About Xenia
I grew up in San José, Costa Rica, in the heart of a very humble home, surrounded by lots of cousins (and aunts and uncles), and plenty of unconditional love from my mother.
At the age of 21, while attending the University of Costa Rica, I was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship from the U.S.A. government to complete my Journalism degree at the California State University of Chico. I was ecstatic when I got the news. I could not find "Chico" on the map, but I had a feeling it was going to be OK, it was sunny California after all! Of course, we arrived in Northern California, early January...
Eventually Spring came along, and I had some of the the most memorable two and half years attending school in Chico.
Upon graduation I returned to Costa Rica and then back to California after a couple of years.
Today I work as a web developer for the State of California. It is not quite like teaching yoga all day. But, I work with some good souls and my customers are very appreciative. I began teaching lunch-time yoga to my co-workers about five years ago. And, that's how I started weaving yoga into all aspects of my life.
Finding Yoga
I
had been to "yoga" classes many times before. But, it wasn't
until I found myself in a yurt full of sweaty all-natural hippies, practicing
Ashtanga (á la Pattabhi Jois), as part of a three day detox retreat,
that I knew: This is what I have been looking for.
After that detox retreat I couldn't wait to sign up for the next yoga adventure. I wanted to explore more, learn more, and do more yoga.
After a number of Yoga Journal Conferences, and other workshops, the natural next step was finding a Yoga Teacher Training Program.
I enrolled in the 200-hr residential program at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, in the Berkshires, in Western Massachusetts. Upon completion, in Summer of 2006, I came back home a Radiant Warrior.
Kripalu was a blessing. The place is heavenly, the program and teachers were outstanding. The extracurricular activities are awesome, the staff is excellent and I had the honor of sharing the program with some wonderful friends with whom I continue to share and grow my yoga practice.
I still hold a sweet spot for Ashtanga yoga, I've done some Iyengar intensives, and Anusara, and Forrest yoga, but at the core of it all, for me, is Kripalu. I love Kripalu yoga because its focus is on compassion.
My given name comes from a Greek word meaning hospitality. Honoring my namesake, as a yoga teacher, my intention is to hold a safe and welcoming space for students to open up to the subtle benefits of yoga, to find their edge, to honor their bodies, and to connect with all that is beautiful within.
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