreat curated together for your unique needs: 

retreat planning / hosting

yoga + meditation

sound baths

guided breathwork

self-expression / art classes

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host your own group 

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“Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak.”

~Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

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