This week I got to chatting with Baharej about her upcoming event from 4-10 September entitled Shakti Healing - A Women's Yoga and Ayurveda Wellness Retreat.
Bahareh, can you tell us more about your background?
I’m an Acupuncturist/ Shiatsu Therapist and wellness educator. I help women feel whole again via Yoga, Ayurveda/Chinese Medicine and in general more wholesome practices. A big part of my practice has been dedicated to helping women reconnect with their femininity and to find healing within their own power. I work extensively with women in corporate settings through my Employee Wellness company which provides services onsite at workplaces.
Wow, that sounds amazing! How did you get into it?
I began my career as an engineer working in electricity production ( Nuclear power!) at the age of 25. I started taking yoga classes at my local studio and after a year my teacher encouraged me to take Yoga Teacher’s training. She told me that I would never know where that would take me. That intrigued me and I joined right away and studied with Ruth Vandervoort (http://www.synergymovement.ca/) in her home studio in a small intimate setting learning how to teach; It was just what I needed and the training was authentic and as far away from corporate life as possible.
I started teaching part time right away and also studying Ayurveda while working full time; But still something was missing and 2-3 corporate jobs later I decided that it was time to change my path in life completely.
I always saw life and career as very connected and I wanted to integrate the two more and that was not possible with a corporate career path. So I embarked on full time studies in Shiatsu Therapy and Acupuncture which took another 4-5 years.
What an incredible transformational journey you've been on. Can you describe what your life was like before going down this holistic pathway?
I was detached from my body and spending much more time in my head. I was more restricted and didn’t feel as free to be who I am.
What would you say is the one greatest thing you've learned?
Awareness of my own life/self and compassion towards all others.
What else would you do if you had the opportunity?
Learn to sing!
What was your most embarrassing class teaching / group event experience?
When I taught hundreds of participants in the middle of a major mall in Toronto; for Lululemon! I didn’t do anything wrong per se but felt out of place at that time; I was only used to studios and it was a nerve wracking experience for me!
What was your best class teaching / group event experience?
When I taught to seniors at a retirement residence; Very simple moves but profound effects on their mind and bodies. They were the sweetest students and very appreciative of my presence and classes.
Besides these beautiful practices that you get up to, what is your favorite thing?
Being outdoors, hiking, walking, biking and Swimming! Being immersed in the sea makes me feel so free. That’s one reason why I love Croatia so much!
What do you hope participants will gain by attending your event at Suncokret?
I hope that the participants can take away the following:
Be able to use yoga and their self-healing process through the retreat as means to then feel more connected to their own lives and destinies
Be able to take away concrete and practical simple every day practices that enhance their mind and body wellness
Reconnect with their own sacred feminine Shakti energy and be able to tap into that when in need of extra support.
Feel empowered and full of potential as a woman.
Beautiful memories, friendships and connections that will last for years to come!
How did you come up with the Shakti Healing event theme you are leading at Suncokret?
Having worked with women in wellness as well as studied Ayurveda ( Wise Earth Ayurveda, specifically, which is a feminine-based model) I realized that these approaches to trust our Shakti as women is missing in the current male-dominated approach to teaching and practicing yoga ( not “men” but “male” as an energy). I am inspired to help women realize their true power and be able to use that for their self-healing as well as life decisions beyond the yoga mat.
Why would attending your particular event be beneficial to the participants who join?
Learn from someone who has embodied the practices for years and has been able to transform her own life
Be able to learn in an integrated way various traditional medicine practices in self-healing from someone with extensive and diverse cultural and educational background
Be able to learn very simple practices easily integrated into daily life that have a profound effect on overall our wellness
Learn specific yoga Asanas (based on Ayurvedic Medicine) for your home practices that are seasonal and condition-specific to support you
Is there any ideal way retreat participants can better prepare themselves for their retreat time with you?
Come with an open mind and willingness to learn from each other. Be prepared to use hands-on touch and practice on yourself and each other. The retreat participates will be the ones who make it a retreat; By participating and working with one another. that is why same retreat experience can never be replicated and each will form in a unique way.
At the end of the event week, what is the one thing you hope retreat participants will walk away feeling?
That they are the ones with all the power to heal themselves and help heal others in their communities.
What are your plans for the future?
My hubby is Croatian and I am Iranian-Canadian. We love traveling and we have decided to settle in Croatia as our base. I love this part of the world and the ability to be closer to nature here…. also it is closer to my home country of Iran and I want to reconnect with my fellow Iranian women. The reason being that, in that part of the world, feminine energy has been suppressed for generations and I feel I can contribute and help them reconnect with it with the teachings that I have been gifted with. I hope to be able to host retreats and travel events with them and also other women in the future specially here in Croatia.
So exciting! We are really honored to have you participate in our visiting teacher lineup for 2016 and look very much forward to learning from and sharing with you!
Interested in learning more? Check out our Shakti Healing Events Page for Bahareh's upcoming event and hope to see you then!